Join the team
Marvão, Serra de São Mamede
Who we are looking for
Two people to join us on the estate, near Marvão: a front of house lead and a head of kitchen.
A Sociedade Rural is a 32-hectare organic estate on the edge of the Serra de São Mamede. We have three guest houses, an olive grove and our own press, horses, a very large Serra da Estrela dog, and a slow, adults-only kind of hospitality. Guests come here to switch off their phones and remember what good food, quiet and real conversation feel like.
Bookings have grown faster than we expected, and we need to grow the team to match, with two people to lead the guest experience and the kitchen alongside us.
Front of house lead
You're the face of the house, and the person who holds the guest experience together. You greet guests on arrival, check them in, walk them through the estate, and are the person they look for at breakfast, at dinner, and when the hot water acts up. You enjoy people, think on your feet, and can fix a problem without drama.
The role covers:
- Welcoming guests, running check-in and check-out, and being their go-to person throughout their stay.
- Hosting breakfast, dinner and anything else we serve, and setting the tone of the room.
- Coordinating housekeeping: schedules, standards, and turnovers between bookings.
- Working closely with the kitchen on what's coming up, who's arriving, and what needs to be bought.
- Leading and looking after the front-of-house team day to day.
You speak fluent English, and Portuguese is a big plus. You have hospitality experience, energy, and a real sense of fun.
Head of kitchen
You run the kitchen, which means planning as well as cooking. You look at occupancy and booked meals, build the menus around what the farm and the season give us, manage stock, write the shopping lists and do the buying, and make sure great food reaches the table on time, every time.
The role covers:
- Planning menus from occupancy, bookings and what's in season, including our own olive oil and produce from the estate and local growers.
- Managing stock, ordering, suppliers and food cost.
- Leading the kitchen team and running service.
- Keeping standards, hygiene and organisation tight.
- Helping shape the food identity of the estate: farm-to-table, simple, generous, and done properly.
In the quieter months, the kitchen turns to the pantry. You'll develop new menus and make elderflower champagne, chutneys, jams, preserves and whatever else the season offers.
You speak Portuguese, since you'll be leading a Portuguese team, and English is helpful. You have run a kitchen before and like having systems, lists and a plan.
This is a farm, and everyone is part of it
We're a working organic farm as well as a guesthouse, and we're looking for people who are genuinely excited about that. Everyone takes part in the olive harvest, from the kitchen to front of house to housekeeping. When occupancy is low and the land needs hands, the whole team works outside. If the idea of an autumn in the olive grove makes you smile, you'll fit right in.
Ideally, a couple
We would love to find a couple to take on these two roles together, people who want a change of pace and a life in the countryside built around good food, the land and wellbeing. Individual applications are just as welcome.
What we offer
- Accommodation on or near the estate.
- A salary of [€X–€Y], based on experience.
- A real say in how the kitchen and the guest experience are run.
- A life in one of the most beautiful corners of Portugal, with mountains, cork oak, clean air, a medieval hilltop village, and Spain twenty minutes away.
- A regenerative, organic project with room to grow, including your ideas.
What we're honest about
This is the countryside. The nearest cinema is a drive away, winters are quiet, and the work is hands-on. If that sounds like a loss, this probably isn't for you. If it sounds like the point, we'd love to hear from you.
How to apply
Send us a short note about who you are and why this life appeals to you, plus your CV (or both CVs if you're applying as a pair), to hello@asociedaderural.com. Tell us which role, or both. Photos of food you've cooked or places you've run are very welcome.
Write to us
Tell us who you are, which of the two roles you have in mind, and what you have done so far. If you are applying as a couple, one message for the two of you is perfect.