Director of Operations

Sonesta; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid Vacation & Sick Time

Parental Leave

Hotel Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta, Fort Lauderdale, seeks a Director of Operations to oversee day-to-day hotel operations and drive guest satisfaction, staffing, and financial performance. You will collaborate with Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering, and Security to ensure smooth operations and memorable stays across our properties.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and a passion for hospitality excellence, with a focus on guest experience and team development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management or related field.
• 3+ years in hotel operations leadership or management.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily hotel operations across all departments (Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering).
• Lead hotel teams to deliver exceptional guest service and operational consistency.
• Partner with department leaders to support staffing, onboarding, training, and engagement initiatives.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, KPIs, and financial performance to drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Guest service

Budgeting

Staffing & scheduling

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management

Tools

PMS systems

Hotel software

Reporting tools

Hospitality technology

Job description

We’re People People. Are you? We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast ). With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be. But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

Great hospitality is powered by strong leadership, seamless operations, and teams that genuinely care about the guest experience. As the Director of Operations, you’ll oversee day‑to‑day hotel operations while helping drive guest satisfaction, operational excellence, team engagement, and overall property performance. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced hospitality environment and enjoys balancing leadership, guest experience, operational strategy, and team development. You’ll partner closely with department leaders across Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Engineering, and Security to help ensure the hotel operates smoothly while delivering memorable stays for every guest. If you’re service‑driven, collaborative, and passionate about hospitality leadership — we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll be doing

• Oversee daily hotel operations across Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Engineering, guest services, and operational departments.
• Lead and support hotel teams to deliver exceptional guest service, operational consistency, and memorable hospitality experiences.
• Partner closely with department leaders to support staffing, scheduling, onboarding, training, employee engagement, and operational performance initiatives.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, online reputation, operational KPIs, service recovery opportunities, and hotel performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, labor management, inventory control, operational planning, and cost management initiatives.
• Partner with Sales, Revenue Management, and Operations teams to maximize occupancy, guest satisfaction, and commercial performance.
• Respond quickly and professionally to guest concerns, operational challenges, and escalated service situations.
• Ensure compliance with hotel operational standards, brand expectations, OSHA regulations, food safety requirements, safety procedures, and company policies.
• Support VIP arrivals, group business, conferences, weddings, events, and special operational projects to ensure seamless execution.
• Conduct operational walkthroughs, inspections, and quality assurance reviews across hotel departments and guest‑facing spaces.
• Maintain strong knowledge of PMS systems, operational reporting tools, hospitality technology, and hotel operational procedures.
• Help foster a welcoming, collaborative, and guest‑focused culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What great looks like

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related field preferred.
• 3+ years of hotel operations, hospitality leadership, guest services, or operational management experience preferred.
• Previous Hotel Manager, Assistant General Manager, Operations Manager, Rooms Division, or hospitality leadership experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of hotel operations, guest service standards, labor management, operational reporting, and hospitality systems.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast‑paced hospitality environment.
• Strong operational mindset with the ability to balance guest experience, team leadership, and business performance effectively.
• Experience handling guest recovery situations and supporting cross‑functional hotel operations.
• Experience using PMS systems, hotel operational software, reporting tools, and hospitality technology preferred.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on‑call operational support as needed.
• A passion for hospitality, leadership, teamwork, operational excellence, and creating exceptional guest experiences.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

How we reward you At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means supporting your health, your financial future, and everything in between.

Here’s a snapshot of what we offer:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation & Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts (yes, you’ll want to use these )
• Additional Perks & Employee Discounts

Our Commitment to You

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

At Sonesta, we value our team members as individuals who enhance our guests’ experiences with their unique skills and contributions. We actively support professional growth and personal happiness in each of our employees at each of our hotels, resorts, suites and cruise ships. We seek out people who will eagerly partner with us to improve the overall Sonesta experience for our guests, and the overall Sonesta experience for their fellow colleagues.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.