Managing Director - The Little Nell

The Managing Director serves as the strategic and operational leader of The Little Nell, including the Aspen Mountain Club, Spa at The Little Nell, multiple food and beverage outlets, and the resort’s expansive meeting and event spaces. This role has full accountability for overall resort performance, encompassing guest and employee satisfaction, human resources, financial results, sales and marketing, revenue generation, and team engagement. The Managing Director is responsible for driving sustainable growth and delivering strong returns for both hospitality operations and property ownership.

Must Have

• Stays current with industry trends and monitors strengths and weakness of competition
• Develops business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, customer satisfaction and market share
• Verifies and evaluates that property business plans and employees are aligned with brand business strategies
• Works closely with Sales and Marketing team to develop revenue-generating strategies
• Creates succession plans for future job openings; actively supports the staffing process
• Reviews business-related data such as market share, financial performance, inventory, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction
• Verifies that property operates within budgetary guidelines, and achieves profit margin goals
• Uses business information to identify indicators of product and service successes and opportunities for improvement
• Works with Revenue Management team to develop effective pricing strategies
• Identifies ways to grow occupancy, RevPAR, and market share by researching and staying aware of competitor strategies
• Responsible for labor and capital expenses
• Establishes presence in the market by actively promoting an exemplary property/brand image by developing strategic alliances
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management or related degree or equivalent additional experience in the hotel industry
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in luxury hospitality
• 5+ years as a General Manager or Managing Director
• 5 years’ experience leading properties with a residential component, members only club, extensive meeting space, and multiple outlets
• 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 luxury market and high-touch service culture
• Working knowledge of Forbes five-star standards and experience with Relais & Chateaux
• Proficient knowledge 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, Access), ProfitSword, Medallia, and HMS
• Ability to create a cohesive and high-performance Executive Committee
• Ability to build rapport with employees
• Ability to emphasize and hold leadership team accountable for addressing service failures
• Ability to utilize guest/customer feedback to recognize outstanding employee service performance and improve service delivery

Perks & Benefits

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance Programs
• Flexible Spending Account Programs
• Life Insurance Programs
• Paid Time Off Programs
• Paid Leave Programs
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Employee Ski Pass and Dependent Ski Passes
• Other company perks

Company Description

The Little Nell is Aspen's only Five-Star, Five-Diamond, ski-in/ski-out hotel, featuring luxurious amenities, personalized service, breathtaking mountain views, renowned dining, spacious accommodations, and unparalleled access to America’s most famous mountain town.

A Relais & Châteaux resort, The Little Nell is consistently recognized for its award-winning wine and culinary programs and dedicated service. The property boasts a variety of amenities, including two restaurants, three bars, a wine cellar and a speakeasy. The new Spa at The Little Nell is rooted in ‘The Aspen Idea’ - a holistic lifestyle philosophy that integrates mind, body, and spirit. During ski season, The Little Nell guests have access to a slopeside ski concierge and numerous winter adventures. In summer months, guests enjoy lush gardens along with off-road adventures, stargazing, fly fishing and mountaintop yoga; plus, a pool, hot tub and health center year-round. The Little Nell has been acknowledged with numerous awards for decades including being named a Forbes Five-Star hotel since 1995, a AAA Five-Diamond hotel since 1991, a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner since 1997, recognition as one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants from Wine Enthusiast and frequently nominated for its Outstanding Wine Program by the James Beard Foundation.

The Little Nell also proudly offers residences, with 26 exquisite private mountainside homes and 12 guest rooms situated at the base of Aspen Mountain where owners and rental guests enjoy exceptional personal service delivered by The Little Nell team, along with effortless ski-in/ski-out access to Aspen Mountain.

For the first time since its inception, the first Nell hotel outside of Aspen will open at Rockefeller Center in 2027, bringing its legendary sophisticated style and legendary Aspen culture to New York City. For more information, visit www.thelittlenell.com or follow @thelittlenell on X, Instagram or Facebook. Please note that all official communications from the Talent Acquisition or Human Resources team are sent from email addresses within the notifications@smartrecruiters.com, aspen.com, aspensnowmass.com, aspenhospitality.co, limelighthotels.com & thelittlenell.com domains.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Managing Director serves as the strategic and operational leader of The Little Nell, including the Aspen Mountain Club, Spa at The Little Nell, multiple food and beverage outlets, and the resort’s expansive meeting and event spaces. This role has full accountability for overall resort performance, encompassing guest and employee satisfaction, human resources, financial results, sales and marketing, revenue generation, and team engagement. The Managing Director is responsible for driving sustainable growth and delivering strong returns for both hospitality operations and property ownership. This position reports to the Vice President of Operations.

