Closing date: Monday 26th May 2025
Salary: Competitive Salary, Plus Desirable Benefits
Full Time, Permanent Position
Are you wild about creating memorable experiences?
Do you want to work in a place where you can hear calls from troops of Howler Monkeys, or the roars from a pride of Lions?
We’re looking for a strategic leader to shape and deliver our estates and maintenance strategy across both Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park. You’ll oversee the upkeep of buildings, park infrastructure, and grounds - ensuring everything operates efficiently and looks exceptional for our guests.
With a strong focus on forward planning, you’ll develop 1–5-year strategies, lead in-house projects, and continuously review processes to minimise risk and improve standards. From compliance and cost control to project delivery and staff supervision, you’ll be the driving force behind high-performance operations.
You’ll build strong relationships across departments, ensuring your team is motivated, goal-focused, and aligned with organisational values. Working collaboratively with departments - including animal care - you’ll also help enhance visitor experience and animal environments.
This is a key leadership role for someone who thrives on challenge, delivers to a high standard, and brings vision and structure to a fast-paced environment.
Who we are looking for:
We’re seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to take on the role of Head of Estates, Maintenance & Parks. You’ll have a strong background in engineering or facilities management - ideally with experience in luxury hospitality, multi-site estates, or visitor attractions. You’ll also have a proven ability to lead teams, deliver effective strategies, and manage complex projects and suppliers. A full UK driving licence is essential.
You’ll be a strategic thinker with sharp commercial acumen, balancing operational excellence with an unwavering commitment to guest experience. Organised, detail-driven, and highly computer literate, you’ll bring outstanding leadership, negotiation, and communication skills to the table.
You’ll embody our core values -Pride, One Team, and Unrivalled Service -and inspire those around you to do the same. With a hands-on approach, you’ll drive high standards across multiple sites, manage budgets and deadlines, and foster a positive, motivated staff environment.
If you’re ready to lead with purpose and precision, we’d love to hear from you.
Contract details:
This is a full-time position, worked five days out of seven, 8am-5pm - or as necessary to ensure the fulfilment of your duties This position is based at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, although the successful candidates will be required to work across both sites on the occasion. All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. A reliable mode of transport is recommended due to our remote location.
The location:
Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is a world-renowned wild animal park set within 600 acres of Kentish savannah. The Reserve is home to some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals and offers luxury short breaks accommodation, free roaming animal safaris, once-in-a-lifetime animal encounters and exquisite dining experiences. Most importantly, every one of our employees is part of real conservation in action and their efforts have contributed to animals such as black rhino and western lowland gorillas being returned to their natural habitats in collaboration with our partners at The Aspinall Foundation.
Why you should join us:
We’re on a mission to create memorable experiences that matter, and our Core Values ‘One Team’, Customer’ and ‘Pride’ are what drive us each day to become part of something extraordinary. As well as walking to work surrounded by the calls of Howler monkeys and the roars from our pride of Lions, you will join a supportive team who are passionate about their place of work.
Be part of the Port Lympne and Howletts family and join our pride.
You can also expect a host of other ‘roarsome’ benefits including:
- 28 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays, pro-rata to start date and working hours, rising with length of service.
- Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including workshops and e-learning.
- Enhanced Sickness, Maternity and Paternity Policies.
- Unlimited free entry for you and a person of your choice into both of our parks as well as friends and family tickets.
- Exceptional discounts on food, retail and accommodation at our parks.
- Numerous retail discounts and access to a 24-hour counselling line through our Healthy Extras Scheme.
- Company Pension
- And many more length or service-related rewards and Benefits.
Your adventure awaits
#joinourpride
A full job description is available on request.
To apply: If you want to work in an exciting and unique environment where no two days are the same, email your C.V. and covering letter to matthewL@portlympne.com
