Resort Director Of Rooms - Exempt

At Dollywood Parks & Resorts, we create memories worth repeating. We do this every day across Dollywood Resorts which includes over 600 rooms and 15 Food & Beverage outlets, all located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Our plan is to grow our resort footprint to over 1200 rooms across five resorts at Dollywood and to add other resorts to our overall company resort portfolio.

Ask anyone who has visited Dollywood Parks & Resorts and they will tell you this place is different. It’s not a difference that you can touch or see - it’s a difference you can feel. We are seeking a(n) Director of Rooms who will embody the heart and soul of our mission of creating memories worth repeating while caring deeply about our brand and our region.

We want to work alongside someone who acts as an extension of our mission, values, and culture. This person is driven to create meaningful experiences for our hosts, guests, and community while simultaneously ensuring the success and profitability of our unique culinary offerings. This person also brings a spirit of fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity and genuine hospitality to their life and work. We are seeking an individual who has the ability to bring the vision of the Dollywood Resorts to life. The recipe for the right Director of Rooms will be equal parts curious learner, innovator, administrator, mentor and motivator.

The Director of Rooms is responsible for all Rooms, Entertainment/Recreation and Spa operations at Dollywood’s Resorts. This role provides strategic vision, leadership, and supervision to all areas of responsibility ensuring high levels of guest satisfaction. This leader is expected to monitor guest and employee (Host) satisfaction, expense management of his/her teams, and focus on continuous improvement resulting in improved business results across all Shareholder Objectives. Furthermore, this role ensures that teams provide world-class service and outstanding guest and Host experiences in a way that achieves all shareholder objectives.

Summary of Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitor VIP and Special Guest Programs.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, local, and company regulations, policies and procedures
• Assure profitability/contribution of departments by closely monitoring labor, expenses, sales, cost of goods sold and inventory.
• Responsible for the resort-wide, overall levels of Guest Satisfaction with emphasis on key drivers of Net Promoter Scores.
• Serve as the primary resort contact for transportation, aquatics and merchandise.
• Serve as a true “product and experience” minded subject matter expert utilizing strong hospitality, business, and financial skills, and accustomed to achieving a balance across Guest experience, Host satisfaction, financial, safety, and organizational goals.
• Conduct regularly scheduled walkthroughs of guestrooms, common areas and heart of house.
• Monitor and assess service and satisfaction trends and evaluate and address issues, systems and procedures to make improvements accordingly.
• Responsible for performance management for areas of responsibility and direct reports.
• Strong understanding of what drives guest satisfaction; monitor guest feedback from all sources
• Act in the capacity of General Manager in his/her absence.
• Attend weekly revenue meetings.
• Participate in annual Rooms Division budgeting process.
• Establish and clearly articulate all performance standards, and constantly monitor all results to ensure that expectations are being met.
• Ensure plans are in place to properly train and equip all Hosts to perform their job responsibilities.
• Lead safety efforts for the Rooms Division and other areas of responsibility - e.g. health department, REI inspections, and internal and external audits, etc. Ensures compliance around employee safety committee meetings, General Safety Training and all company Safety Standards and Procedures.
• Conduct regularly scheduled rooms division meetings with leadership.
• Manage the Manager on Duty program.
• Build strong relationships with department leaders and managers to ensure clarity and consistency in their stewardship of respective responsibilities.
• Develop department specific business and strategic plans that ensure coordination with the Dollywood Company and Dollywood’s Resort brand initiatives, vision, mission, core values, standards and goals.
• Respond to guest inquiries and requests and resolve guest issues and concerns in a timely, friendly and efficient manner.
• Build strong relationships with Dollywood Enterprise teams including Safety/Security, IT, Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Sales and Marketing, Aquatics, Entertainment, Merchandise and Transportation to ensure company expectations are achieved.
• Oversee the development of the teams’ leadership to ensure growth, build a strong bench, coach, inspire, empower, provide feedback, and ensure accountability to reach company goals and career objectives.
• Support the delivery of hospitality training to all guest facing Hosts.
• Develop and promote an entrepreneurial spirit by making recommendations targeting increased Guest satisfaction, Host satisfaction, sales and profitability.
• Direct and administer Rooms Division operations (front office, bell/valet, ticketing, housekeeping, laundry, entertainment/recreation and spa) to include, but not limited to daily operations, guest service standards and initiatives, product quality, inventory management and cost controls, merchandising and marketing, systems use management, budgeting and forecasting.
• Ensure department leaders are controlling staffing and labor expenses for their respective departments. Maintain a close eye on Host retention and Host experience in each department.

Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time. #LI-DNI

• Working knowledge of common office software such as word processing, presentation design, and spreadsheet software required.
• Must operate with tenacity, be productive under pressure, be “hands-on” when needed, and demonstrate work-life balance that models long-term success.
• Must be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis.
• Able to make a friendly impression when speaking to or corresponding with guests, vendors, and other employees.
• A working, hands on knowledge of PMS and POS Systems. Micros (POS) and Opera (PMS) preferred
• Able to operate/drive a company vehicle with valid TN driver’s license and insurance.
• Must maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays.Must be able to utilize effective communication, problem solving, conflict management and interpersonal skills.
• Able to perform duties consistent with creating a safe and secure environment for hosts and guests.
• Able to communicate effectively using standard English grammar and punctuation
• Able to comprehend instructions and retain information.
• Able to display and live out Lead with Love qualities strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture by being patient, kind, humble, respectful, selfless, forgiving, honest, and committed.
• Able to tolerate various temperatures while working outdoors.
• Must show appreciation of others.
• Should possess a strong working knowledge of revenue management and the successful strategies and practices that maximize revenue.
• Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts.
• Proven track record of successfully developing teams and individuals.
• Must be self-motivated and disciplined.
• Must have professional appearance with good personal hygiene.
• Must be able to be productive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Able to be flexible to handle frequent changes in priorities.
• Requires a broad knowledge of hotel/resort operations with specific expertise in rooms operations.
• Must successfully pass a post-employment offer background check and drug test.
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information.
• Must reflect Dollywood’s image by being genuinely friendly and caring and by taking pride in work.
• Must have, or have the ability to obtain, a TN driver’s license and state required auto insurance.Exhibits objectivity and openness to other’s views; gives and welcomes feedback; puts success of teams above own interests; inspires trust of others.
• Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with accuracy.
• Able to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Must be committed to continuous improvement.
• Able to meet the physical demands of the job.
• Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating and helping co-workers.
• Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines.
• Strong reading, writing, speaking, and presentation skills.

• Proven track record with leading-edge methods of guest and employee satisfaction in a mid-large size hotel/resort environment required.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience as a multi-faceted hotel leader with assistant department head or department head experience in front office and housekeeping required. Experience in rapid growth organizations preferred.
• College degree Preferred. Degree in Business or Hospitality preferred.
• Extensive practical experience would be considered in lieu of educational degrees.

The Dollywood Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. The Dollywood Company drives a welcoming culture where ideas and decisions from all people support our efforts to be relevant in an ever-changing world.