How AI is quietly rewriting hospitality job descriptions

Within a few days of posting a vacancy for a new “AI operations lead,” apartment operator Bob W pulled the advert due to an overwhelming response.

This is despite it being a “role that doesn't fit neatly into any existing job category,” according to COO Jeremy Slater, who said it attracted several hundred applications.

While it may be an uncommon position, blending AI fluency, operational expertise and an appreciation of the importance of guest experiences, this type of role is becoming highly sought after as hospitality companies realign organizational structures around AI.

The challenge is that nobody is quite sure what to call the role, much less where to find someone qualified to fill it.

A role in search of a name

The Bob W job description includes mapping every department for AI opportunity, deploying automation, documenting every workflow and measuring every initiative, among other tasks.

This sort of role has been described as “hospitality engineer” in the past.

Another more fitting description could be “shepherd,” according to one AI expert.

“Humans … shepherd and shape those [AI] systems as you go forward,” said X. Eyee, former CEO at AI consulting firm Malo Santo, at Sabre’s recent Compass event.

“We need to allow the technology to fill the role of the token capital while allowing the humans to remain the people who shape the machines that we created instead of looking at it as these machines are capable of doing that.”

Behind the demand

Several pressures are forcing hospitality operators to fill these roles. First, as AI moves from experimental to essential, they need people who can actually make sense of it all—people who understand both technology and the hospitality businesses these tools are meant to serve.

“We're seeing technology and AI creep into job descriptions that wouldn't have been mentioned a couple of years ago, and not only in the obvious digital or revenue roles,” said Jane Pendlebury, CEO of the U.K.’s Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA).

“Operational teams are increasingly expected to understand what these tools can do and where they might save time.”

More AI governance is required too. Former citizenM CIO Mike Rawson has argued that while most companies have the speed, ideas and ambition to move fast with AI, many lack “the governance that lets them actually trust what they've built.”

That need isn’t only commercial. As of August 2, the European Union’s AI Act requires organizations deploying AI systems to ensure staff possess sufficient AI literacy, creating another incentive to formalize AI expertise.

'Year one'

The hospitality sector is at the “very earliest stage” of thinking about specific new roles to support their transition to AI operations, according to Tim Davis, managing director at consulting firm PACE Dimensions.

He argues progress is slow, as hotels have entrenched ways of working. “Within most hotel companies, the functions—and they will never admit this—are always a factor. There is siloism between technology, revenue management, sales and marketing. The people in these different silos, they are different types of people,” Davis said.

“What did it take to get experienced product managers who were good at implementing systems and training people on how to use them? That was a good six-year journey. We're at the beginning of that journey now; think of it as year one,” he added.

Rita Varga, founder and CEO of talent agency RaizUp, agrees. “Across the hospitality ecosystem, AI is already supporting areas such as pricing, forecasting, marketing, business intelligence, reporting and operational decision making,” she said. “Yet many hiring strategies and learning programs still reflect the requirements of roles that were designed several years ago.”

The implementation question

While job functions evolve faster than organizations can adapt, many businesses look in-house to fill their growing AI skills gap.

“As AI becomes more integrated across the sector, it's essential that teams are equipped with the knowledge to use it effectively and critically,” acknowledged David Orr, CEO of The Sirius Hotel Group, which operates Resident Hotels and manages several Four Points Flex across the U.K.

However, he added: “The pace of change means waiting for others to prove the ground first, as has been the case with previous innovations, is not an option, so we are supporting our teams on what this technology can do today.”

Some businesses are meanwhile turning to “younger, digitally native staff,” noted HOSPA's Pendlebury. They are tasked with solving operational sticking points by playing around with AI.

“On the surface that sounds enterprising, but it can be dangerous,” she added.

She cited one company, Centelli, which builds and deploys digital workers in hotel groups including Village Hotels, Jurys Inn, GLH Hotels and Soho House, as an example of a software vendor taking a measured approach to the problem.

“They will sit down with a hotel, work out where AI can genuinely help and then implement it properly. That feels a far healthier route than leaving individuals to improvise,” she said.

The learning curve

As the hospitality industry creates new roles or upskills existing teams, more educational institutes are exploring the links between operations and AI.

“We do seem to be moving in that direction,” said Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch, professor at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.

“The challenge is not simply adopting AI. It is knowing how to integrate it into workflows and improve service. The focus should not be about replacing hospitality professionals with AI but preparing graduates to use AI to make better decisions, improve efficiency and create more meaningful guest experiences.”

An example of this is the university’s new AI and machine learning program.

Yet, according to Pendlebury, most colleges and training providers are still catching up.

“The technology is moving faster than any curriculum can, so much of this learning is happening on the job rather than in the classroom,” she said.

“There's clearly a gap opening up for people who understand operations and technology well enough to bridge the two. Whatever we end up calling the role, the person in it needs to keep one foot firmly in hospitality. The point of any of this is not the technology itself.”

In the meantime, Bob W’s search continues. Three months on, Slater said the company was now in the final rounds of interviews. “We've got five outstanding candidates,” he said.