Summary
GuestReady is hiring a City Manager to build and lead its Abu Dhabi operations. The role oversees city performance and P&L, property portfolio growth, owner relationships, daily operations, licensing compliance, team leadership and guest experience. Applicants should have 5–8 years of relevant experience, including 2–3 years leading a team, and be fluent in English; Abu Dhabi market experience and Arabic are advantages. The role is based in Abu Dhabi, and GuestReady covers UAE visa sponsorship.
The posting
As published on guestready.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
About GuestReady
GuestReady is an award-winning hospitality management company at the intersection of hospitality and technology. Founded in 2016, we manage thousands of properties across the UK, France, Portugal, Spain and the UAE, and we build our own property management software, RentalReady. The UAE is a long-term priority market for us, and Abu Dhabi is our next step.
The role
We're looking for a City Manager to build and lead GuestReady in Abu Dhabi. You'll own the city end to end: growing our portfolio of properties, running day-to-day operations, keeping owners and guests happy and delivering the city's results. Reporting to the Director of Business Operations, UAE, you'll work closely with our Dubai team and our central Revenue Management, Guest Experience, Finance and Owner Success teams.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who wants to build something from the ground up.
Key responsibilities
- City performance: Own the Abu Dhabi P&L and key targets, including portfolio growth, occupancy, revenue, owner retention and guest reviews.
- Portfolio growth: Build and grow our portfolio of properties in Abu Dhabi, working with owners, developers and local partners to bring new homes on board.
- Owner relationships: Act as the senior point of contact for key owners, making sure they feel informed and confident in GuestReady.
- Operations: Set up and run day-to-day operations, including cleaning, maintenance, check-ins and quality standards, with in-house teams and local suppliers.
- Licensing and compliance: Make sure every property in the portfolio has the right holiday home permits and meets Abu Dhabi regulations (DCT), working with authorities and internal teams.
- Team leadership: Hire, lead and develop the local team, setting clear goals and building a strong team culture.
- Guest experience: Work with Guest Experience to deliver high-quality stays and act quickly on guest feedback.
- Reporting: Track and report city KPIs, spot issues early and drive improvements in how we run the portfolio.
What we're looking for
- 5–8 years' experience in hospitality, short-term rentals, property management or real estate, including at least 2–3 years leading a team
- Experience owning results for a city, region, property or business unit
- Strong operational background: you know how to set up and run field operations and suppliers
- Commercially minded, comfortable with a P&L and with numbers
- Confident building relationships with owners, developers and partners
- Hands-on, organised and able to work independently in a growing market
- Fluent English, written and spoken
Nice to have
- Experience in the Abu Dhabi market and with DCT holiday home licensing
- Experience launching or scaling a business in a new city
- Arabic
- Experience with property management systems or CRM tools
What we offer
- Stability: a long-term role with an established, growing company that's here to stay in the UAE
- Competitive salary
- UAE visa sponsorship, covered by GuestReady
- Medical insurance from your first day
- 25 days' annual leave
GuestReady is committed to an inclusive environment and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds.