Summary: The Director of Resort Operations serves as the senior on-site leader for the Dillard House Resort and is responsible for the overall operational and commercial success of the property. This position provides leadership and oversight for Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering & Maintenance, Activities & Recreation, Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing while partnering closely with the Director of Food & Beverage to ensure a seamless and exceptional guest experience across the resort.
Reporting directly to the Regional Director of Operations, the Director of Resort Operations is responsible for executing the strategic vision of the resort while driving operational excellence, financial performance, guest satisfaction, and team member engagement. This role is expected to be an innovative and forward-thinking hospitality leader who helps shape the future of the Dillard House by influencing major decisions related to guest experiences, revenue strategies, sales initiatives, marketing efforts, and resort programming.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Leadership & Management:
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Serve as the senior on-site operational leader for the Dillard House Resort.
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Directly oversee the Resort Manager and leaders responsible for Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering & Maintenance, Activities & Recreation, Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing.
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Recruit, hire, develop, mentor, and inspire department leaders while fostering a culture of accountability, creativity, collaboration, and exceptional guest service.
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Conduct daily standups, weekly leadership meetings, monthly department meetings, and regular one-on-one coaching sessions.
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Build a high-performing leadership team committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
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Build and maintain strong relationships with ownership, investors, community partners, and other key stakeholders, serving as a trusted representative of the Dillard House and Legacy Ventures.
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Oversee and maintain a comprehensive working knowledge of all resort operating systems, technologies, policies, procedures, and standard operating practices to ensure consistency, efficiency, compliance, and operational excellence across all departments.
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Promote and reinforce the Dillard House culture and Legacy Ventures service standards.
Resort Operations:
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Oversee all day-to-day lodging and resort operations to ensure consistently exceptional guest experience.
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Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, maintenance, safety, service, and operational execution throughout the property.
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Monitor guest satisfaction metrics and implement action plans to drive continuous improvement.
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Ensure seamless coordination among all operational departments and resort amenities.
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Partner closely with the Director of Food & Beverage to deliver a unified resort experience while maintaining separate departmental accountability.
Revenue Management, Sales & Marketing:
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Provide executive leadership and strategic oversight for the resort's Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing functions, ensuring all initiatives align with the vision, positioning, and financial objectives of the Dillard House.
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Work closely with Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing leaders to establish annual business plans, revenue goals, and key performance indicators.
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Actively participate in revenue strategy meetings, sales reviews, and marketing planning sessions, offering leadership and guidance on pricing strategies, market positioning, promotional initiatives, and demand generation.
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Review and provide executive input on significant group opportunities, weddings, partnerships, special events, and other high-impact business opportunities to ensure alignment with operational capabilities and long-term objectives.
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Lead strategic discussions surrounding branding, advertising, digital initiatives, public relations, social media, and creative campaigns while empowering the Sales and Marketing teams to execute approved strategies.
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Champion innovative ideas that generate new revenue streams, strengthen the Dillard House brand, and create memorable guest experiences.
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Hold Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing leaders accountable for achieving established objectives through strategic leadership, coaching, and performance management rather than direct selling responsibilities.
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Ensure close collaboration between Operations, Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management, and Food & Beverage so that commercial strategies translate into exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence.
Vision, Creativity & Guest Experience:
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Champion the long-term vision of the Dillard House by continually seeking opportunities to elevate the guest experience and differentiate the resort in the marketplace.
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Encourage creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking throughout the organization.
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Lead the development of signature events, seasonal programming, resort packages, and experiential offerings that reinforce the property's identity as a premier destination resort.
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Evaluate industry trends, competitive positioning, and guest feedback to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.
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Foster a culture where every decision is made with guest experience and brand integrity in mind.
Maintenance & Asset Management:
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Oversee Engineering & Maintenance operations and ensure preventative maintenance programs are effectively executed.
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Protect ownership's investment through proactive asset management and capital planning.
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Ensure guestrooms, public spaces, grounds, recreational amenities, and resort facilities are maintained to the highest standards.
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Coordinate with ownership and corporate leadership on capital projects and long-term facility improvements.
Budgeting & Financial Management:
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Develop and manage departmental budgets and financial objectives.
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Monitor labor productivity, operating expenses, and departmental performance.
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Analyze financial reports and operational metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
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Drive profitability while maintaining service excellence and operational integrity.
Team Member Engagement:
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Foster a culture of respect, accountability, recognition, and professional development.
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Support succession planning and leadership development initiatives.
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Promote employee engagement and maintain open communication throughout the resort.
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Lead by example in creating an environment where team members are empowered to deliver extraordinary hospitality.
Compliance & Safety:
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Ensure compliance with company policies, quality standards, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
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Maintain a safe and secure environment for guests and team members through effective risk management and training.
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Ensure all required training programs, audits, and quality assurance initiatives are completed successfully.
Other Areas:
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Operate the resort in a manner that consistently achieves financial, operational, guest satisfaction, quality assurance, and regulatory objectives.
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Uphold Legacy Ventures service standards and execute the strategic vision established by ownership and the Regional Director of Operations.
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Perform any other job-related duties as assigned or necessary to responsibly operate the resort.
Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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Exceptional leadership, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
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Proven ability to lead complex hotel or resort operations while inspiring high-performing teams.
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Demonstrated experience providing strategic oversight for Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing and partnering effectively with those disciplines to achieve business objectives.
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Strong creative mindset with the ability to develop innovative guest experiences, marketing concepts, and revenue-generating initiatives.
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Excellent financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, labor management, and operational analysis.
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Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on operational leadership.
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Strong understanding of hospitality systems, business analytics, and operational best practices.
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Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and hospitality technology platforms.
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Self-motivated, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement.
Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field preferred. Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a General Manager in a resort environment with demonstrated success leading multiple operational departments and driving exceptional guest satisfaction and financial performance. Experience providing strategic leadership for Revenue Management, Sales, and Marketing functions is strongly preferred. Experience with destination resorts, independent hotels, or lifestyle hospitality concepts is highly desirable.
Language Skills: Ability to read and comprehend instructions, correspondence, and memos. Ability to write effective and professional correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other team members of the organization.
Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to ensure individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear. The team member is occasionally required to walk and reach with hands and arms.
The team member must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
