Duty Manager

Kempinski Hotels, the European luxury hotel brand with roots dating back to 1897, is hiring a Duty Manager for its Dubai operation. The role is permanent and full-time, onsite at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, reporting to Majdi Alabadi. This position suits someone who enjoys leading a front-line team and delivering personalised guest service in a five-star setting.

The Duty Manager acts as a crucial link between the Front Office and other hotel departments, stepping in to guide the team when the Front Office Manager or Assistant Front Office Manager aren’t on duty. It’s a hands-on leadership post where keeping guests at the centre of every action is just as important as keeping operations on track. The role sits in the Rooms Division, Front Office & Guest Services, and is designed for someone who can coordinate across departments, maintain high service standards, and contribute to revenue through thoughtful in-house selling.

Based at a flagship Dubai property, the role requires comfort working in a multinational environment and fluency in English, with another language considered a bonus. If you like shaping guest experiences in a luxury hotel and enjoy guiding peers while keeping a sharp eye on detail, this is a chance to contribute to Kempinski’s renowned hospitality at a premier Dubai address.

Steady hands at the front desk: a day in the life

On a typical day you’ll help run front desk operations with forward-thinking support, keeping fire exits clear in line with Kempinski Health & Safety Policy and guiding the Front Office team in a proactive, guest-focused way. You’ll also conduct thorough handovers to ensure continuity when shifts change and when the next manager takes over.

You’ll review the day’s arrivals, familiarise yourself with guests’ needs, and manage room availability, including walk-ins, while holding yourself accountable for departure dates. Any unresolved room discrepancies should be resolved through close coordination with Housekeeping, so guests experience a smooth stay from start to finish.

Financial and guest accounts are also in your remit: you’ll check arrivals folios, assess the credit status of walk-in guests, verify that billing instructions are accurate, and resolve related issues to keep guest accounts clean and up to date.

Beyond daily operations, you’ll uphold professional standards for your team, ensure information in the department is current, and look for opportunities to promote in-house facilities to maximise revenue. You’ll follow Hotel Emergency Procedures when needed, inspect Front and Back of House areas for cleanliness and safety, and check guestrooms daily. You’ll coordinate with Security on related matters, respond promptly to operational requests from Front Office and other departments, and manage referrals of difficult situations. When overbooking occurs, you’ll coordinate appropriate accommodation and transportation and ensure VIPs, delegations and group leaders are welcomed and seen off properly. The role also expects you to conduct efficient hand-overs with the incoming Manager and be ready to take on additional tasks as the business requires.

What Kempinski needs from you

Must-have requirements

• At least five years in a Front Office supervisory position
• Preferably a Section Head in a five-star property
• A proven track record of steady progression
• A mature, customer-focused approach
• Ability to work and communicate in a multinational environment
• Local language – excellent oral and written skills (as applicable)
• English – excellent oral and written skills
• Additional language – beneficial
• Computer literacy relevant to the field of training
• Extensive Opera knowledge
• Extensive Micros knowledge
• Upselling techniques
• Microsoft Excel and statistical knowledge

Advice for applicants

Lead with your five-plus years of Front Office supervisory experience, and highlight any time you served as a manager or leader in a five-star property. If you’ve guided shifts, trained teams, or implemented service standards, put those examples first on your resume.

Show proof of your Opera and Micros know-how. Include concrete results, such as improved check-in times, enhanced guest recognition, or successful handling of complex billing and credit scenarios, and connect those outcomes to the specific systems you used.

Be ready to discuss real scenarios you’ve faced, like overbookings or VIP arrivals, and how you collaborated with Housekeeping, Engineering and Security to resolve them. Have short, concrete stories ready that demonstrate your ability to maintain service levels under pressure.

Ask a focused question about how this role interfaces with the Front Office Manager and what support exists during busy periods, especially around overbookings and VIP arrivals. A good question shows you’re thinking about the flow of responsibility and how the team sustains Kempinski’s service standards on a daily basis.