Director of Operations

Wintergreen-Resort; Nellysford (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short/長

Disability Insurance

401K plan

Recreational Benefit Package (free/low

Job summary

Wintergreen Resort is seeking a Director of Operations to lead Mountain Operations, recreation, and resort support teams. You will partner with department managers to set priorities, coordinate resources, ensure guest safety, and drive reliable operations and a premier guest experience.

The role demands calm, decisive leadership under pressure, strong collaboration with human resources, and visibility across resort operations.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in resort operations or a similarly complex environment.
• Ability to develop people, set priorities, delegate, and hold teams accountable.
• Strong safety, regulatory, and incident-management knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations across Mountain Operations, Ski Patrol, Snowmaking, Grooming, Lift Operations, and Recreation.
• Coordinate staffing, equipment, and resources to ensure safety, reliability, and guest satisfaction.
• Drive capital planning, budgeting, and asset management for resort facilities.
• Establish clear priorities, performance standards, and communication practices aligned with goals.
• Lead emergency response, incident reviews, and cross-departmental problem solving.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Problem solving

Safety compliance

Financial management

Operational judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Experience in mountain resort/destination resort

Job description

SUMMARY: The Director of Operations is a key senior leader responsible for leading and developing Wintergreen Resort's mountain, recreation, and operational support teams. This position works closely with department managers to establish priorities, build accountability, coordinate resources, solve operational challenges, and deliver safe, reliable operations and a strong guest experience. The Director must be a steady, visible leader who can assess changing conditions, troubleshoot problems, make sound decisions under pressure, and bring the right people together to find practical solutions. The role provides leadership across mountain operations, recreation and resort operations, operational safety and inspections, emergency response, regulatory compliance, financial management, capital planning, asset management, and operational development.PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIESLEADERSHIP & TEAM DEVELOPMENT· Provide leadership, coaching, direction, and accountability to managers and supervisors across assigned resort departments and operating functions.· Create an environment where department managers are empowered to lead their operations, make sound decisions, solve problems, and remain accountable for results.· Establish clear operating priorities, expectations, performance standards, and communication practices consistent with resort goals and business objectives.· Develop department leaders through coaching, delegation, training, performance management, and succession planning.· Promote a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, professionalism, communication, and continuous improvement.· Participate in recruiting, hiring, employee development, performance management, and other personnel matters in coordination with Human Resources and department leadership.OPERATIONS & GUEST EXPERIENCE· Provide leadership and oversight for assigned operating functions including Mountain Operations, Ski Patrol, Snowmaking, Grooming, Lift Operations, Lift Maintenance, Terrain Park, Vehicle Maintenance, Transportation, Aquatics, recreation operations, and operational support for resort events and activities.· Coordinate across departments to ensure appropriate staffing, equipment, resources, communication, and operational support.· Remain calm and solutions-focused during rapidly changing or high-pressure situations, bringing together the appropriate people and resources to troubleshoot problems and maintain operational continuity.· Ensure operational decisions balance safety, reliability, financial performance, and the guest experience, with a focus on removing friction and delivering a consistent resort experience across departments.· Provide leadership and coordination for winter mountain operations, working with department leaders to evaluate weather, snow conditions, staffing, equipment availability, guest demand, terrain openings and closures, snowmaking and grooming priorities, and other seasonal operating needs.· Coordinate resort response to significant winter-weather events, including snow and ice management, transportation, parking, facility access, and operational continuity.· Maintain a visible presence throughout resort operations and develop effective relationships with employees at all levels of the organization.· Provide operational leadership and support for major resort events requiring significant coordination, including transportation, parking, emergency access, weather planning, staffing, and crowd management.SAFETY, INSPECTIONS & EMERGENCY READINESS· Provide senior operational oversight for resort safety, inspections, and emergency-readiness programs in partnership with Risk Management, Human Resources, department leaders, and other appropriate resources.· Ensure required operational inspections, permits, records, and regulatory documentation are completed and maintained within assigned departments, and that identified deficiencies have clear ownership and timely corrective action.· Identify operational hazards and exposures and work with department leaders to implement reasonable corrective actions and risk controls.· Review significant incidents, accidents, near misses, and operational failures to identify contributing factors and opportunities for improvement.· Serve in a senior leadership role during emergencies, severe weather events, infrastructure failures, significant incidents, and other operational disruptions; utilize Incident Command System principles when appropriate.· Coordinate resort resources and communications during significant incidents and work with law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, regulators, and other public-safety agencies as required.· Participate in after-action reviews and ensure appropriate corrective measures and lessons learned are incorporated into future operations.FINANCIAL & ASSET MANAGEMENT· Work with department managers to develop accurate, forward-looking operating budgets; review and challenge assumptions, monitor performance, and hold leaders accountable for labor, operating expenses, purchasing, and financial results.· Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and reduce unnecessary expenses while maintaining appropriate safety, service, reliability, and guest-experience standards.· Participate in the development and prioritization of capital projects and long-range operational plans.· Evaluate equipment purchases and capital investments based on safety, reliability, operating cost, lifecycle cost, maintainability, and long-term operational needs.· Provide oversight of resort assets and help establish appropriate maintenance, replacement, and lifecycle strategies.PROJECTS & OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT· Establish clear ownership and accountability for operational and capital projects rather than serving as the default project manager for all work.· Develop or review project scopes, evaluate proposals, coordinate contractors and vendors, monitor schedules and budgets, and hold project owners accountable for implementation and completion.· Establish and maintain professional working relationships with vendors, manufacturers, contractors, consultants, regulatory agencies, community partners, and other outside organizations.· Participate in vendor selection, contract evaluation, pricing negotiations, purchasing decisions, and contractor performance evaluation.· Look across departments for opportunities to improve processes, communication, staffing models, reliability, and the overall effectiveness of resort operations.· Maintain regular communication with the General Manager and senior leadership regarding operational conditions, significant incidents, staffing concerns, financial performance, capital needs, and matters requiring executive awareness.· Participate as a member of the resort senior leadership team and support resort-wide initiatives and organizational objectives.· Remain available to respond to significant operational issues and emergencies outside of regularly scheduled working hours when necessary.· Perform other duties and assignments as necessary to support Wintergreen Resort operations.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:· Significant leadership experience in resort operations, mountain operations, recreation, hospitality, facilities, or a similarly complex operating environment.· Demonstrated experience leading managers and supervisors across multiple departments or operating functions.· Proven ability to develop people, establish priorities, delegate responsibility, hold teams accountable, and build strong working relationships.· Strong operational judgment with the ability to remain calm, assess changing conditions, troubleshoot problems, and make sound decisions under pressure.· Working knowledge of workplace safety, operational inspections, regulatory compliance, incident response, and emergency management.· Experience developing and managing operating budgets, labor, purchasing, and departmental financial performance.· Experience with capital planning, project management, vendors, contractors, and asset management.· Ability to understand technical information related to resort equipment, facilities, infrastructure, and operating systems and work effectively with technical experts.· Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.· Ability to communicate effectively with employees, senior leadership, guests, Resort Members, vendors, contractors, regulators, emergency responders, and community partners.· Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise appropriate discretion with personnel, legal, risk, and other sensitive matters.· Proficiency with common business software and operational management systems.· Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours during peak periods, emergencies, severe weather, or significant operational disruptions.EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES:· Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred. Significant relevant leadership and operational experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.· Experience within a mountain resort, ski area, destination resort, recreation organization, or similarly complex operation is strongly preferred.· Experience with mountain operations, operational inspections, emergency management, regulatory compliance, and capital project management is preferred.LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT(S):· Valid driver's license required.· Incident Command System and emergency-management training preferred.· Must obtain and maintain any licenses, certifications, or training required for assigned operational responsibilities.PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:· Ability to work in both office and field environments.· Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions including snow, ice, rain, wind, heat, and cold temperatures.· Ability to walk and travel across uneven, steep, snowy, icy, and unimproved terrain.· Ability to stand and walk for extended periods when operational conditions require.· Ability to bend, kneel, climb stairs and ladders, and access operational facilities and equipment as necessary.· Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.· Must be able to access remote resort locations using vehicles, utility vehicles, chairlifts, snowmobiles, skis, snowboards, or other appropriate means of transportation when necessary.· Must be able to safely operate resort vehicles and equipment appropriate to the position.· Must be comfortable working around moving vehicles, mechanical equipment, ski lifts, heavy equipment, and other active resort operations.· Must be able to wear appropriate personal protective equipment when entering designated operational areas.· Must be able to work long and irregular hours during peak operating periods, significant weather events, emergencies, and other operational needs.BENEFITS OF WORKING AT WINTERGREEN:Wintergreen Resort is a place for mountain lovers, adventure seekers and outdoor explorers. A place to chase new experiences, marvel at the unexpected, and build new relationships that will keep you coming back for more. We work to play! We work in a fun-filled, beautiful resort setting and have a competitive compensation with a comprehensive benefit portfolio for full-time year-round associates: (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long Term Disability Insurances as well as Paid Time Off and a 401K plan). Our unique Recreational Benefit Package offers associates free and/or discounted resort activities, services and products.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this position; employees may be assigned other duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer.