Resort Manager, Sylvan Lake Area - Custer State Park Resort

Custer State Park Resort is located in one of South Dakota's most iconic destinations in the heart of the Black Hills. Spanning nearly 71,000 acres, the park is home to nearly 1,400 bison, breathtaking granite formations, scenic drives, abundant wildlife and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. 

We’re hiring a Resort Manager to Live. Work. Explore. in Custer State Park Resort!

Sylvan Lake Lodge is a distinctive destination within Custer State Park, located at Sylvan Lake along the Needles Highway. The resort includes lodge rooms, hillside and specialty cabins, restaurant and lounge operations, the Sylvan General Store, watercraft rentals, employee housing, and access to the heavily visited Sylvan Lake day-use area.

The Resort Manager is responsible for strengthening Sylvan Lake Lodge's upscale positioning by continuously improving service delivery, product quality, property presentation, amenities, and consistency across the complete guest experience.

The Resort Manager serves as the senior operating leader for Sylvan Lake Lodge and has full accountability for the overall performance of the resort complex, including the lodge, hillside and specialty cabins, restaurant and lounge, Sylvan General Store, watercraft rentals, employee housing, and associated guest and operating areas.

The Resort Manager is accountable for the resort's financial results, labor performance, guest experience, operational execution, property condition, safety, and leadership effectiveness. The Resort Manager leads the integrated operation of the resort in partnership with Custer State Park Resorts' park-wide functional leaders and ensures established company standards, strategies, and operating requirements are successfully executed at the property.

The Resort Manager builds and develops the property's leadership team, establishes clear expectations and accountability, and ensures Sylvan Lake Lodge delivers Xanterra's Legendary Hospitality while maintaining its distinct positioning within the overall Custer State Park Resorts experience.

• Employee housing provided
• Retail, Lodging and Travel Discounts
• Planned employee trips and activities
• $350 Referral Bonus Program

• Provide visible, hands-on leadership for the complete Sylvan Lake Lodge operation and establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, guest service, and continuous improvement.
• Build and develop a high-performing resort leadership team with clear expectations for financial performance, guest service, labor management, safety, employee engagement, and operational execution.
• Develop the capabilities of managers and supervisors through coaching, feedback, accountability, and ongoing leadership development.
• Partner with Human Resources and functional leaders on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, development, and returning seasonal employee strategies.
• Create an engaged, service-focused culture in which employees understand how their individual performance contributes to the success of Sylvan Lake Lodge and Custer State Park Resorts.
• Partner with park-wide functional leaders to execute established strategies, standards, and programs while maintaining accountability for successful implementation and results at Sylvan Lake Lodge.
• Participate in manager-on-call responsibilities and provide leadership during evenings, weekends, holidays, emergencies, and other periods as business needs require.

• Direct the integrated daily operation of Sylvan Lake Lodge and ensure all departments work together effectively to provide a seamless resort experience.
• Establish and maintain high standards for product quality, guest service, cleanliness, operating readiness, and property presentation through regular presence throughout the resort.
• Uphold Sylvan Lake Lodge's distinct identity and guest experience while ensuring consistency with Custer State Park Resorts and Xanterra operating and service standards.
• Lead the continued evolution of Sylvan Lake Lodge's upscale positioning through improvements in service delivery, product quality, property presentation, amenities, and consistency across guest touchpoints.
• Monitor guest feedback, GuestRevu results, and other available guest experience measures, identify trends and opportunities, and ensure effective action is taken to improve performance.
• Personally engage with guests and support resort leaders in resolving significant guest concerns promptly, professionally, and empathetically.
• Maintain a high standard of resort presentation and operational readiness across guest rooms, cabins, public areas, restaurants, retail areas, grounds, signage, employee areas, and other guest-facing facilities.
• Coordinate with other Custer State Park Resorts locations, Central Reservations, Sales, Activities, and other departments to provide guests with an integrated park-wide experience.

