Director of Lodging

Description:  

The Opportunity  

We currently have an opportunity for an experienced and passionate people-focused leader to join our team as the Director of Lodging.  

The Director of Lodging for See Rock City, Inc. leads our lodging team with a focus on delivering the highest quality guest experience across all our properties. This leader will help shape the future of our lodging operations, building on the foundation that we have at Chanticleer Inn and Grandview, to further develop Rock City and Lookout Mountain as a world-class destination with the highest quality lodging offerings. We have an unbelievable opportunity ahead of us for our team to fully capture the potential of our property as a lodging destination, raising the standard of service and expanding the offerings that we have for our guests, and we are looking for a leader to help us accomplish that. The ideal candidate will have a passion for hospitality, a deep well of experience in the hospitality industry, a proven track record of leadership managing diverse teams, and experience growing and developing lodging and hospitality properties.  

As a key member of our Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Lodging will be owning the operations of our lodging business, helping to set our strategy for that team. Their input will help inform our strategies going forward and necessitates their ability to blend both high-level strategic oversight with operational day-to-day management. Under their leadership we hope to deliver on our mission of creating memories worth repeating at our lodging properties by providing exceptional service, excellent amenities, and fantastic culinary experiences.  

If this sounds like an opportunity for you in an environment that will allow you to thrive creatively and professionally, you can find out more about us by visiting www.seerockcity.com/jobs. Resumes and cover letters may be emailed directly to greg@seerockcity.com.  

Who We Are  

See Rock City, Inc. specializes in creating memories worth repeating, not only for our guests, but also for our partners across all of our teams and locations. In addition to the world-famous Rock City Gardens, See Rock City, Inc. owns and operates a number of locations, including Battles for Chattanooga Museum, Blowing Springs Farm, Clumpies Ice Cream CO., Grandview, Chanticleer Inn, and the Starbucks on Lookout Mountain. Additionally, we have concessionaire partnerships where we operate various guest services at The Incline Railway and Creative Discovery Museum. With locations atop beautiful Lookout Mountain, in downtown Chattanooga, and the surrounding Chattanooga Valley, we have found unique ways to create memorable experiences that focus on our top priority - people!  

What We Do  

Everything we do as an organization comes down to fulfilling this mission of creating amazing memories for our guests and partners - a mission we accomplish through the philosophy expressed through our culture of excellence and our organizational values. Our ability to impact people's lives in so many dynamic and creative ways in-line with these foundational elements provides us incomparable opportunities and experiences. These might be through ensuring beautiful surroundings while taking in the view from Lover's Leap, serving hand-crafted small-batch ice cream, providing a mocha to enjoy in front of the fireplace, or exceeding the expectations for the once-in-a-lifetime dream wedding. We all are allowed the privilege to be a part of making this a reality for countless individuals and families every day!  

Job Description  

The Director of Lodging oversees and manages the overall operations of all lodging venues within the See Rock City, Inc. umbrella. This includes, but is not limited to, the Chanticleer Inn and Grandview. This position encompasses guest lodging, food/restaurant service, housekeeping, and guest relations, ensuring that at every facet of the lodging experience for our guests is of the highest quality. Provides support to other areas of the organization as needed. The Director of Lodging is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and will play a major role in ensuring that we achieve our mission of creating memories worth repeating.  

• Delivers excellent guest service to internal and external customers in line with the organization's mission, culture, and values.  
• Models appropriate guest and partner interaction always, displaying the values of the culture of excellence and leading in a manner that serves as an organizational model for the values.  
• Captains the efforts in establishing brand standards across Lodging outlets to ensure our guests have an outstanding experience while visiting our locations.  
• Collaborates across multiple levels of leadership to understand and develop solutions to location-specific needs, problem solve, and continuously drive operational innovation and excellence across the organization.  
• Ensures that amenities and services offered are up to company and industry standards and that guest service is a top priority.  
• Ensures that food quality and preparation are up to company standards in all locations and updates menus and offerings regularly to respond to the needs of the guests.  
• Ensures that all food safety standards are adhered to and that all partners are trained on proper food handling and preparation.  
• Develops, oversees and supports the budget preparation and implementation across all lodging locations; this includes responsibility for the entire management of the P&L of each location, including direct and indirect expenses, actual vs. budget expenses, cost of goods, and overall revenue.  
• Monitors sales and provides daily or weekly reports, adjusting as needed to ensure budget is being adhered to.  
• Implements strategies for controlling costs and delegates responsibilities to managers appropriately.  
• Oversees the staffing and scheduling of all locations to ensure they are staffed appropriately, engages with HR and Talent Acquisition to ensure needs are being met.  
• Collaborates with Marketing and group sales to promote new offerings, merchandise, or special events.  
• Monitors the training of partners to ensure all partners are properly trained and informed of all policies and procedures relevant to their position. This includes point of sale system training, guest services training, food safety training, housekeeping and hospitality training, and other training as needed.  
• Oversees the overall presentation of all lodging locations to ensure they are welcoming, clean, attractive and well stocked.  
• Identifies ideas for improvement or enhancement of the amenities and services offered to provide an elevated guest experience.  
• Ensure compliance with all Health Department regulations for all lodging and food services.  
• Monitors inventory levels and coordinates reorders when needed.  
• Engages with vendors to negotiate pricing, terms, merchandise, and coordinate delivery dates.  
• Purchases merchandise for all lodging locations and researches new products to appeal to our guests.  
• Manages a team of direct reports to ensure they are being given adequate direction, communication, performance management, and development.  
• Participates in weekly Senior Leadership meetings and informs other members of any important updates or items from your team.  
• Performs other duties assigned by management.  

Requirements:  

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) in hospitality and tourism, business management, or related field required.  
• Five to seven years related experience required. Experience in the hospitality industry preferred.  
• Management-level experience with multiple direct reports, budgets, P&L responsibilities, purchasing, and vendor relations required.  
• An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.  
• Experience with launching new lodging or restaurant locations preferred.  
• Ability to communicate effectively across multiple levels of the organization from front-line partners to executive leadership.  
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and present information to others.  
• Ability to effectively respond to questions from other managers and directors, guests, or the general public.  
• Ability to develop and implement a strategic plan.  
• Knowledgeable in all state and federal health department regulations as related to hospitality and lodging.  
• ServSafe certified or ability to become certified within 90 days of moving into the role.  
• Ability to train within the first 90 days to be compliant with the Food Safety Modernization Act.  
• Possess an outgoing, friendly personality and the desire to provide quality guest service.  
• Ability to convey a professional, welcoming image to guests and partners.  
• Ability to speak effectively in one-on-one and small group situations, knowing your feedback and input are essential to the team.  
• Must possess excellent computer skills and be proficient in Microsoft Office.  
• Ability to multi-task and manage time effectively.  
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money.  
• Ability to provide a flexible schedule to work nights, weekends, holidays, and special events as needed.  
• Required to use hands and fingers regularly. Ability to lift/move up to 25 pounds. Required to stoop, kneel, or crouch occasionally.