Director of Housekeeping

The Role We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Director of Housekeeping to lead the development and implementation of all housekeeping operations from pre-opening through to full resort operations. Reporting to the Director of Rooms where applicable, you will be responsible for establishing the department, building a high-performing team, and ensuring that every guest room, villa, and public area reflects the distinctive quality, attention to detail, and understated elegance of The Chedi brand. This is a key leadership role for a hospitality professional who combines strong operational expertise with a passion for service excellence, team development, and sustainable luxury. Key Responsibilities • Pre-opening and planning: Develop the housekeeping organisation structure, manpower plan, recruitment schedule, training programme, and operational readiness plan aligned with the resort s phased opening. • Standards and quality assurance: Establish and implement SOPs, cleaning protocols, inspection routines, and quality-control systems in line with GHM / The Chedi brand standards. • OS&E and procurement: Oversee the selection, specification, ordering, inventory, and operational set-up of linen, uniforms, housekeeping equipment, cleaning supplies, and other operating essentials. • Team leadership: Recruit, develop, train, and lead a professional, multicultural housekeeping team, including the effective supervision and performance management of outsourced personnel. • Rooms and villa readiness: Coordinate closely with Engineering, Front Office, and Villa Operations on snagging, deep cleaning, room inspections, handovers, and readiness for guest occupancy. • Laundry and linen management: Oversee laundry operations, linen circulation, uniform management, outsourced contracts, stock levels, and cost efficiency. • Budgeting and cost control: Prepare and manage pre-opening and operating budgets, monitor departmental expenses, control inventories, and implement effective productivity measures. • Guest experience: Maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, presentation, comfort, and discretion, responding promptly to guest feedback and service-recovery requirements. • Sustainability: Implement environmentally responsible housekeeping practices that support the resort s eco-luxury positioning while maintaining the highest hygiene and quality standards. • Cross-departmental collaboration: Work closely with other department heads to ensure seamless operations, effective communication, and consistent delivery of the resort s service philosophy. • A minimum of 10 years of housekeeping experience within luxury hospitality, including at least 3 years in a Director of Housekeeping or Executive Housekeeper role at a five-star hotel or resort. • Demonstrated experience in luxury resort pre-openings, preferably at a property of comparable scale and complexity. • Proven ability to establish housekeeping operations, recruit and develop teams, and deliver operational readiness against demanding opening deadlines. • Strong experience managing outsourced service providers, multicultural teams, and third-party contracts. • Excellent knowledge of housekeeping standards, laundry operations, linen management, OS&E, inventory control, budgeting, and cost management. • A hands-on leadership style, strong organisational skills, and exceptional attention to detail. • Excellent interpersonal, communication, coaching, and team-development skills. • A degree or diploma in Hospitality Management or a related discipline is preferred. • Fluency in English is essential; Arabic language skills are an advantage. • Previous experience in Oman or the GCC is desirable.