The Vice President of Operations functions as the strategic hospitality business leader with responsibility for all aspects of resort operations, engineering & facilities, golf, gardens operation, food & beverage, and merchandise across a 2,500-acre destination resort.
This role ensures every aspect of the guest and host experience reflects the resort’s commitment to exceptional hospitality, operational excellence, safety, and financial performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensure high standards of service and guest satisfaction, with a focus on personalized experiences.
- Act as a steward and key leader for reinforcing our Lead with Love culture as well as provide leadership to inspire others to Create Memories Worth Repeating® for our guests.
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the VP & General Manager.
- Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the resort’s and gardens’ long-term vision and business objectives.
- Ensure operational consistency across all guest touch-points.
- Lead, coach, and mentor senior operational leaders while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Champion the Herschend Heartspitality culture with a focus on engagement, development, retention, and service excellence.
- Lead organizational change initiatives and operational transformation projects across multiple departments.
- Create and support clear lines of responsibility for management team, including coverage and oversight throughout the day.
- Walk the property daily to ensure public spaces, grounds, work, and kitchen areas meet sanitation and cleanliness/maintenance standards.
- Review and follow up, when necessary, on all guest surveys, comments, social postings, etc. to ensure our NPS goals are achieved.
- Resolve complex operational and guest service issues when necessary.
- Foster a culture of safety for guests and associates.
- Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
- Oversee emergency preparedness and business continuity planning.
- Monitor risk management programs and operational compliance initiatives.
Financial Leadership
- Develop and manage multi-million-dollar operating budgets and prepare monthly forecasts.
- Participate in annual strategic planning and long-range business initiatives.
- Manage the flow of labor between departments to support effective management of the labor budget and achievement of profitability goals.
- Manage property operations and department budgets, ensuring service programs meet company and property standards.
- Drive revenue optimization while maintaining disciplined expense management.
- Measure, analyze, and communicate property performance using a variety of financial/non-financial data including controllable costs, sales revenue, guest satisfaction, and host engagement data.
- Identify opportunities to improve profitability through process improvements, operational efficiencies, and strategic investments.
- Collaborate with Finance on forecasting, capital planning, and long-term financial strategy.
Engineering & Facilities
- Partner with the Director of Engineering to develop and oversee preventative maintenance programs and work order tracking for all facilities, infrastructure, utilities, and mechanical systems across the property.
- Assist with the planning and execution of capital improvement.
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and safety standards.
Gardens Operation
- Ensure operational readiness, guest safety, and exceptional presentation of grounds and attractions.
- Coordinate cross-functional operational planning for seasonal programming, special events, and peak demand periods.
Food & Beverage
- Provide executive oversight of all restaurants, lounges, catering, banquets, culinary operations, and beverage programs.
- Ensure operational excellence, profitability, quality standards, and outstanding guest service.
- Partner with culinary and restaurant leadership to enhance dining experiences and maximize revenue opportunities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in hospitality, destination resorts, theme parks, or large-scale mixed-use operations.
- Minimum 8 years in a senior executive leadership role with multi-department operational oversight.
- Demonstrated success leading complex resort or destination operations with responsibility for multiple business units.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing large operating budgets and capital expenditures.
- Proven ability to build, develop, and lead high-performing leadership teams.
- Excellent strategic planning, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- Outstanding communication and executive presentation abilities.
- Experience overseeing destination resort properties with multiple lodging, dining, recreation, and entertainment venues.
- Experience with major capital development and infrastructure projects.
- Knowledge of luxury hospitality and Forbes or AAA service standards.
This position requires a highly visible, collaborative executive who thrives in a dynamic, guest and employee focused environment. The Vice President of Operations must balance strategic vision with hands-on leadership while inspiring operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of hospitality, recreational, engineering, and guest service functions. A successful candidate will possess exceptional business acumen, a passion for hospitality, and a proven record of leading complex destination operations to achieve outstanding guest satisfaction, employee engagement, and financial performance.