Operations Manager, Short-Let & Vacation Rentals (Malta)

Zimelli Homes and Villas runs 20+ premium short-let properties across Malta (St Julian's, Sliema, Gzira and beyond). This is an established operation: a team already handles field ops, guest messaging and admin, and the core systems are already in place. We're growing fast.

We're hiring an Operations Manager to take the whole operation in hand: lead the existing team, sharpen the systems already running, and own the day-to-day so the business runs on process and standards, not on any single person. You'd step into a functioning setup and make it sharper, not build it from scratch. You report to the founder, own the function, and grow with the company as we scale the portfolio.

If you're organised to the point it's almost a compulsion, you like taking decisions rather than waiting for them, and you want to build something inside a smaller, ambitious company instead of being just a number in a big one, read on.

What you'll own

• The day-to-day running of 20+ properties: turnovers, maintenance, inspections, stock and quality, so every unit is guest-ready every time.
• The operations team: field ops, guest messaging, admin and cleaning contractors. You set the rota, the standards and the accountability.
• Our systems (Trello, Guesty, Drive, automations): running them, improving them, and making sure the team actually uses them.
• Guest experience and problem-solving. When something goes wrong at 8pm, you're the person who owns the outcome.
• Compliance, safety and quality across the portfolio.
• Clear reporting to the founder on the numbers that matter, and decisions made without waiting to be told.

An honest picture of the role

You'll be Malta-based and on the road between properties (that's why a car or motorbike is essential), splitting your time between systems work and being on-site at the units. Short-let means guests arrive and issues happen in the evenings and at weekends, so your job is to build the systems that keep it calm rather than chaotic. You'll work closely with the founder and have real say in how things are run.

This role is for you if

• You take ownership, make decisions, and stand behind them.
• You're highly organised and manage your time without dropping balls.
• You communicate clearly and directly with guests, team and property owners.
• You're dependable: when you say it's handled, it's handled.
• You want to grow with a smaller company and build something real.
• You are prepared to work weekends and evenings (according to a schedule and on rotation basis with the team).

This role is not for you if

• You want a switch-off 9 to 5.
• You need to be told exactly what to do, step by step.
• You avoid hard conversations or put off decisions.
• "Good enough" is good enough for you.

Must-haves

• Own a car/motor-bike and a full driving licence. This is non-negotiable, since our properties are spread across Malta.
• Fluent English, spoken and written.
• Strong organisation and time management; you juggle many moving parts at once.
• Excellent communication.
• A track record of being dependable and reliable.
• Eligible to work in Malta.

Nice to have

• Experience managing people or running operations.
• Experience in property, hospitality or short-let and vacation rentals.
• Familiarity with Airbnb, Booking.com, Guesty or similar platforms.

What you get

• €25,000 to €40,000 gross per year depending on experience, plus a performance bonus.
• Fuel and travel allowance (you'll use your own car/motor-bike).
• Full-time, indefinite employment contract.
• Real ownership and autonomy, with direct access to the founder.
• Room to grow as the company grows: more scope, responsibility and earnings as the portfolio scales. This is a role where you grow with a small, ambitious team, not climb a corporate ladder.
• The chance to run and level up an operation that's already moving, and put your own stamp on it.

How to apply

Send your CV and a few sentences (not a long cover letter) about you.

We move fast, and strong applicants will hear from us within a few days.