Director of Skier Services - Giants Ridge

Guest Services, Inc. • Biwabik, MN

7d • $70,000 - $80,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Skier Services is a senior leadership role responsible for managing the operations, financial results, guest services, and safety of Giants Ridge’s year-round recreational and ski services. This role manages one of the resort's largest revenue and labor centers and plays a key role in ensuring that what we sell is delivered efficiently and consistently to a high standard that encourages and promotes repeat visitation. While the primary focus of this role is operational discipline and financial performance, it also carries a secondary but essential responsibility for guest experience across both winter and summer operations. This role has a strategic focus on one of the most important areas of the resort’s success, as it plays a central role in protecting and growing revenue, managing labor responsibly to set KPI’s, delivering safe, high-quality guest experiences, supporting staff with clear leadership and expectations, and ensuring consistency across winter and summer operations. The primary priority of this role is Operational Accountability & Financial Performance. The Director of Skier Services is responsible for revenue realization from skier services and recreation operations, labor planning, staffing efficiency, and cost management, department budget planning, forecasting, and variance analysis, maintaining service quality and safety while protecting margins, and using data, metrics, and guest feedback to drive operational decisions. Provide guidance of system operations planning and coordination across all departments to ensure safe, efficient, and financially responsible resort operations. This role ensures that all guest-facing products are managed according to business needs, staffing capacity, safety standards, and financial targets.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in recreation management, outdoor education, or related field preferred; or 5-10 years of progressive experience in ski resort or recreational leadership.
• Extensive knowledge of ski area operations, including instruction, mountain safety, and summer programming.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budget planning, forecasting, and capital project oversight.
• Effective leadership and team-building skills with a collaborative, hands-on management style.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; strong public speaker.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ability to learn new systems including POS and scheduling software.
• Ability to read and interpret technical manuals, policies, and procedures.
• Valid Class D Driver’s License with an insurable driving record.
• Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management, Outdoor Education, Business, Hospitality, or a related field preferred; or 5-10 years of progressive leadership experience in ski resort, recreation, or hospitality operations.
• Extensive knowledge of ski area operations, including ski school, guest services, mountain safety, recreation programming, and year-round resort activities.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with experience managing budgets, forecasting, labor planning, cost controls, and capital improvement projects.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to effectively engage employees, guests, community partners, and leadership teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and utilize resort operating systems, point-of-sale (POS), scheduling, and reporting software; valid Class D Driver’s License with an insurable driving record required.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to ski/snowboard and mountain bike at an intermediate level in all snow and weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct leadership and operational oversight to the Mountain Sports School (lessons, youth and seasonal camps), Equipment Rental & Repair Operations, Guest Services (ticketing), Group Sales, Mountain Sports Shop (retail), Pool & Sauna Haus, and Climbing Wall Operations (including compliance and programming).
• Oversees year-round recreational offerings including but not limited to: Alpine & Nordic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Mountain Biking, Hiking & Trail Based Activities, and Disc Golf.
• Recruit, train, and develop team members across skier services and recreation operations.
• Foster a culture of safety, professionalism, accountability, and guest-first service.
• Lead staff development initiatives across Guest Experience and Skier Services, including managers, supervisors, and frontline employees; establish training standards, and support leadership development.
• Ensure all safety, compliance, and risk management practices meet or exceed industry standards.
• Is scheduled during the month as a Manager on Duty.
• Collaborates with Mountain Operations and Facilities to align terrain, trail, and lift readiness with program and guest needs.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with schools, local organizations, and community groups to support programming and participation.
• Recruit, train, schedule and direct Volunteer Mountain Hosts to support guest experience initiatives.
• Collaborate with the General Manager in developing and implementing engaging recreational and instructional programs that enhance guest satisfaction and drive revenue growth.
• Ensure programming is feasible, financially viable, and aligned with market needs.
• Collaborate with the General Manager on financial strategic planning and tactics to achieve financial results.
• Develop and oversee departmental operating budgets, forecasts, and capital improvement projects.
• Monitor and evaluate usage data, guest feedback, and financial results.
• Identify opportunities for efficiency, growth, and reinvestment.
• Serve as a senior steward of the guest experience across all seasons.
• Maintain uniform service standards across all business lines by emphasizing communication and professionalism.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for guest experience and service recovery issues.
• Monitor guest feedback and satisfaction trends to guide ongoing improvements.
• Collaborate with department leaders to ensure smooth guest flow and effective communication throughout the resort operations.
• Lead all skier services and recreation operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality guest experiences year-round.
• Drive revenue growth and operational performance while managing one of the resort’s largest revenue and labor centers.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and labor costs to achieve financial and operational goals.
• Use business metrics, operational data, and guest feedback to identify opportunities, improve performance, and inform decision-making.
• Provide clear leadership, coaching, and accountability for managers and staff, fostering a culture of service, safety, and excellence.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Coverage – medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, plus access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• HSAs, FSAs
• 401(k)-retirement plan, featuring a company match
• Generous PTO
• Free employee passes and discounts for family
• Complimentary golfing at two championship golf courses.
• Discounts on food, apparel, and accessories.
• Flexible Scheduling

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior