Director of Operations

Summary:

Administers, directs, and controls the operations of the Hotel. Accountable for achieving budgeted revenues/profits while maintaining the operational and service standards prescribed by White Lodging Hospitality.

Responsibilities

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  Develops an operational strategy for Rooms and Food & Beverage that is aligned with the brand’s and White Lodging’s business strategy and leads its execution.

• Works with team to put sustainable work processes and systems in place that support the execution of the strategy.

• Ensures work processes and procedures meet WL standards and brand standards.

• Ensures that regular, ongoing communication is happening in Rooms and Food and Beverage (e.g., pre-meal briefings, staff meetings, culinary team), including preshift. Continually communicates a clear and consistent message regarding departmental goals to produce desired results. Maintains “pass on” information and department bulletin boards.

• Identifies key drivers of business success and keeps Rooms and Food and Beverage leadership focused on the critical few to achieve results; ensures integration of departmental goals in game plans. Makes and executes the necessary decisions to keep property moving forward toward achievement of goals.

• Works with direct reports to review business in house and potential demand generators, events, and attractions in surrounding area and troubleshoot potential challenges/conflicts; encourages calculated risk-taking to generate incremental revenue and deliver excellent guest service.

• Complies with all brand requirements. Ensures property passes all brand standards audits.

• Identifies and analyzes operational challenges and facilitates the development of solutions to prevent reoccurrence.

• Creates an atmosphere in all Rooms and Food and Beverage areas that meets or exceeds guest expectations.

• Maintains active relationship with competition to share industry ideas and best practices; understands competitors offerings should guest displacement be necessary.

• Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.

• Participates in public space walk-throughs with Engineering, Housekeeping and Stewarding to ensure guest rooms, public space and back of the house areas are well maintained and preventative processes are in place.

• Ensures property is a safe and secure facility for guests and associates. Communicates and executes departmental and hotel emergency procedures and ensures operations staff can do the same.

• Fosters associate commitment to providing excellent service, participates in daily stand-up meetings and models desired service behaviors in all interactions with guests and associates.

• Develops systems to enable associates to understand guest satisfaction results.

• Is highly visible and interfaces with associates and customers on a regular basis to obtain feedback on quality of product, service levels and overall satisfaction. Effectively responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.

• Observes service behaviors of associates and provides feedback to individuals and/or managers; continuously strives to improve service performance

• Facilitates/attends pre- and post-convention meetings to understand group needs, sets appropriate expectations and gathers critical information to communicate to Operations team.

• Reviews comment cards, guest satisfaction results, and other data to identify areas of improvement. Reviews findings with leadership team and ensures appropriate corrective action is taken.

• Responds to customer feedback effectively and in a timely manner.

• Analyzes service issues and identifies trends. Facilitates the development of creative solutions to overcome obstacles and ensures implementation to continually improve guest satisfaction results.

• Incorporates guest satisfaction as a component of staff/operations meetings with an emphasis on generating innovative ways to continually improve results.

• Continually recruits. Maintains a virtual bench two deep for each leadership position to ensure less than 45 days to fill.

• Hires Rooms and Food and Beverage operations management team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership to meet the business needs of the operation.

• Develops staff to higher levels of leadership.

• Ensures hourly orientation, certification, rex, and rap review are effective and timely.

• Ensures Rooms and Food and Beverage operations managers develop a departmental orientation program and associates receive the appropriate new hire training to successfully perform their job. Ensures managers cross-train associates to support successful daily operations.

• Creates appropriate development plans and develops team members based on their individual strengths, development needs, career aspirations and abilities. Ensures the same is done for all managers in the Rooms and Food and Beverage operations departments.

• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for successful performance; coaches team by providing specific feedback to improve performance. Conducts annual performance appraisal with direct reports according to Standard Operating Procedures.

• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with direct reports and entire Rooms and Food and Beverage operations team; ensures direct reports do the same for their team.

• Actively solicits associate feedback, utilizes an “open door policy” and reviews associate satisfaction results to identify and address associate problems or concerns. Ensures associates aare treated fairly and equitably, brings issues to the attention of Human Resources as necessary.

• Ensures that regular on-going communication takes place in rooms and food and beverage areas to communicate daily operations activities set expectations and create awareness of business objectives.

• Celebrates successes and publicly recognizes the contributions of team members; ensures recognition is taking place across all rooms and food and beverage operational areas.

• Ensures hotel policies are administered fairly and consistently, disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs).

• Ensures Rooms and Food and Beverage operations team has a sales strategy with aggressive sales goals and motivates individuals to achieve these goals and maximize performance.

• Attends monthly projection meeting to anticipate long-term planning needs.

• Communicates regularly with meeting planners on property, evaluates if operations is meeting service needs and provides feedback to operations team.

• Has overall responsibility for Rooms and Food and Beverage operations sales performance against budget. Participates in sales calls with members of the Sales team to acquire new business.

• Reviews reports and financial statements to determine Rooms and Food and Beverage operations performance against budget. Works with direct reports to determine areas of concern and establish ways to improve the departments’ financial performance. Leads cost containment efforts within Rooms and Food and Beverage operations including organizational restructuring when necessary.

• Coaches and supports operations team to effectively manage occupancy & rate, wages and controllable expenses. Focuses on maintaining profit margins without compromising guest or associate satisfaction.

• Identifies opportunities to increase profits and create value by challenging existing processes, encouraging innovation and driving necessary change.

• Reviews the Wage Progress Report and compares budgeted wages to actual wages, coaches direct reports to address problem areas and holds team accountable for results.

• Conducts comparative analysis, gathers best practices and directs operations team to either establish new processes and/or improve existing processes to yield greater productivity e.g., banquet set-up, group check-in process.

• Facilitates the capital expenditure process with the Rooms and Food and Beverage operations Departments. Works with direct reports to identify ways to improve product or service levels and add value for the customer and associates. Ensures capital expenditure funds are being used to address the priorities outlined in the brand business strategy.

• As a member of the executive committee, attends owners meetings and provides meaning or context to the rooms and food and beverage operational and financial results. Demonstrates an understanding of owner priorities.

• Proactively addresses potential areas of concern and proposes solutions to owners. Balances owner’s objectives with brand and White Lodging objectives to produce mutually beneficial solutions.

• Promotes and sells ideas persuasively to owners for stimulating business opportunities, improving service and increasing profitability.

• Maintains a positive relationship with owner as a business partnership and supports the relationship between the General Manager and the owner.

• Is knowledgeable of all rooms and food and beverage related management contract requirements and ensures compliance with contract and reporting requirements.

• Performs regular property walks.

• Responsible for internal and safety audits.

• Oversees outside contractors servicing Rooms and Food & Beverage.

• Available to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Key Accountabilities

• GSS/ESS – ensure goals are met for all guest service related measurements

• Market Share

• Overall Hotel Operations

• Associate Engagement

• Passing internal audits

• Passing brand standards audits

Other Information

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• College degree required (minimum of Bachelor’s Degree)

• Experience in similar leadership role required