Director of Operations- Perlen House in San Antonio, Texas at Perlen House

The Director of Operations leads and integrates the departments that bookend the Perlen House guest journey, Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services, ensuring operational excellence, consistency, and alignment with the brand's High Design, Low Touch, Exceptional Experience philosophy. This role partners closely with fellow Executive Committee leaders to drive service quality, financial performance, and team engagement, and serves as Manager on Duty on a rotating basis, while preparing the property for opening and long-term success.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Operational Leadership

Directly lead Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services, ensuring seamless coordination and execution across the guest journey from arrival through departure, and the physical condition of the property throughout stay.

Establish clear operating rhythms, standards, and accountability across these departments to deliver a refined, intuitive guest experience.

Ensure operational readiness for opening and ongoing performance optimization.

Serve in the Manager on Duty rotation, holding property-wide decision authority including emergency response and guest situations in the General Manager's absence.

Guest Experience & Brand Stewardship

Champion the Perlen House positioning and guest experience pillars in all operational decisions.

Maintain service standards that balance autonomy, personalization, and thoughtful human interaction.

Address service opportunities proactively to ensure guest satisfaction and brand integrity.

Financial & Business Performance

Partner with the General Manager to build, execute, and manage the annual operating budget, cost controls, and productivity targets across Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services, in accordance with USALI standards.

Monitor key operational KPIs and implement corrective actions when performance gaps arise.

Collaborate cross-functionally with F&B and Sales leadership to support overall revenue optimization, recognizing that those divisions sit outside this role's direct oversight.

Participate in capital planning and FF&E reserve requests for Rooms-side departments.

People & Culture Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop department heads and managers within Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services, fostering a culture of accountability and hospitality excellence.

Support hiring, onboarding, and training strategies aligned with Perlen House values and service expectations.

Promote collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement across teams.

Executive Committee & Cross-Functional Partnership

Represent Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services in Executive Committee discussions, advocating for departmental needs budget, headcount, priority against competing asks from Sales, F&B, and Finance.

Partner with People & Culture, Finance, Sales, and Brand leadership to ensure alignment across the property.

Act as a key liaison to ownership and COO on operational matters affecting Perlen House.

PRE-OPENING RESPONSIBILITES

Ahead of soft opening, the Director of Operations holds primary responsibility for building the operational foundation that supports Perlen House's standards, systems, and readiness across Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services:

Develop and document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each department, establishing the operational standard for day-to-day execution.

Develop templates, checklists, and departmental tools that support consistent, repeatable execution of brand and service standards.

Lead system programming and configuration for department relevant platforms (e.g., PMS, work order/preventive maintenance, key control) required for operations at opening.

Design and deliver training curricula and certification plans for department heads, managers, and hourly associates ahead of soft opening.

Partner with People & Culture and cross-functional leaders to validate that SOPs, templates, systems, and training are fully in place and staff-ready prior to soft opening.

Support licensing, permitting, and inspection readiness (e.g., TABC, fire/life-safety, health) in partnership with Legal and Engineering.

JOB REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and progressive hotel operations experience.

• 7+ years of progressive hospitality operations leadership experience, including at least 2 years at a department-head or above level, in boutique, lifestyle, or luxury environments.

• Strong working knowledge of hotel operations across Rooms-side departments: Engineering, Housekeeping, Front Desk, Loss Prevention, and Valet & Bell Services.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage complexity, and deliver consistent results in an independent, non-branded hotel environment.

• Experience with pre-opening or new-concept hotels strongly preferred.

• Working knowledge of USALI accounting standards, labor forecasting, and PMS/POS platforms preferred.

Certifications & Licensing

• TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) certification, or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.

• CPR/First Aid/AED certification, or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.

• OSHA 10-Hour General Industry certification preferred.

• Valid Texas driver's license may be required for valet and property oversight functions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Executive-level presence with the judgment to represent the property to ownership, guests, and regulatory bodies.

• Comfort operating without brand-standard playbooks building and codifying standards from the ground up for an independent hotel.

• Strong financial acumen, including budget development, labor management, and P&L accountability.

• Skilled at building SOPs, training programs, and departmental infrastructure in a pre-opening or high-change environment.

• Calm, decisive crisis and emergency management skills.

• Proficiency with hotel technology systems (PMS, work order/preventive maintenance, key control, POS).