Vice President, Hotel Operations & Brand Development

JRoss Recruiters; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

JRoss Recruiters is seeking a Vice President, Operations & Brand Development who will provide senior operational leadership across a multi-property portfolio in Toronto, Ontario. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of hospitality leadership experience, focusing on delivering an exceptional guest experience, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

This role involves mentoring General Managers and developing a high-performing leadership culture within an upscale lifestyle hotel context. Candidates should possess strong financial acumen and a proven track record in multi-property operational leadership.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive hospitality leadership experience.
• Significant multi-property operational leadership experience.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Ability to influence and align teams across multiple markets.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational leadership across a multi-property portfolio.
• Lead, mentor, and develop General Managers and senior property leaders.
• Drive portfolio-level financial performance.
• Oversee hotel openings and brand conversions.
• Build scalable operational frameworks to support ongoing expansion.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

P&L management

Coaching and mentoring

Financial acumen

Strategic thinking

Job description

• Provide senior operational leadership across a multi-property portfolio, ensuring consistency in guest experience, service delivery, financial performance, and operational execution
• Partner with ownership and senior leadership to translate growth vision into clear operating priorities, scalable systems, and measurable outcomes
• Lead, mentor, and develop General Managers and senior property leaders, building a high-performing leadership culture rooted in accountability, service excellence, and commercial discipline
• Establish and implement brand standards, service philosophies, operating procedures, and quality assurance practices that reflect the organization’s upscale lifestyle positioning
• Elevate the guest experience across the portfolio by optimizing service, operational flow, property design touchpoints, and team engagement
• Oversee hotel openings, brand conversions, renovations, repositioning initiatives, and the integration of new assets into the portfolio
• Build scalable operational frameworks, reporting rhythms, performance tools, and leadership structures to support ongoing expansion
• Drive portfolio-level financial performance, including profitability, revenue growth, GOP, EBITDA, labor management, forecasting, budgeting, and operational efficiency
• Partner with sales, marketing, revenue management, finance, development, construction, and property teams to align brand vision with commercial strategy and operational execution
• Assess property performance and market opportunities, providing strategic recommendations on investments, staffing models, service enhancements, and long-term growth priorities
• Foster a culture of excellence by reinforcing service standards, leadership accountability, talent development, and a strong sense of ownership at the property level
• Support future acquisitions and development opportunities through operational insight during due diligence, transition planning, and post-acquisition integration
• Serve as a trusted advisor to ownership, bringing sound judgment, practical solutions, and executive-level leadership to a fast-growing, entrepreneurial hospitality platform

Requirements

The Ideal Candidate

• 15+ years of progressive hospitality leadership experience
• Significant multi-property operational leadership experience
• Background in Luxury, Upper Upscale, or Upscale hotel segments
• Experience in lifestyle, boutique, independent, branded, or full‑service hotel environments
• Proven success opening, repositioning, converting, or scaling hotels and hospitality brands
• Experience leading General Managers and senior property‑level leaders
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, labor management, and profitability improvement
• Experience working directly with ownership, investors, or senior executive stakeholders
• Deep understanding of brand standards, service culture, guest experience, and operational excellence
• Strategic, hands‑on, and comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial, ownership‑led environment
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence, coach, challenge, and align teams across multiple markets

Leadership Attributes

• Visible, credible, and hands‑on hospitality leader
• Strong coaching, mentoring, and team development capabilities
• Able to create accountability while maintaining a positive and engaging culture
• Commercially minded with a strong understanding of hotel economics and portfolio performance
• Skilled at building structure, standards, and systems in a growing organization
• Able to balance brand consistency with the unique character of individual properties
• Strong communicator with excellent judgment and stakeholder management skills
• Energized by growth, change, and the opportunity to build something meaningful

Corporate Culture

This is an exceptional opportunity for a senior hospitality leader who wants to do more than manage an existing platform. The Vice President, Operations & Brand Development will have a direct voice in shaping the operating structure, service culture, brand standards, leadership expectations, and growth strategy for a distinctive upscale lifestyle hotel portfolio.

For an executive who thrives in a builder environment and wants to leave a lasting mark on an emerging hospitality brand, this is a compelling next chapter.

Confidential inquiries welcome.