Job Description

General Manager of the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge, will spearhead the orchestration of an extraordinary guest experience at a historic and award-winning property steeped in a century of heritage. Nestled within a sprawling 50-acres, this boutique resort stands as a testament to exceptional hospitality, accommodating up to 400 guests during the vibrant summer program and close to 200 guests throughout the academic year. With an array of 80 charming chalet-style units, historic cottages, and adjacent homes, the property offers a mosaic of accommodations, each brimming with its own distinctive character. Additionally, the property includes a chef-driven restaurant, numerous recreational activities and nearly 10,000 square feet of meeting space with 13 meeting rooms; our largest room accommodates up to 200 guests and 10,000 square feet of indoor meetings & events space. The property is approximately 90 miles from the UCLA Campus, and a part of the larger hospitality portfolio of conference venues, catering services, and overnight accommodations designed to delight and inspire any gathering.

The role General Manager extends beyond operations; it embodies the spirit of this exceptional destination and the True Bruin Values of UCLA. The GM will lead a diverse team of dedicated professionals, instilling a shared commitment to delivering unparalleled guest experiences. With a remarkable TripAdvisor ranking, the lodge’s reputation for excellence is woven into its legacy, a reputation the GM must uphold and enhance through effective and consistent leadership. With passion, care, intelligence and a strong work ethic, the GM actively and consistently engages all stakeholders to listen, learn and lead a team motivated through strong brand loyalty to cultivate positively memorable guest experiences.

Moreover, you’ll play a pivotal role in maintaining the property’s strong financial performance, contributing to its annual revenue of approximately $17 million. The GM must oversee the overall strategy, performance and profitability of the property, ensuring that it is operating with excellence. Align with UCLA’s core (True Bruin) values of Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service and Excellence to maximize revenue and ensure the efficient and effectively manage of the property. Like the other UCLA Housing & Hospitality auxiliary businesses, the Lake Arrowhead Lodge receives no funding from the State, and must operate efficiently to maximize revenues and minimize non-value adding costs.

Under the direct management of the Assistant Vice Chancellor of UCLA Housing & Hospitality (AVC H&H), the General Manager will coordinate, direct, and manage all day-to-day operations of the hotel and is responsible for consistently delivering results that contribute to the mission and overall success of the hotel by accomplishing performance objectives focused on business revenues, guest and associate satisfaction, effectiveness and efficiencies. The GM connects personally by offering guests a uniquely memorable experience, training to empower staff to represent knowledgeable and personalized service reflective of the property and actively advancing the hotel’s positive presence both online and in the local community.

The Lodge is a high volume, fast paced environment and will require in-depth knowledge in rooms, guest services, and food and beverage operations with exceptional skills in people management. Besides operations acumen, the GM should be able to recognize opportunities to increase sales and the bottom line, to enable value-added reinvestment into the property to ensure the long-term excellence of this important asset for UCLA. Incumbent must be able to work a varied scheduled that may often include evenings, weekends and holidays.

UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge is located about 90 miles east of the UCLA campus in the San Bernardino Mountains (https://lakearrowheadlodge.com/about/directions/).

The target salary range for this position is between the posted minimum and $195,000 a year, dependent on relevant work experience.

 

Job Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ demonstrated experience managing full-service 3.5 star or higher hotel hotel or resort, including demonstrated experience overseeing rooms operations, high level food service production and service, marketing, sales, facility maintenance, housekeeping, audio visual, and personnel management.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing profit & loss statements and STR’s with the ability to extrapolate information from these and related reports.
• Minimum 3 years’ demonstrated experience leading or directing hospitality operations teams.
• Skill in recognizing long-range objectives based on documented strategic and tactical planning.
• Demonstrated record of successful planning, budgeting, financial analysis, and fiscal management, including skill in budget preparation, analysis, and controlling cost of multiple, multi-million-dollar budgets.
• Demonstrated knowledge of financial long-term planning which allows for growth and change to physical inventory.
• Excellent analytical skills to organize data and material to draw appropriate conclusions and make recommendations for solution.
• Strong customer service and employee satisfaction orientation.
• Demonstrated excellent analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to quickly establish rapport, professional credibility and cooperative working relationships among all levels of the organization and campus.
• Ability to structure, sequence and prioritize work while dealing with multiple deadlines, changing priorities and frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work independently, be proactive, and deal with ambiguity.
• Ability to be politically astute and to achieve consensus, collaboration and garner support among multiple factors with diverse and at times conflicting needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years’ demonstrated experience preferred managing full-service 3.5 star or higher hotel or resort.
• Working knowledge of organizational development in a large, multi-faceted organization, to include assessment, training, and performance management.
• Skill in negotiating and exchanging ideas with others to formulate policies and programs and to arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions or solutions.
• Demonstrated skills in overseeing renovation and construction projects.
• Experience working and/or managing a resort operation.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive community relationships particularly with important entities such as the Lake Arrowhead Association, Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, LACC Water District, Forest Service, Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Bruins, and Rotary Club.
• Bachelor’s degree