Sales and Marketing Manager

Kington, Herefordshire
Dunfield House

Sales & Marketing Manager (Maternity cover)

Location: Kington, Herefordshire (On-site, with flexible/hybrid working)
Salary: £30,000- £35,000 per annum
Reporting to: Operations Director and Commercial Director
Governance: Monthly reporting to the Board of Directors

The Mission

To transform a 15 acre rural site with an indoor pool into a thriving, financially sustainable sanctuary.
This role is central to delivering the commercial engine that makes the mission possible.

The Role Purpose

To deliver the 2026/27 Strategic Marketing Plan, with a clear focus on securing high-occupancy, whole-site bookings.

The role exists to achieve 29.4% annual occupancy, equivalent to 10,353 guest nights, primarily through profitable, multi-day group bookings across defined market segments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Revenue Generation and Lead Conversion

  • Full House Equivalent (FHE) tracking:
    Manage the Breakeven Basket and deliver 103 full-site days per year
  • Segmented value propositions:
    Lead and refine messaging for four core markets:
    Faith Schools Private Hire Wellness
  • Midweek profit growth:
    Target corporate retreats and Work from Hotel style bookings to maximise midweek utilisation

2. Digital and Channel Management

  • OTA performance management:
    Oversee Airbnb and Booking dot com listings for The Stables, balancing commission risk against yield
  • Direct booking conversion:
    Design and implement return-stay incentives to reduce reliance on third-party platforms
  • Content and storytelling:
    Champion high-quality visual content (photo, video, social) to differentiate the venue from institutional competitors

3. Commercial Analysis and Yield

  • TRevPAG growth:
    Drive an increase of £2+ per guest through secondary revenue streams, including tuck shop, pool hire, and additional meals
  • Yield management support:
    Work with the Operations Director to apply Minimum Facility Fees and dynamic pricing during peak demand periods

4. Relationship and Community Management

  • Church and mission-led partnerships:
    Protect near-cost stays where appropriate while identifying whole-site commercial opportunities to cross-subsidise them
  • Under-capacity risk reduction:
    Actively minimise bookings below 70% occupancy in The Stables to prevent net losses

5. Duty Manager Responsibilities

  • Participate in the senior Duty Manager rota, providing out-of-hours leadership for residential groups
  • Act as the primary on-call contact, including:
    • Guest check-ins
    • Site security
    • Emergency response (fire and pool safety)
    • Maintaining a warm, home from home hospitality experience

Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Primary KPI:
    Achievement of 103 Full House Equivalent (FHE) days
  • Secondary KPI:
    15% conversion of OTA guests to direct bookers
  • Tertiary KPI:
    Average TRevPAG uplift of £2.00+ per guest

The Ideal Candidate

Experience

  • Experience within UK group residential, hospitality, or charity trading environments (highly desirable)
  • Proven management of Online Travel Agencies such as Airbnb and Booking dot com
  • Demonstrated success converting third-party bookings into direct relationships
  • B2B and group sales experience, ideally across:
    • Primary and junior schools
    • Church or faith-based organisations
    • Retreat leaders and wellness facilitators
  • Experience operating within high fixed-cost or daily burn financial models

Skills and Capabilities

  • Yield and pricing strategy, including dynamic pricing and midweek offers
  • Strong analytical ability, confident working with metrics such as FHE and TRevPAG
  • Content marketing and visual storytelling (video, photography, social media)
  • SEO and digital strategy, including niche and regional search terms
  • CRM thinking and lead nurture processes for cyclical and repeat bookings

Benefits and What Makes This Role Different

  • A genuine strategic mandate:
    This is not a social media posting role. You will deliver Phase 3 of a defined commercial roadmap.
  • A unique asset base:
    15 acres of countryside plus a highly sought-after indoor pool
  • Commercial autonomy:
    Ownership of the TRevPAG agenda, with freedom to create new revenue streams
  • Flexible working:
    While site presence is essential for storytelling and relationships, the role supports modern hybrid working.

Dunfield House is operated by Dunfield House Ltd, governed by The Dunfield Charity, and owned by Community of Christ.

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