General Manager, Hay Harbor Club

Hay Harbor Club | Fishers Island, New York

General Manager

About The Club

Hay Harbor Club is a private, member-owned seasonal social club on Fishers Island, New York, founded in 1909. It provides social and recreational facilities for its members, with a family-centric culture of tradition and hospitality spanning multiple generations. The Club operates two clubhouses: the main clubhouse, home to tennis, swimming, the waterfront, and all dining, and a second clubhouse dedicated to golf.

Fishers Island is a seven-mile-long island three miles off the eastern Connecticut shore, officially a hamlet of the Town of Southold. You can reach it by ferry from New London, Connecticut, and it also has a small airport and commuter/charter boat service. The year-round population of roughly 240 grows to more than 2,000 in the summer.

The Club’s season runs from late June through Labor Day, with lunch served seven days a week and dinner five nights a week. Golf, tennis and swimming may open earlier and remain available on a limited basis through Columbus Day. The Club provides housing and meals for all employees during the season.

The Club at a Glance

• Total gross revenues: $3.044 million
• Annual dues revenue: $2.097 million
• Food revenue: $379,000; beverage revenue: $88,000
• F&B revenue from private events: 10%
• 494 memberships (regular and provisional); 18 gained / 7 lost annually
• 5 year-round employees; 80 in season
• 13-member Board of Directors
• 48 staff rooms (34 on premises, 14 off premises)
  
  

Facilities & Amenities

• 15,000-square-foot main clubhouse
• 9-hole Charles Brooks-designed golf course (Par 34; 2,843 yards); approximately 4,800 rounds annually
• 11 Har-Tru green clay tennis courts
• Golf and tennis pro shops (pro-owned)
• Swimming pool and saltwater swimming “tank”
• Waterfront and marina with sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and paddle boarding
• Dining venues: Sunset Deck (100), Ballroom (150), Deli (50) and Harbor’s End Bar (30)
• Junior programs and clinics in golf, tennis, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and swimming; Stripers children’s summer camp
• Adult lessons, clinics and exercise programs; active social calendar
  
  

About The Position

Reporting to the President of the Board of Directors, the General Manager leads, manages, and controls all Club operations, driving the entire operation toward excellence and an atmosphere of hospitality, friendliness, and goodwill. The General Manager partners with the Board and works in concert with committee chairs on policies, programs and events, keeping the Board apprised of the organizational climate and participating in long-range planning. Some departments are led by Club employees while others operate under independent contractor agreements, requiring different oversight and accountability across departments.

The General Manager supervises the Assistant General Manager, Comptroller, Scheduling Director, Facilities Director, Restaurant Director, Director of Golf, Tennis Professional, Water Sports Director, Harbor Stripers Director, and Golf Course Superintendent.

Although the position is full-time, the General Manager is not required to live on-island year-round. Off-season residency on the mainland is permitted, with on-island residency expected during pre-season preparation, the operating season and post-season closing.

What You’ll Do

• Be accountable for all areas of the Club, ensuring synergy across departments and driving the family-centric culture of tradition and hospitality that pervades the operation.
• Serve as the “face of the Club” to members, staff, and the Fishers Island community; be visible, accessible, and engaged with the membership.
• Oversee a dining program that resonates with the membership, with appealing, properly priced menus and timely, efficient service.
• Develop and execute excellent social and athletic programming for members and their families.
• Recruit, house, train, and motivate a service-oriented seasonal staff, and differentiate Hay Harbor Club as a highly desirable place to work.
• Lead the annual operating and capital budget process; forecast, manage and report transparently on all operations with sound internal controls.
• Serve as the bridge between management, staff and the Board; attend Board and committee meetings and maintain formal systems for communicating year-round.
• Drive the capital project priorities process, managing contractors and projects in line with the Club’s long-term planning.
• Ensure the care, maintenance, cleanliness, and safety of all facilities and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
  
  

What You’ll Bring

• A minimum of six years of progressively responsible private club management experience, ideally as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager at a club of similar scale, amenities, and culture. Hospitality and operations experience is critical.
• Experience leading the seasonal operations of a family-friendly club and its sporting amenities and programs; waterfront experience is beneficial.
• Strong knowledge of F&B operations with a track record of shaping dining programs that balance tradition with current trends.
• A record of success selecting, developing, training, and motivating service-oriented staff in a seasonal environment.
• Strong financial acumen, including building and managing budgets, internal controls, forecasting, and management reporting.
• Experience overseeing capital improvement and maintenance projects, vendor relationships, and active participation in a boardroom and committee system.
• A dynamic, approachable, and affable leadership style: a delegator, motivator, and coach who holds staff accountable, is willing to “chip in,” and acts decisively yet diplomatically.
• Respect for tradition paired with forward thinking and a willingness to bring new ideas to the table.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; calm and effective in crisis and emergency situations.
• A genuine enjoyment of an active family environment with children and enthusiasm for running an island operation in a more remote setting.
• College degree preferred, ideally in business and/or hospitality management; CCM, CCE or similar certifications highly desired.
  
  

Apply for This Position

Interested candidates should complete the online candidate profile form and submit a compelling cover letter and resume for consideration to DENEHY Club Thinking Partners at http://denehyctp.com/apply-for-a-position/. If you have any questions or want to recommend a candidate, please contact Carolyn Kepcher at carolyn@denehyctp.com.