• Own the financial performance of the Sylvan Lake Lodge complex, including revenue, labor, operating expenses, and profitability, and ensure the resort achieves established budget and forecast expectations.
• Review financial and operating results regularly, identify material variances, and work with department and functional leaders to develop and execute corrective action.
• Identify and implement opportunities to grow revenue, improve productivity, control costs, and increase resort profitability while maintaining established guest experience and quality standards.
• Own resort-level labor performance and ensure staffing and schedules align with forecasted business levels, service expectations, productivity standards, and budget.
• Monitor labor performance, including hours, overtime, productivity, and labor cost, and ensure appropriate adjustments are made as business levels change.
• Partner with department leaders and Finance in the development of annual operating budgets, forecasts, and business plans for the resort.
• Ensure leaders understand their financial responsibilities and are held accountable for performance within their areas of responsibility.
• Use financial, operating, labor, and guest data to identify trends, anticipate challenges, and make timely business decisions.

• Maintain overall accountability for the condition, appearance, cleanliness, and operating readiness of the Sylvan Lake Lodge complex.
• Partner with Facilities and Engineering on work orders, preventive maintenance, capital needs, life-safety requirements, and the appropriate care of resort structures and assets.
• Regularly inspect guest, operating, and employee areas and ensure deficiencies affecting safety, guest experience, employee experience, or property condition are appropriately addressed.
• Ensure employee housing assigned to the resort is well-managed, safe, appropriately maintained, and operated in accordance with established housing policies and the Community Commitment.
• Lead seasonal opening and closing readiness for the resort, coordinating across operating departments and Facilities to ensure established opening, closing, winterization, staffing, inventory, and property-readiness requirements are completed.
• Identify longer-term property, equipment, facility, and capital needs and communicate priorities through established planning processes.

• Ensure resort operations comply with applicable Xanterra policies and procedures, the SDGFP concession contract, and applicable health, liquor, fire, safety, and other regulatory requirements.
• Establish a strong culture of safety, risk awareness, and personal accountability throughout the resort.
• Partner with Environmental, Health & Safety and other functional leaders on inspections, incident response, corrective actions, emergency preparedness, and risk reduction.
• Ensure resort leaders understand and consistently execute applicable operating, safety, food service, alcohol service, and emergency requirements within their departments.
• Maintain productive working relationships with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and other appropriate partners affecting Sylvan Lake Lodge operations.

• Lead the successful seasonal ramp-up and ramp-down of Sylvan Lake Lodge, ensuring the resort is appropriately staffed, supplied, trained, and operationally prepared for changing business levels.
• Support Custer State Park Resorts' major events and high-demand periods, including the Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival, and ensure Sylvan Lake Lodge fulfills its assigned operational responsibilities.
• Anticipate periods of unusually high visitation or operational complexity and ensure appropriate staffing, communication, inventory, facilities support, and contingency planning are in place.
• Partner with park-wide leaders to ensure seasonal operating plans balance guest demand, financial performance, employee needs, and property requirements.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned by the General Manager.

• Proven ability to lead and develop leaders within a complex, multi-department hospitality operation.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L analysis, labor management, expense control, and identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, communicate expectations clearly, hold leaders accountable, and drive measurable results.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate financial, operational, labor, and guest feedback into effective action.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills with the ability to work effectively across functional departments and with external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound operating decisions and resolve complex issues in a fast-paced, geographically dispersed resort environment.
• Ability to balance short-term operational demands with longer-term guest experience, employee, financial, and property objectives.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement, leadership development, guest service, safety, and operational excellence.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with property management, POS, scheduling, payroll/timekeeping, and other hospitality operating systems.

• Minimum of five years of progressive hospitality leadership experience, including demonstrated responsibility for multi-department operations.
• Previous experience in a Resort Manager, Hotel Manager, Director of Operations, Assistant General Manager, or comparable property leadership role preferred.
• Experience in seasonal, destination, resort, lodge, park, or similarly complex hospitality operations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing financial performance, labor, guest satisfaction, and leadership teams.
• Experience leading seasonal employees and working within an employee housing environment preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business administration, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant leadership experience will be considered.

Please note that job descriptions are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities associated with the job.  Other job-related duties and responsibilities may be assigned from time to time.