Managing Director

Department: Operations

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Job Type: Full Time, Exempt

The Managing Director serves as the strategic and operational leader of Cotton Collection Northern Michigan, overseeing The Hotel Perry, Bay View Inn, Crooked River Lodge, Pier Restaurant, and Weathervane Restaurant. Provide strategic planning and oversight of all operations, including sales and marketing. Responsible for achieving all KPI’s with revenue and profit. Ensure the guest experience aligns with the iconic properties through activations and creative planning.

The leader maintains a highly visible, hands-on leadership style, providing direct support to teams where needed, ensuring service excellence, and fostering a culture of accountability and performance while balancing strategic leadership with day-to-day operational involvement.

We believe that our employees make the difference. Their ideas, work ethic, and approach to quality and service make our company so successful. We love individuality and people who are genuinely inspired to provide great service. Cotton Collection offers a competitive benefit package; our goal is to hire talented individuals with a passion for hospitality.

Responsibilities:

Operations & Guest Experience

• Conduct daily property walks to monitor condition, cleanliness, and operational discipline.
• Oversee a complex, multi-outlet food and beverage operation, including fine dining restaurants, bar/lounge concepts, seasonal outlets, in-room dining, and a large banquet and catering operation.
• Champion innovation and excellence across all guest touchpoints.
• Maintain a consistent on-property presence, including regular floor walks and direct engagement with guests and teams.
• Drive measurable improvements in ratings and online reputation metrics, supported by clear performance data.
• Translate guest experience performance metrics into clear action plans and structured ownership reporting.
• Verifies and evaluates that property business plans and employees are aligned with brand business strategies, holding property leadership team accountable for successful delivery of business plans and enhancements.

Financial Performance & Revenue Growth

• Drive top-line revenue growth, effective labor management, and disciplined expense control.
• Partner closely with Sales and Marketing, and Revenue Management to strengthen market share, rate integrity, and long-term positioning.
• Ensure disciplined financial analysis and transparent departmental reporting, enabling data-driven decision-making and clear visibility for Ownership.
• Verifies that property operates within budgetary guidelines, and achieves profit margin goals

People & Culture

• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing leadership team.
• Coach and mentor department heads, holding leaders accountable for results, engagement, and service culture.
• Ensure all associate matters are handled professionally and in alignment with company policies and best practices.
• Promote open communication, inclusion, and a positive work environment.
• Hold leaders accountable through clear goals, performance tracking, and regular review cadence with timely corrective action where required.

Market & Brand Leadership

• Actively represent the hotel within the Northern MI hospitality, business, and social community.
• Maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, clients, and partners.
• Demonstrate a full understanding of the Northern MI hotel market, competitive landscape, demand drivers, and seasonality.
• Work in close alignment with Ownership on strategic brand and concept initiatives to ensure shared vision and consistency
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• At least 3-5 years of leadership experience as a General Manager or Managing Director at a Luxury, Boutique, or Historic property.
• Experience developing and managing capital projects.
• Demonstrated facilitation of organizational change management, particularly in a long-standing, traditional resort or property.
• Immersion in all hotel divisions with a prior concentration on Food & Beverage.
• Prior experience managing transitions and ownership changes.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Proven record of success in financial performance, guest satisfaction, and team development.
• Strong business acumen, emotional intelligence, and ability to lead with warmth and authenticity
• Deep understanding of the hospitality market and high-touch service culture
• Proficient in leading revenue growth and profit enhancement through efficient and streamlined operations
• Experience in problem-solving with the ability to handle multiple complex tasks in parallel
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to build rapport with employees by fostering an environment of open communication and spending time with employees on the front lines.
• Ability to emphasize and hold leadership teams accountable for addressing service failures or potential service failures, and for developing innovative ways to exceed guest expectations.
• Ability to utilize guest/customer feedback to recognize outstanding employee service performance and improve service delivery.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• 401K with employer matching
• Paid time off

Physical Setting:

• Office

Ability to Commute:

• Petoskey, MI (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Petoskey, MI: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person