Gaming Strategy Director

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Gaming Strategy is responsible for project management, enterprise gaming strategy, and operational standards and compliance. This position oversees and supports all areas of the pre-opening process including design and construction, vendor relations, property leadership collaboration, product recommendation, and equipment set up and installation. The Director of Gaming Strategy leads implementation of enterprise gaming strategy, review KPIs and reports on performance. In addition, this role will ensure operational and brand standards are implemented and executed. The role will act as liaison between Seminole Support Service and property leaders across the enterprise.

Requirements

10 years’ experience in gaming management, including 3 years in Gaming Operations Management
At least two significant property openings in a leadership role, preferably both new build and conversion.
Bachelor's degree or relevant related experience.
Must be a self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit.
High energy individual, with effective and influential people skills.
Positive attitude and the desire to motivate others.
Ability to form strong relationships with Hard Rock employees, partners, owners and outside organizations.
Critical thinker and decision-maker.
Must have an understanding of or ability to quickly learn the local cultures in region of operation.
Must possess confidence to facilitate senior level meetings on matters relating to project implementation.
Must meet legal requirements for any required licensing.
Comprehend and use technical or professional language, either written or spoken, to communicate complex ideas.
Must possess strong communication and listening skills, excellent speaking, reading and writing.
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
Fluency in English required.
Must be technology savvy.
Strong command of various software applications – especially Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Must have strong organizational skills.
The ability to prioritize and work on several projects simultaneously should pose a challenge without being overwhelming.
Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers and staff, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact, and diplomacy.
Use logic to define problem, collect information, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, interpret information and deal with abstract variables for unique or unfamiliar situations.
Ability to insure compliance with and enforce terms of collective bargaining agreements where applicable.

Nice To Haves

Multiple language abilities preferred

Responsibilities

Lead gaming-related project planning and execution across existing operations and new developments, ensuring timelines, dependencies, and deliverables are clearly defined and actively managed.
Serve as the primary coordination lead between Gaming Operations, Design & Construction, Property Leadership, Vendors, and Corporate stakeholders, escalating conflicts and decision points to executive leadership as needed.
Support property pre-opening readiness in partnership with SWAT teams and property leadership, ensuring gaming operations are aligned with enterprise standards, regulatory requirements, and operational readiness milestones.
Own gaming-related capital planning for strategic initiatives, including development of business cases, ROI justification, budget tracking, and variance reporting in partnership with Finance and property leadership.
Coordinate vendor engagement for gaming equipment, product trials, and innovation initiatives, ensuring enterprise priorities are reflected in product selection and deployment strategies.
Partner with Design & Construction and property teams to review gaming floor layouts and operational designs to support guest experience, operational efficiency, and revenue optimization.
Lead post-opening and post-implementation stabilization efforts in partnership with property leadership, supporting performance optimization, issue remediation, and vendor follow-up during the initial operating period.
Support workforce planning for major gaming initiatives by aligning project labor needs with property staffing, training, and onboarding plans.
Drive enterprise consistency in gaming performance management through standardized KPI frameworks and performance reporting across slots, tables, poker, sportsbook, and bingo.
Partner with property gaming leadership to translate enterprise gaming strategies into locally relevant initiatives that reflect market dynamics, regulatory environments, and operational realities.
Leverage analytics and performance data to identify opportunities for gaming floor optimization, yield improvement, and product mix enhancement across the enterprise.
Develop and maintain structured game mix, denomination, and floor configuration recommendations based on performance insights, competitive benchmarking, and customer behavior trends.
Own the enterprise testing and trial framework for gaming initiatives, including defining test objectives, success metrics, evaluation timelines, and scale/kill decision criteria in partnership with Analytics and Operations.
Coordinate with Analytics teams to assess the performance impact of floor changes, trials, and initiatives, and ensure learnings are consistently captured and shared across properties.
Communicate enterprise gaming best practices and performance insights to property leadership to drive continuous improvement and operational alignment.
Develop, standardize, and continuously refine enterprise gaming operating procedures, internal controls, and operational standards for both existing and new properties.
Ensure enterprise gaming standards and SOPs are effectively implemented across properties through structured monitoring, performance reviews, and collaboration with Operations, Training, and Compliance teams.
Partner with property gaming leadership to align enterprise standards with local regulatory requirements, guest expectations, and operational constraints.
Collaborate with Global Quality Assurance and Compliance leadership to support adherence to brand standards, regulatory requirements, and enterprise best practices.
Develop jurisdiction-specific gaming SOPs and operating frameworks to support expansion into new regulatory environments.
Conduct ongoing performance and operational health reviews to surface risks, gaps, and inconsistencies in execution, escalating issues to appropriate leadership for resolution.
Contribute to long-range gaming operational roadmaps focused on process improvement, labor efficiency, and adoption of enabling technologies.