Vice President, Portfolio Operations & Transformation

Proper Hospitality Careers•Santa Monica, CA

About The Position

Proper Hospitality is seeking an experienced hotel operations leader to serve as Vice President, Portfolio Operations & Transformation, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. The role directly leads the operating performance of The Collective hotels while improving operations across the broader portfolio, which includes Proper, By Proper and The Collective. It is a hands-on operating leadership position focused on measurable property performance, workflow simplification, labor productivity, adoption of technology and better ways of working. The VP directly manages and develops The Collective General Managers and is accountable for hotel-level financial performance, guest experience, team engagement and brand standards. Across Proper and By Proper, the VP works through existing operating leadership, with additional authority delegated by the COO when appropriate. The role partners with the COO and Corporate Director, Enterprise Operations to identify and deliver portfolio-wide operating improvements. Enterprise Operations owns supporting standards, frameworks, processes and execution governance; the VP focuses on operating performance and business outcomes. The position does not own software development, technology infrastructure or enterprise systems architecture. The VP builds General Manager talent and succession, supports hotel recoveries, transitions, repositionings and openings, and works with owners and asset managers. The position collaborates with Finance, Commercial, Brand, HR, Culinary, corporate F&B leadership and Enterprise Operations to improve performance while preserving each hotel's distinctive guest experience. The role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and has The Collective General Managers as direct reports. Base salary is $250,000 to $275,000, plus a performance-based bonus.

Requirements

12 or more years of progressive hotel operations experience, including significant multi-property leadership.
A track record of managing General Managers and delivering strong financial and operating results across multiple hotels.
Deep hotel P&L experience, including labor management, forecasting and margin improvement.
Strong experience working directly with hotel owners and asset managers.
Proven ability to turn around underperforming hotels and strengthen leadership teams.
A record of improving margin or labor productivity across multiple properties through changes in standards, workflows or systems, not solely through individual General Manager performance.
Experience rolling out new tools or processes at the property level and ensuring adoption.
Working knowledge of AI and automation and their practical applications in hotel operations.
Ability to motivate teams, influence executives and lead change.
Strong operating judgment: ability to identify what drives hotel performance, spot issues early and distinguish symptoms from root causes.
Ability to set high standards and hold people accountable while maintaining trust.
Commercial discipline and ability to balance profitability with guest experience.
Ability to challenge established practices, build support for new approaches and sustain improvements.
Understanding of how operating efficiency can reinforce rather than diminish the guest experience.
Ability to exercise authority appropriately and work effectively through operating, functional and enterprise support teams.

Nice To Haves

Luxury, lifestyle, independent or design-driven hotel experience.
Experience with properties that have significant restaurant, bar and ancillary revenue.
Experience with complex ownership structures, mixed-quality portfolios, turnarounds or repositionings.
Multi-brand hotel management company experience.
Genuine appreciation for design, food, culture, wellness and service.

Responsibilities

Directly manage, coach and develop The Collective General Managers.
Own The Collective hotel-level financial performance, including revenue, profitability, labor productivity, expenses and margin.
Hold General Managers accountable for financial results, guest experience, team engagement and brand standards.
Serve as the primary operating contact for The Collective owners and maintain their confidence in Proper’s management.
Lead recovery plans for underperforming hotels and support transitions, repositionings and openings.
Spend regular time at properties and partner with HR and the COO on General Manager performance, leadership gaps and personnel changes.
Partner with the COO and operating leaders to improve performance across Proper, By Proper and The Collective.
Identify recurring portfolio performance issues and inefficiencies not visible in individual property reporting.
Establish consistent expectations for financial performance, service quality, labor management and accountability with operating leaders.
Support the COO on complex operating challenges, including underperformance, leadership issues and significant owner concerns.
Provide additional operating leadership during openings, transitions and major disruptions.
Lead portfolio-wide operating improvements through appropriate operating and functional leaders, with the COO’s support.
Develop and manage a focused operating improvement agenda with the COO, prioritizing productivity, profitability and operating effectiveness.
Identify opportunities to simplify processes, eliminate duplicated work and improve productivity across the portfolio.
Evaluate staffing models, labor deployment and management structures to improve productivity without compromising service.
Partner with the Corporate Director, Enterprise Operations to translate improvement opportunities into scalable standards, labor models, workflows and performance measurement.
Serve as operating business owner for prioritized AI and automation initiatives in hotel operations: identify workflows to change, define requirements with functional leaders and drive property-level adoption.
Work with Enterprise Operations and functional leaders to implement scalable operating practices while preserving each hotel's individuality.
Build a strong bench of General Managers and property leaders and establish succession plans for critical roles.
Coach General Managers to become strong commercial leaders.
Partner with HR on General Manager recruitment, development, performance management and retention.
Build an operating culture that balances financial discipline with hospitality, creativity and engagement.
Partner with Finance, Commercial, Brand, HR, Culinary and corporate F&B leadership to make operating plans realistic and executable.
Work with corporate F&B leadership and hotel leaders to strengthen property-level F&B execution, profitability and integration with the broader hotel experience.
Ensure operating improvements are reflected in appropriate standards, labor models and property-level execution practices in partnership with Enterprise Operations.
Ensure operating practices reinforce Proper’s commitment to design, culture, wellness and distinctive hospitality.

Benefits

Performance-based bonus.
Training, leadership programs, mentorship and cross-property mobility.
Medical, dental and vision plans through Aetna.
Company-subsidized Equinox and ClassPass memberships, wellbeing workshops and mental health resources.
Employee Assistance Program providing confidential emotional wellbeing, financial planning and life-management support.
Flexible paid time off and 11 paid holidays each year for corporate team members.
Paid parental leave for eligible employees welcoming a child through birth, adoption or foster placement.
Hybrid schedules for eligible roles and an emphasis on work-life balance.
401(k) company match of 50% of employee deferrals, up to the first 4% of eligible compensation.
Employer-paid life and disability insurance, with optional additional coverage.
Financial education tools and workshops.
Hotel stays at 75% off BAR, with a $100 floor, across the Proper portfolio.
50% off participating Marriott Design Hotels.
75% off food and beverage at Proper Hospitality outlets.
Complimentary or subsidized parking, cell phone reimbursement, and hospitality and retail discounts.
Opportunities for local volunteerism, sustainability and charitable partnerships.