Senior Operations Director

Canada West Ski Areas Association; Alberta; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SkiBig3 is seeking a Senior Operations Director to lead operational initiatives and strategic planning to enhance skier visitation at Banff National Park. This role requires a detail-oriented leader with strong communication and financial management skills to foster collaboration among various stakeholders.

Benefits

Inclusive workplace recognition

Commitment to equity-deserving groups

Qualifications

• Proven crisis or conflict management experience.
• Detail-oriented and data-driven approach.
• Curious strategic thinker with a big-picture perspective.

Responsibilities

• Implement strategic plans to grow skier visitation.
• Oversee daily operation efficiency and process refinement.
• Provide leadership to operational staff and committees.

Skills

Leadership

Financial Management

Project Management

Communication

Analytical Skills

Education

Background in ski industry and tourism

Job description

SkiBig3creates the most complete, self-contained, and easily accessible winter ski experience in North America. Three world-renowned ski areas that receive 30 feet of annual snowfall. 7,748 skiable acres and 362 runs, all within the boundaries of a park so exceptional it’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s all just 90 minutes from Calgary. This is what we offer, and it’s unrivaled anywhere on the continent.

SkiBig3, encompassing Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay in Banff National Park, is seeking an exceptional leader to fill the position of Senior Operations Director. This position will ensure the smooth operation of the organization by implementing strategic initiatives, managing daily operations, and acting as a key liaison between the President and various departments. They will work closely with the leadership team to drive the company’s goals and objectives, ensuring alignment across all departments and continue to deliver on the strategic framework to grow skier visitation to Banff and Lake Louise.

The Senior Operations Director will be based in Banff, ensuring proximity to operations, resorts, and key stakeholders to build meaningful relationships and deliver exceptional results.

Key Attributes:

• Implement strategic plans to grow skier visitation in alignment with the destination, key stakeholders (resorts and partners,)
• Oversight of daily operation efficiency via process refinement, documentation, training and knowledge transfer to optimize seasonality.
• Project management to ensure they are completed on time and within budget.
• Provide leadership to operational staff members and committees, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment and alignment.
• Data driven approach to deliver on opportunistic growth on revenue generation, guest, employee and stakeholder engagement.
• Skills to develop and build relationships with key partners such as Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Travel Alberta, Destination Canada, and local businesses.
• Strong understanding of financial management to drive financial growth and sustainability.

Personality Traits & Required Experience:

• Curious Strategic Thinker: The ability to develop and implement strategic plans is crucial for growing skier visitation and aligning with key stakeholders. A curious and strategic thinker can see the big picture, anticipate future trends, and make informed decisions that drive long-term success.
• Detail-Oriented: Overseeing daily operations efficiently requires a keen eye for detail. A detail-oriented leader ensures that processes are refined, documented, and optimized through training and knowledge transfer, which is essential for managing seasonality and maintaining operational efficiency.
• Strong Communicator: Effective project management and relationship building with key partners demand excellent communication skills. A strong communicator can clearly convey ideas, foster collaboration, and build strong relationships with stakeholders such as Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Travel Alberta, and Destination Canada.
• Leader: Providing leadership to the team and fostering a positive, collaborative, and timely work environment is essential. This role involves motivating and mentoring staff, ensuring alignment across all SkiBig3 committee efforts, and creating a culture of teamwork and excellence.
• Analytical and Data-Driven: A data-driven approach is essential for delivering opportunistic growth in revenue generation and stakeholder engagement. An analytical leader can interpret data, identify opportunities, and make evidence-based decisions that drive financial growth and sustainability.
• Proven crisis or conflict management experience.
• Background in ski industry and tourism preferred.

More About SkiBig3

• We sell A portal to The North. The North is snow-covered, steep and wild-things that have always spoken to the human soul. A place where the winter is still formidable, the community is still warm, and ‘adventure’ is not an abstraction, but a real, tangible thing to be lived in real-time. It’s a million miles from ordinary, yet you can be here in an instant.
• We believe Winter is best spent in the wild. Winter isn’t something to be endured. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and universally transformative when experienced in the wild. People who spend half the year on couches under blankets aren’t doing anything wrong; they’re just missing out on a deeper warmth, lit from within by the sheer beauty of nature in winter.
• We stand for the transformative power of winter. Banff National Park gets far more visitors in summer than in winter. To us, it’s a little crazy. Because this place is every bit as inspiring when the temperatures drop, and the snow falls. Which is why we Canadians are always inviting people to experience it for themselves. Winter has the power to replenish something deeply human, and we’re committed to sharing it with the world.
• We against the miscasting of winter as an adversary. It’s no surprise winter here sometimes gets a bad rap. Human evolution means our default settings are: cold is bad, and winter is a time to shelter in place. But we know that here, winter fires the imagination and feeds the soul. It’s an opportunity to come alive. And a time that heightens the warmth of humans.

SkiBig3 is committed to providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our entire team. That commitment was recognized by The Bow Valley Immigration Partnership and SkiBig3 was awarded a gold medal for being one of the most inclusive workplaces in the Bow Valley in 2023 and 2024.

We’re working to eliminate barriers for applicants and team members from equity-deserving groups. If you need any accommodations during the hiring & interview process, please email our Manager of People Operations ([e-mail]) to discuss your needs.

If you are the perfect fit for the above-mentioned position, please submit your resume and cover letter to [e-mail] and tell us why.

We thank all applicants; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.