Head of Operations (Fixed-term contract) (F/M/X)

Company Description

About Orient Express

Artisan of travel since 1883, Orient Express sublimates the art of travel with its luxury trains, hotels, and sailing yachts. The brand has just launched its first hotels, Orient Express La Minerva, in Rome followed by Orient Express Venezia at Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in 2026. The experience continues with the recent launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express train, followed by Orient Express Corinthian in 2026, the first of two Orient Express Sailing Yachts, and finally, the return of L’Orient Express train to railways. Since 2022, Orient Express is part of Accor Group’s leading collection of luxury brands with a century-old legacy in the hotels and fine- dining sectors. In 2024, Accor and LVMH entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of Orient Express. Follow the journey at @orientexpress on Instagram or visit the website at www.orient-express.com. 

Job Description

The SVP Operations will, on a fixed-term contract basis, provide the strategic and operational leadership to accelerate transformation and drive profitable growth globally across all hotels and trains. He/she will foster a growth-oriented culture focused on delivering a superior guest experience while meeting clear financial and operational metrics.

Key responsibilities:

Leadership & strategic vision:

• Act as the ultimate leader of the operations division, architecting and executing the brand’s global operational roadmap under the direct guidance of the CEO.
• Partner with the Executive Committee to design short- to long-term organizational planning to maximize portfolio synergies while safeguarding absolute compliance with all corporate policies, financial guidelines, and management contracts.

Pre-opening & assets launch:

• Spearhead end-to-end pre-opening phases for OE assets by coordinating cross-functional teams (Design, Finance, P&C…) to ensure operational readiness on OE assets (hotels and trains).
• Develop bespoke operational plans, budgets, and SOPs in alignment with General Managers and owners to secure on-time delivery and maximize investment outcomes

Guest experience excellence & brand integrity: Guard the guest experience by championing LQA standards across all assets  and providing strategic direction for signature F&B, wellness, and on-board concepts.

Financial governance & asset value optimization: Hold full accountability for global operational profitability and long-term asset value , delivering on EBITDA targets, CAPEX plans, and manning guides in close collaboration with finance directors and investors, while ensuring a flawless balance between ultra-luxury service standards and proactive cost management.

Strategic growth & market acceleration: Foster high-impact collaboration with Commercial, Revenue, and Marketing divisions to design growth-focused strategies and accelerate booking velocity.

Elite leadership recruitment: Lead the recruitment of high-profile operational leaders (General Managers and Train Managers).

Qualifications

• •15+ years of progressive leadership in the ultra-luxury hospitality  and railway sector
• •Successful history of directing complex, high-profile pre-opening projects from construction/design phases through to launch and stabilization
• •Solid experience collaborating directly with institutional investors, asset owners, and board members
• •Deep understanding of LQA standards and important attention to detail
• •Exceptional negotiation and influencing skills to manage complex relationships
• •Strong leadership and management skills
• •Strong sense of urgency
• •Professional fluency in English is mandatory. Italian would be a plus.

Additional Information