Assistant Director of Housekeeping

Ocean House Collection

Assistant Director of Housekeeping 

A Collection Unlike Any Other

The Ocean House Collections includes 3 luxury properties.   

The Ocean House is a Forbes 5-Star property featuring 49 luxury guest rooms, 20 signature suites.  The Cottage Collection includes 10 privately owned vacation homes.  The Ocean & Harvest Spa is a 12,000 square foot Forbes Travel Guide 5 Star rated full-service health wellness spa. Over 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Up to 8 unique dining options during summer season including Coast, a Forbes Travel Guide 5 Star rated fine dining experience.

The Weekapaug Inn offers quintessentially New England accommodations that effortlessly combine casual comfort and luxurious furnishings. The Inn features 31 unique guest rooms and 4 two-bedroom signature suites. Farm-to-table dining utilizes the finest and freshest locally sourced ingredients, and inspired amenities and resort activities are designed to create extraordinary guest experiences.  

The Watch Hill Inn established in 1845, Watch Hill Inn carries with it a unique history marked by fame, natural disasters and, among all, resilience. Chic, minimalist decor intertwines with cutting edge technology like complimentary Apple TV, Netflix and an in-room iPad program that allows guests to order food and services to their door with the touch of a button.  The Inn features 21 suite style accommodations with unrestricted access to dining, amenities, and resort activities at both Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn.

Scope of Position

Serves as the Assistant Director of Housekeeping related activities – in the absence of the Director of Housekeeping this person will be responsible to supervise the entire housekeeping department: room cleaning, public space cleaning, laundry services, deep cleaning, renovation, FF&E maintenance and replacement and housekeeping related guest requests.  

The Assistant Director of Housekeeping will supervise on daily basis the public areas, from stair cases to hallways, all public spaces from Restaurants to Bars, Lobby, Banquet area, public Bathroom. The Assistant Director of Housekeeping will also be responsible for the Laundry and uniforms on property. Managing the staff but also outside vendors supplying the service, ea: dry cleaning

Schedule Requirements

The operation is 24 hours a day 7 days a week, inclusive of all holidays.  While the company will make every attempt to create a work and life balance, all exempt team members may be required to work extended shifts and additional days based on business demands.  Working more than eight hours per day and more than five consecutive days as needed is an essential job function for all exempt roles.  Travel may be required and may include some overnight stays.  All exempt team members should be responsible for scheduling their time off.  The busiest of days during the season (Memorial Day through Columbus Day) are the weekend days from Friday through Sunday and on holiday weekends that are celebrated on Mondays, this can include Mondays.  All exempt staff must be aware and able to work all weekends; requesting time off for a holiday weekend may not and will likely not be granted.  The more flexible you are the more you can learn, grow, earn.

Key Relationships

Internal:  This position reports directly to the Director of Housekeeping. 

External: Develop and maintain relationships with outside vendors and contractors.

Key Responsibilities

• Motivate, train, supervise, and evaluate all housekeeping and laundry colleagues.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings with managers and team members. Assist in daily manager meetings.
• Plan daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly assignments and projects for all Room Attendants, Guest Floor Attendants, Public Area, Uniform / Laundry Attendants and Office Coordinators.
• Perform administrative duties such as, but not limited to, departmental scheduling, payroll, inventories of linen and guest supplies, departmental training, special projects, purchase requests and monthly consumption reports.
• Implement control on department labor costs. Minimizing costs while ensuring adequate staffing is available to provide five-star service.
• Manage vendors and contractors.
• Prepare and conduct housekeeping interviews and follow company hiring procedures.
• Maintain an ongoing Safe & Sound program.
• Spearheading the Forbes and hotel audits.
• Successfully manage daily rooms turn.
• Assume the responsibilities of the Director of Housekeeping during his/her absence.
• Maintain compliance with all company IT and safety procedures.
• Performs a variety of other duties as assigned.
• Perform daily inspection of all public areas, guestrooms, exterior of building and back house areas, to ensure that the highest standards are met.
• Monitor progress, ensure completion of deep cleaning program, and assign tasks to the team.
• Respond to guest questions. Provide guest assistance, direction, and information as requested.
• Conduct daily communication meetings.
• Ensure guest and colleague privacy and security by correctly following company procedures.
• Maintain strong interdepartmental relationships.

Required Job Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Education

• • Strong knowledge of housekeeping operations, cleaning techniques, and industry standards
   • Excellent leadership and team management skills to motivate and supervise staff
   • Ability to train, mentor, and evaluate employees for optimal performance
   • Strong attention to detail to ensure cleanliness and quality standards are met
   • Effective communication and interpersonal skills for working with staff and guests
   • Proficiency in inventory management and supply ordering
   • Knowledge of health, safety, and sanitation regulations in a hotel environment
   • Ability to handle guest requests and resolve complaints professionally
   • Strong organizational and time management skills to prioritize tasks efficiently
   • Experience with budgeting, cost control, and expense tracking
   • Proficiency in using housekeeping management software and hotel systems
  • Flexibility to work varying shifts, including weekends and holidays.
• Maintain confidentiality of guest/employee information and pertinent hotel data
• Uphold the Company standards, policies, and procedures.
• Prioritize and organize tasks and work area
• Ability to remain calm and resolve problems using good judgement as interpreted by the management
• Follow directions
• Work cohesively with co-workers as part of a team

Qualifications 

• College degree or equivalent work experience
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills in English and the ability to work with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse operation. 
•  Ability to communicate in Spanish Preferred
• 2-year previous housekeeping management experience in a Forbes five-star hotel required OR
• 2-year previous luxury hotel operations experience that can be demonstrated to be applicable to the duties listed in the job description preferred.