Director of Hotel Operations

Aparium Hotel Group•Fargo, ND

About The Position

Hotels done differently. It's not just a slogan or catchphrase, it is who we are in everything we do. We believe in the power of People, Place and Character; ensuring our properties are a place where individuals are valued and celebrated as a tribute to the neighborhoods and the people of the communities in which we operate; elevating our associates' pride in who they are, where they live and who we serve. The hotel is managed by Aparium Hotel Group, a Chicago-based, leading lifestyle hotel company owned and operated by industry veterans. The company's growth is guided by its “Translocal Hospitality” philosophy, which is the belief that great hotels are a destination sought out by travelers and a place that thrives as a gathering hub for locals. Specializing in historic adaptive reuse projects, each of Aparium Hotel Group's properties are independent brands and celebrate the specific neighborhoods and local community's unique history of the distinct cities in which they reside. Jasper is a place located in the heart of downtown Fargo built on these values. You are humble and understand the need to work side by side with others; and you take feedback to make things better seriously. It is quite natural for you to walk into a hotel and want to fluff every pillow you see, judge the level of cleanliness or ask the front desk what type of system they are using. You get excited about how amenities are packaged, a guest service story created by an employee's intuition, and can strip a bed faster than the best housekeeper. Your career experience is eclectic and dynamic. You have great pride in having worked your way through a variety of rooms division and food and beverage department head roles. You have a special place in your heart for the people and teams you have worked with and developed during your career. You get excited for crunch response training and know that success comes through collaboration and teamwork. You are comfortable with casual sophistication and realize the concept of luxury has evolved to be approachable and not cookie-cutter. You are highly organized and detail oriented. Your vision of a perfect hotel experience is an impeccably appointed guest room with a wonderful restaurant food, service and ambiance. In addition to a highly skilled and responsive team to support a superior product. The Director of Hotel Operations reports to the General Manager. It is critical the person in this position possesses a diverse knowledge of hotel operations, financial acumen and sales and marketing. This individual is willing to dive into the day-to-day operation, while balancing and directing the long-term goals of the hotel. All leaders of Aparium are required to work hand in hand with their teams. Having the ability to be a soldier is as critical as being a general. As the Director of Hotel Operations, you will support and lead the Rooms Division, Food & Beverage, and Engineering. You will develop and lead the team to ensure innovative guest experiences, delivery of outstanding guest service, and training and developing a dynamic team. As the company continues to grow, succession planning is a strategic focus. Your presence should be primarily in the hotel operation, touring the hotel throughout the day, inspecting guest rooms and monitoring guest feedback in real time to ensure an exceptional guest experience. You will also actively develop trusting and transparent relations with your peers on the Executive Committee and associates of the hotel. As a leader within Aparium Hotel Group you will work with a phenomenal group of peers who insist that you are collaborative, humble, experienced and open-minded - no egos are allowed.

Requirements

Passion for the People, Place and Culture of our community, love of Guest Service and Food & Beverage also required. Servant leadership and passion for hospitality.
Minimum of five (5) years' experience with operations background in full-service hotel in a director role or senior leadership role.
Adaptable interpersonal skills to communicate and address all associate levels of the hotel
Professional proficiency of the English language in reading, writing and verbal communication
Strong skills in Microsoft Excel, Power Point and Word to create spreadsheets or proposals. Strong computer aptitude in PMS and POS systems. Infor (PMS) and Silverware (POS) preferred.
Due to the cyclical nature of the hotel industry, associates are required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. Minimum 50 hours per week.

Responsibilities

Uphold and model the company's principles of People, Place and Character; and ensure your team also models the way our values drive collaboration, intuition and translocal hospitality
Active participant in the interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, and motivating hotel associates to create an environment that nurtures ideas and develops future talent for succession planning in the Hotel Operation.
Collaboration with local businesses, community, farmers, Kilbourne Group, RDO and all local influencers and collaborators.
Demonstrate passion and aptitude for all aspects of a guest's experience, handling all guest interactions with the highest level of hospitality and professionalism, accommodating special requests whenever possible; serve as the shepherd of all on-property experiences and able to uncover the details that will add a special touch for guests and associates that turn into a fond memory.
Lead daily briefings, weekly operations leadership meetings, and monthly departmental staff meetings to further develop ideas and objectives with the operations team, while simultaneously providing constructive feedback and strategizes to overcome and correct any previously missed opportunities and provide service recovery.
Assigns associates to complete the needed activities for the day and inspects their accomplishments; and monitors associate activities to ensure standards are achieved, and associates feel supported and valued to meet and exceed guests' needs
Observe conditions of all physical facilities and equipment in the hotel operation and work in collaboration with other operating divisions and any third-party vendors to establish detailed cleaning and preventative maintenance programs to ensure appearance and life of all furniture, fixtures and equipment throughout the hotel.
Lead all matters related to the safety, security, satisfaction and well-being of hotel guests and associates; respond swiftly and effectively in any hotel emergency of safety situations; and verifies all associates are trained and following proper emergency procedures and responses.
Fluent in operational metrics, KPI's and P&L's and demonstrates critical thinking skills by connecting those with operational observations; provides coaching and corrective action that targets root causes of issues and the highest priorities in the operation of the Rooms Division
Participate in all Executive Committee meetings to provide thoughtful and insightful suggestions and feedback to give a voice to the overall operation at the highest leadership level to demonstrate commitment to the success and innovation of the hotel
Works directly with outside contracted companies to assure quality and timeliness of work while prioritizing the guest experience and developing long term partnerships
Champion Aparium divisional and hotel wide initiatives and best practices (e.g., Lobby Ambassador, Property Walks, and Manager on Duty programs) by ensuring you take the time to communicate and/or train on the purpose of each initiative.
Communicate regularly with the General Manager to provide updates and align priorities, discuss plans, and request for any additional resources to support the operation and any additional tasks and responsibilities as requested by the General Manager in support of a successful operation.