Director of Front Office, USC Hotel

The city of Los Angeles boasts endless attractions and tourist destinations. Amongst all of the sights and sounds, the USC Hotel offers a modern and convenient place to unwind, with 240 spacious, comfortable guest rooms and over 15,000 square feet of flexible event space. Owned and operated by the University of Southern California, and the site of a recent multi-million dollar renovation, the hotel features luxurious fabrics and artwork depicting the storied traditions of USC. Additional renovations, which include the restaurants and kitchens, are in the planning stage.

We are seeking a Director of Front Office to join our team at the USC Hotel.

The Opportunity:

The Director of Front Office will manage the day-to-day activities of the Front Office Department to ensure adherence to USC hotel’s high-quality standards, policies and procedures, and revenue goals. This position works closely with the Revenue Analyst to help maximize the overall hotel revenue and the Guest Experience Manager to ensure high-level quality service.

The Accountabilities:

• Oversees front office operations to ensure memorable and personalized high-class experiences to guests, students, faculty, staff, and other groups.

• Ensures qualified personnel is hired and trained in all areas of responsibility. Keeps all personnel well informed of department objectives and policies, ensuring that proper image is maintained by all team members relating to grooming and uniform standards.

• Monitors the department’s financial operations and ensures compliance with accounting controls and procedures.

• Oversees recruitment, hiring, orientation, training and supervision of department staff. Oversee performance evaluation process, ensuring consistent use of all applicable policies and procedures. Counsel, discipline and/or terminate employees as required.

• Collaborates with the Revenue Analyst to ensure effective selling strategies, overselling strategies, optimized market mix, and use of distribution channels to maximize hotel revenue.

• Plan, develop, and manage financial and operational budgets for the front office department. Approve/disapprove section expenditures.

• Collaborates with Auxiliary Services IT to ensure hotel systems, including but not limited to Opera Cloud, Guestware, Vocera, and POS' are fully functional and efficient.

• Champions the hotel's sustainability initiatives and oversees the recertification process.

• Maintains the hotels’ Business Continuity Plan, ensuring we anticipate, address, and mitigate the effects of various business interruptions.

• Participates in Auxiliary Services Compliance Committee Meetings to identify and correct potential hotel risks in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.

• Participates in the Manager on Duty program, Quality Performance Reviews, and the Emergency Response Team.

• Maintains up to date with all University and departmental policies and procedures and with all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations.

• Develops and implements security related procedures, recognition of duress signals and key controls. Coordinate security activities with Allied and University Public Safety Department.

• Provides customer service to students, faculty, staff and external customers. Meets customer needs, offers options, resolves problems and follows up with customers. Ensures full customer satisfaction without unnecessarily referring customer to other staff members. Maintains friendly, helpful demeanor.

• Directly or indirectly supervises all staff assigned to section, through subordinate managers and supervisors. Monitors staffing needs based on goals and objectives of section. Performs department manager's function in department manager's absence as needed. Determines and/or recommends section salary administration including raises, promotions and reclassifications. Approves/disapproves all work guidance actions within section.

• Performs other duties as assigned. The University reserves the right to add or modify responsibilities at any time.

No set schedule. May be required to work weekends, evenings and/or holidays. Must have full availability to support the needs of the business.

The Qualifiers:

• Minimum education: Bachelor's degree. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.

• Minimum experience: Five years experience. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum work experience.

• Minimum field of expertise: Management level experience in a university Auxiliary Services section.

What We Prefer:

• Master's degree.

• USC Auxiliary Services management level experience.

• Strong written, verbal, communication, and conflict resolution skills.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with employees of all levels.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, community, well-being, open communication, and accountability.

The Trojan Family Rewards:

We pride ourselves in creating the BEST USC EXPERIENCE, and that begins with our employees! We offer a wide variety of benefits and programs that support our staff and their families. For more information please visit https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks/.

This support advocates work-life balance and employee well-being. As members of the Trojan family, employees are connected by the traditions and history that make us proud to be Trojans!

The work culture thrives on mutual respect, trust, and synergy amongst all of its members.

USC has great minds that transform the world with their talents and research. Will you be one? Join us!

FIGHT ON!

The annual salary range for this position is $95,000 - $110,000. When determining an offer, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable laws, contractual requirements, grant funding, and market conditions.