The salary range for this position is $190,000 - $260,000. Actual pay will be dependent on budget and experience; all our salaried roles are eligible for bonus.

Job Posting Deadline

Applications for this position will be accepted until December 28, 2025.

Essential Job Functions/Key Job Responsibilities

• Stays current with industry trends and monitors strengths and weakness of competition

• Develops business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, customer satisfaction and market share

• 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

• Works closely with Sales and Marketing team to develop revenue-generating strategies for the property, identifies new business leads, develops tailored sales approach and actively pursues leads aligning brand strategy

• Creates succession plans for future job openings; actively supports the staffing process; verifies effective work processes, systems and teamwork are in place to maximize individual and overall property performance.

• Reviews business-related data such as market share, financial performance, inventory, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction - analyzing business information to proactively address changing market conditions

• Verifies that property operates within budgetary guidelines, and achieves profit margin goals

• Uses business information to identify indicators of product and service successes and opportunities for improvement

• Works with Revenue Management team to develop effective pricing strategies, balancing seasonality, economy, customer segments, property objectives and customer satisfaction

• Identifies ways to grow occupancy, RevPAR, and market share by researching and staying aware of competitor strategies

• Responsible for labor and capital expenses

• Establishes presence in the market by actively promoting an exemplary property/brand image by developing strategic alliances with local officials, businesses, and customers

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management or related degree or equivalent additional experience in the hotel industry

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in luxury hospitality, with 5+ years as a General Manager or Managing Director.

• 5 years’ experience leading properties with a residential component, members only club, extensive meeting space, and multiple outlets

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 luxury market and high-touch service culture

• Working knowledge of Forbes five-star standards and experience with Relais & Chateaux

• Proficient knowledge 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, Access), ProfitSword, Medallia, and HMS

• Ability to create a cohesive and high-performance Executive Committee that continuously strives for positive results and improvement, holding them accountable for performance

• Ability to build rapport with employees by fostering an environment of open communication and spending time with employees on the frontlines

• Ability to emphasizes and hold leadership team accountable for addressing service failures or potential service failures, and for developing innovative ways to exceed guest expectations

• Ability to utilizes guest/customer feedback to recognize outstanding employee service performance and improve service delivery

Additional Information

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Ability to stand, walk or be on your feet for extended periods of time, kneeling and bending may be required

• Regularly work indoors with no adverse conditions

• Must be able to occasionally lift, push or pull up to 50 lbs. individually or with assistance (weight limits can vary according to position, but no more than 50)

Job Benefits

This position is categorized as a regular full-time position eligible for the following benefits:

Enrollment dates differ across the various programs.

Health, Dental and Vision Insurance Programs

• Flexible Spending Account Programs

• Life Insurance Programs

• Paid Time Off Programs

• Paid Leave Programs

• 401(k) Savings Plan

• Employee Ski Pass and Dependent Ski Passes

• Other company perks

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. By accepting a position with Aspen One, Aspen Snowmass, Aspen Ventures or Aspen Hospitality you acknowledge that you are able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. To request accommodation during the application and interviewing process, please contact Human Resources at 970-300-7700.

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Aspen One is an equal opportunity employer (Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran). At Aspen One, inclusion, equity, and diversity are fundamental to fulfilling our vision of building a better workplace and better world. From our hiring practices through the entire employee experience, we embrace and celebrate the unique experiences, perspectives and cultural backgrounds that each employee brings to the workplace. We encourage diverse points of view which allows us to develop innovative solutions to the ever-evolving world of work. Aspen One strives to foster an environment where our employees feel respected, valued and empowered, and our team members are at the forefront of helping us promote and sustain an inclusive workplace that works for all.

For an overview of Aspen One Company's benefits and other compensation visit www.aspensnowmass.com/employment/benefits-and-perks

Aspen One participates in E-Verify.

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