Graduate Programme

 

Why choose Leonardo Hotels to start your Graduate Management journey?

We are extremely proud of our GROW Graduate Programme, after all Leonardo Hotels is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading hospitality employers! Our 2-year programme allows you to develop your skills and knowledge of the different roles and departments within our hotel or function with a view to securing a permanent position with us at Leonardo Hotels by the end of your programme.

We asked Jonty and Rafaela, two of our current Graduates, why they chose Leonardo Hotels and what they have found beneficial about the Graduate Programme so far:

What we can offer

  • Development of your skills and knowledge to fast track you into the management team
  • Rotational roles – you will be an expert in all areas of your hotel or function
  • A mentor in a management role – we love feeling inspired!

What we are looking for

  • Being a leader requires a high level of drive and energy – we want to see your passion
  • Experience in a hotel environment
  • A degree in the relevant field – no minimum grade required, we know you have worked hard!
  • Flexible to work across the UK & Ireland

We have big plans for you: the opportunities don’t end after the Graduate Programme. Once you have secured your role as a Head of Department or Manager within a function, there are further opportunities for development:

  • You could apply for our Accelerate Programme to get ready for your first Deputy General Manager position
  • You could enrol in the next levels of Sales Guru and Revenue Optimize to get ready for a cluster management role
  • You could then apply for our highly successful High Potential Programme, where 80% of the HiPo graduates have successfully secured a Hotel Manager or General Manager role with us upon successful completion!

Click on the below tiles to find out more about the Graduate Programmes we offer:

Graduate Manager (Operational)

You will have two 12-month placements, experiencing two different hotels, with exposure to all of the departments within the hotel and a Duty Manager focus in your first 3 months through the Leonardo Hotels programme “MyOps”. In your second year, you will have a focus on your chosen department and be looking to secure a permanent Head of Department role in one of our hotels by the end of the programme.

Revenue Graduate

You will have exposure to all aspects and disciplines of the Revenue function during this 2 year Programme, with short secondments in the Central team, Meetings and Events, and 2 – 3 different areas of revenue during the duration of your programme. You will be enrolled onto the Leonardo Hotels “Revenue Academy Programme – Optimize”. You will be entering at Revenue Executive level with a view to securing a permanent Revenue Manager role by the end of the programme.

Finance Graduate

You will have two 12-month placements, experiencing two different clusters along with undertaking a HOSPA qualification. Year 1 will have a focus on learning the Cluster Accounts and Purchasing Assistant role; you’ll be getting ready to take on Supervisor duties for Year 2 whilst advancing to Account Manager responsibilities. The aim is to develop you into an Assistant Financial Controller position (or higher!) by the end of your Programme.

Sales Graduate

This 2 year Programme has exposure to all areas of the Sales function, with short secondments in Central Sales, Meeting and Event Sales and different market places. Entering at Sales Executive level, with the learning from the Graduate Programme and entry onto the Leonardo Hotels “Sales Academy Programme – Guru, Master the Art of Sales” you will advance to Sales Manager level.

 

Meet Jamiilah, one of our Graduate Managers who joined Leonardo Hotels in 2021

Describe your journey with us so far

I started my journey in Brighton and covered all departments of the hotel: Front Office, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, Sales and Accounts. I am currently in my second year, and it’s been really good to experience lots of different guests and how things work across the business.

Why did you apply to work for Leonardo Hotels?

One thing that really stood out to me was the Learning and Development side of things. Leonardo Hotels offer a variety of management courses whether you are part of the programme or not, which I think is great for someone who is looking to progress and develop their career further. I have been able to attend a variety of training sessions that have supported me to develop into a Duty Manager and be my best self.

Describe your journey with us so far

Every day is different and I thrive off that!

What advice do you have for anyone looking to apply for the Graduate Programme?

Being part of the programme has been a great start for my career in hospitality. I have gained a lot of confidence and very good experience of the different departments. I feel confident and supported to take on my first Head of Department role when I finish the programme. I think it’s important to stay open-minded and to be prepared to work hard. Challenges will come your way and it really does pay off. I have been nominated as Manager of the Quarter and that really is my biggest achievement so far!