Vice President of Operations

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.