General Manager
JOB TITLE: General Manager
REPORTS TO: Board of Directors
POSITION: Exempt full time salaried position with health benefits. Flexible schedule, required to work weekends on site, and all shifts as needed.
INTRODUCTION TO THE HEAVENLY VALLEY TOWNHOUSES COMMUNITY
The majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains rim beautiful Lake Tahoe, providing a breathtaking backdrop for back-to-nature activities. Summer water sports, fantastic winter skiing, and year-round nightlife have made Lake Tahoe a perennial vacation favorite. Nestled among the pines in South Lake Tahoe, our timeshare resort is right in the middle of this vacation paradise, just minutes from the Heavenly Valley ski slopes (ski-in property), the Lake, and casinos. Winter, summer, spring and fall – there is always something fun to do in Lake Tahoe. And there is always something important to be done by the General Manager of our beautiful Heavenly Valley Townhouses Association (HVTA), right in the middle of it all.
HVTA is a community of 14 townhouses, all (except one which is a two bedroom) are 1700 sq. ft. Spread over two floors, each unit provides three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen and numerous amenities that make these special properties a home away from home for about 540 owners who may visit one week or as many as 10 weeks a year. Many are multi-generational owners, who take delight and pride in bringing their guests including children and grandchildren to this special place, where they also enjoy a pool and hot tub, fitness and other facilities. Nowadays, and when rental space is available, our owners are joined by short-stay renters who find HVTA through Booking.com and other rental sites.
To all these individuals, HVTA becomes a home away from home, and the principal duty of our General Manager (GM) and small staff comprised of 3-4 employees, is to ensure that all of our guests, whether owners or renters, enjoy the happiest care-free experience we can provide. The GM reports to the volunteer Board of Directors and works in close alignment with these dedicated individuals who share pride in their ownership and in the increasing value of the property. Many enhancements in recent years have strengthened the position of HVTA as a Lake Tahoe property in great demand, and it is the Board’s intention to maintain HVTA’s high standards, in alliance with an engaged and creative General Manager.
GENERAL MANAGER POSITION SUMMARY: To ensure the future of HVTA, the GM must maintain its value to owners and renters by sustaining the quality of the physical site and by ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for owners, renters and their guests. Under the direction of the Board of Directors, the GM is responsible for managing property operations on a day-to-day basis to ensure optimum performance and continual improvement.
The GM is a LEAD and “working Manager” coordinating and managing the staff on a day-to-day basis ensuring best possible support for each department, utilizing best practices to achieve owner, guest and renter satisfaction, profitability, and operational efficiency. Increasing collaboratively with staff and with the support of the Board, the GM manages reservations, advises and oversees property maintenance and upgrades; and monitors guest services provided by the office staff, housekeeping and maintenance crew.
The GM is expected to make every effort to generate increased income through the transfer of timeshare weeks and through rental income; by engaging in creative public relations, marketing and communications efforts (including print and electronic) needed to secure ownerships of the unsold inventory; and most importantly to retain current owners as dues-paying members of the HVTA community. The GM helps steward owners’ committees to involve more such individuals in preserving their investments and promotes the exceptional qualities of the HVTA property to South Lake Tahoe tourism and administrative leaders. As the timeshare market evolves, the GM needs to adjust strategies to keep up with trends and to stay ahead of competition in our geographic area.
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY (See “Sample Functions” for more detail) The following are five (5) areas of management focus in order of priority and time dedicated.
Owner, Renter and Guest Satisfaction
Through thorough management and good communication efforts, great strides are made to ensure everyone is and remains educated in the “timeshare world” and how “best to utilize” their vacation investment. And, similarly same goals for the exchangers (owners’ elsewhere) and rental inbounds visiting HVTA; in respect “to preparedness” i.e., winter driving, what to expect vs summer /spring like travel and activities /amenities (Sauna, fitness by appt only) as well as the other activities defined in this job description for a new General Manager, promoting 100% owner, renter, and guest satisfaction; and instill these goals among the employees.
Ensure that all guest related issues are resolved in a timely manner and that all staff share this commitment to resolving problems and anticipating the needs that will offer the BEST guest experience at HVTA. Often and with an aging property, we see kitchen - plumbing or heating equipment failures; pool or hot tub issues; parking lot concerns, etc.
Manage and maintain all owner deeds, maintenance and employee records, legal documents, transfers and all other files necessary to record HVTA’s operations and history.
Financial Oversight
Working in conjunction with the Board President and Treasurer, ensure the financial health of HVTA by managing revenue and expenditures in alignment with the Board’s budget requirements.
Monitor and manage the collection of owners’ dues and rental income, in accordance with the Assessment, Billing and Collection Policy adopted by the Board of Directors annually. Regular and consistent enforcement is key to a successful and fair system working with an ownership.
Work with the HVTA Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Treasurer to prepare property budget, and to reconcile financial accounts.
Manage labor compensation issues and property expenses for maximum results.
Monitor weekly/monthly inventory of supplies and equipment. Ensure purchases are made within budget and by approved vendors. Oversee planning and development of budgets, insurance limits, schedules and on record vendor certificates, larger expenditure reports, rental reports, and sales reports related to marketing/sales objectives for submission to the HVTA Board.
Property Management
Oversee the day-to-day operations, inspect and document repairs and cleanliness of property to ensure optimum upkeep and repair, room cleanliness and overall property appearance. Tracking our current system, Viewpoint’s programming for ease of viewing and tracking (i, e, unit specifics, from # of steps to access each house, to concern for sofa configuration). Within a budget established or agreed to by the Board, update furniture, bedding, window treatments and other items needed to maintain the atmosphere of the individual units; and purchase new appliances, to maintain safe and functional use.
Responsible for selecting contractors, obtaining bids, awarding contracts, and following up to ensure satisfactory completion of the work.
Employee Management
Recruit qualified applicants as directed by the Board; train employees in accordance with HVTA standards. Adhere to Federal, State and local employment related laws and regulations. Manage employee personnel forms, including hiring, performance evaluations, payroll and benefits per Federal and State legal requirements.
Motivate and provide direction to all employees (daily briefings are on-going and simple as well as important) which brings awareness to the ever-changing schedules. Conduct regular meetings and communicate policies and procedures as established by the Board, to share information about local South Lake Tahoe community developments, goals, etc.
Ensure that employee-related issues are resolved in a manner consistent with company policies.
Conduct coaching/counseling sessions, prepare performance evaluations and performance improvement plans; manage and document disciplinary actions and/or termination proceedings.
Perform duties in all aspects of HVTA operations whenever needed. Working side by side with the core team (a minimal staff) maintains confidence and camaraderie.
Sales and Marketing
Develop affinity-marketing partnerships with South Lake Tahoe businesses and build relationships with local community leaders to increase HVTA’s visibility and public relations. Seek opportunities for advertising within an extremely limited budget, and advise the Board on issues relating to marketing and sales strategies.
Manage HVTA’s inventory transfers and rental activities to meet revenue objectives as defined by the Board.
Coordinate and implement sales and marketing activities through print and electronic communications, including regular e-newsletter to members and other avenues to be developed.
Develop objectives, policies, pricing recommendations, and success benchmarks for sales of HVTA inventory, as well as strategies to increase rental income where inventory is available.
Oversee the competitive positioning of HVTA, including the analysis and collection of relevant market data for South Lake Tahoe timeshares. As requested by the Board, assist in developing market research studies and analyze their findings.
COMPENSATION
Salary negotiable and commensurate with experience. Benefits package includes medical and vacation, financial bonuses as appropriate, and participation in Employee Access Program for vacations through exchange companies, (exchange fee required).
TRAINING
In order to facilitate a smooth transition, the retiring General Manager will remain on site for the first six months of the incoming GM’s tenure, to train and fully integrate him/her into the HVTA community.
ADDITIONAL JOB REQUIREMENTS
Language Skills:
Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal context.
Ability to effectively present information in one on one and small group situations to owners and potential owners, to renters, to the Board, and to other employees.
Ability to communicate professionally with vendors, consultants, contractors, outside cleaning staff and others, as required for optimum operation of the property.
Computer Skills:
Basic knowledge of computers and software, including ability to use e-mail, MS Word & Excel, Zoom, marketing platforms like Booking.com and Air B&B, and other vendor supported programs, such as Viewpoint.
Time Management and Flexibility:
Ability to organize multiple projects; manage and prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines. Be a multi-task person.
Serve as “Manager on Duty” and be available to work and support our staff on weekends to ensure our guests arrive and depart. Provide other relief or back-up duties as needed at HVTA, including front desk coverage, housekeeping, and other duties to ensure the optimum operation of the property.
Physical Demands:
Some physical demands are representative of those areas that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job and, in the event additional support is required in the housekeeping or maintenance departments on light/simple tasks (as well as custodial) whereas bending and stretching is included. The General Manager must be able to lift 10 -15LBS.
SAMPLE FUNCTIONS OF THE GENERAL MANAGER
• Direct and manage all HVTA operations; and with the Board, the employees and the CPA, share responsibility for the resort’s continuing success, financial performance, and owner satisfaction.
• Execute marketing, sales and operational plans to achieve revenue and profit goals.
• Recruit, train and motivate staff, and establish performance criteria.
• Budget HVTA’s annual expenses for Board review and thoughtfully implement expenditures.
• Design and implement payment plans for those owners who are late or behind in paying their dues.
• Recover the deeds from delinquent owners and develop a re-conveyance (transfer) method for such deeds.
• Create an operating environment to ensure the highest level of personalized customer service and maximize guest satisfaction.
• Acknowledge and handle complaints and respond to comments from owners and guests, address problems and troubleshoot any issues that may negatively impact HVTA.
• Manage physical property, always ensuing compliance with licensing laws, health and safety and other statutory regulations.
• Establish and maintain applicable preventive maintenance programs to protect HVTA’s physical assets.
• Implement Viewpoint software updates when available for all owners to use in making payments, reservations, etc.
• Control and manage sales inventory.
• Handle dues and billing.
• Implement and enforce policies and best practices by Board direction and support.
• Manage maintenance issues for our aging property.
• Advertise and increase movement or transfers of unpurchased weeks inventory, and weeks that come back to the resort through foreclosure, etc.
• Increase rentals of unsold inventory of weeks through various outlets such as Booking.com etc.
• Keep abreast of the latest innovations, industry trends and business orientations in the timeshare and resort industry.
• Effectively manage relationships with RCI, Interval and other exchange companies
• Continually update HVTA’s website and maintain good communications with owners and renters.
• Continue to build income through unit rentals, sales revenue, and the purchase of bonus time by owners, with a minimum goal of $100,000.00 annual gross income.
Much of the daily operation in office is of a “clerical nature” i.e., routine and daily data entry,