Director of Operations - Hospitality

Keller Executive Search; Vail (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary

Performance bonus

401(k) with employer match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Job summary

Keller Executive Search is seeking a Director of Operations for a celebrated five-star luxury hotel in the southeastern United States. The role reports to the Managing Director and oversees Rooms, Food & Beverage, and Culinary, guiding strategy and guest experiences across all touchpoints.

This hands-on leadership position requires a strategic thinker who can also execute, mentor a leadership team, and drive profitability in a boutique setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in luxury hospitality with executive-level operations responsibility.
• Proven ability to lead Rooms, Food & Beverage, and Culinary operations together.
• Strong financial acumen including budgeting, forecasting, labor planning, and analytics.
• Experience in boutique, independent, or entrepreneurial environments.
• Exceptional communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across all hotel operations, ensuring five-star luxury standards.
• Engage with VIP guests, owners, and strategic partners as needed.
• Cultivate a culture of exceptional hospitality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with culinary and restaurant leadership to elevate dining experiences.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing leadership team with succession plans.
• Manage operational budgets, labor plans, and departmental financial performance.
• Partner with Finance and Revenue Management to drive profitability and forecasting accuracy.
• Oversee cleanliness, preventive maintenance, safety, and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial acumen

Budgeting and forecasting

Operations management

Guest relations

Staff development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management or Business Administration

Job description

A celebrated, boutique five-star luxury hotel in the southeastern United States is seeking a Director of Operations to serve as its second-in-command. This is a rare opportunity to join a boutique, entrepreneurial environment where you'll have real influence over strategy, culture, and guest experience, without the layers of bureaucracy found at big-box or large corporate-backed hotels.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Director of Operations will oversee all day-to-day operations across Rooms, Food & Beverage, and Culinary, with dotted-line alignment across every other operational function. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll need to be both a strategist and a doer.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across all hotel operations, ensuring every guest touchpoint reflects five-star, luxury standards
• Personally engage with VIP guests, owners, and strategic partners as needed
• Champion a culture of exceptional hospitality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Partner with culinary and restaurant leadership to elevate dining experiences
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing leadership team, building succession pipelines
• Manage operational budgets, labor plans, and departmental financial performance
• Partner with Finance and Revenue Management to drive profitability and forecasting accuracy
• Oversee cleanliness, preventive maintenance, safety, and regulatory compliance standards
• Evaluate capital improvement opportunities and support long-range strategic planning
• Monitor guest feedback and ensure service recovery processes resolve challenges effectively

A celebrated, boutique five-star luxury hotel in the southeastern United States is seeking a Director of Operations to serve as its second-in-command. This is a rare opportunity to join a boutique, entrepreneurial environment where you'll have real influence over strategy, culture, and guest experience, without the layers of bureaucracy found at big-box or large corporate-backed hotels.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Director of Operations will oversee all day-to-day operations across Rooms, Food & Beverage, and Culinary, with dotted-line alignment across every other operational function. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll need to be both a strategist and a doer.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across all hotel operations, ensuring every guest touchpoint reflects five-star, luxury standards
• Personally engage with VIP guests, owners, and strategic partners as needed
• Champion a culture of exceptional hospitality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Partner with culinary and restaurant leadership to elevate dining experiences
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing leadership team, building succession pipelines
• Manage operational budgets, labor plans, and departmental financial performance
• Partner with Finance and Revenue Management to drive profitability and forecasting accuracy
• Oversee cleanliness, preventive maintenance, safety, and regulatory compliance standards
• Evaluate capital improvement opportunities and support long-range strategic planning
• Monitor guest feedback and ensure service recovery processes resolve challenges effectively

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in luxury hospitality, including executive-level operational responsibility
• Prior experience as a Director of Operations, Hotel Manager, Executive Assistant Manager, or equivalent role within a Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond, or comparable luxury property
• Demonstrated success leading Rooms, Food & Beverage, and Culinary operations together
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, labor planning, and operational analytics
• Proven ability to lead in a boutique, independent, or entrepreneurial environment
• Exceptional communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Background at a luxury independent or boutique properties
• Experience with hotel-specific systems
• A track record of building and mentoring succession-ready leadership teams

Benefits

• Base salary: $150,000-$165,000, commensurate with experience
• Performance based bonus
• 401(k) with employer match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus voluntary health plans

Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy

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State-Specific Information

Rhode Island

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Connecticut

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Note: This job posting may be for a position with Keller Executive Search or one of our clients. The specific employer will be identified during the application and interview process. Employment laws and requirements may vary depending on the employer and location.