• Job Description

  Req#: REQ10283234

  Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a global, luxury hotel management company. We manage over 120 hotels and resorts and 50 private residences in 47 countries around the world and growing.

  Central to Four Seasons employee experience and social impact programming is the company’s commitment to supporting cancer research, and the advancement of diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging at Four Seasons corporate offices and properties worldwide. At Four Seasons, we are powered by people and our culture enables everything we do.

  Supporting the SVP Yachts, the VP of Shoreside Experience will lead the entire Four Seasons shore-based hospitality guest experience, including Four Seasons pre/post journey touch points to set up the guest for the best experience possible when on the Yacht. The VP of Shoreside Experience will bring Yacht operations subject matter expertise into this role and will work in concert with the VP Ship Operations, functional leaders, and ship General Managers to ensure delivery of the world’s best Luxury Yacht experience. The role will provide leadership to a senior team and an office team of 10-15 in total, and indirectly for staff on shore provided by local vendors and partners.

  The VP of Shoreside Experience, Yacht Operations is accountable for;

  • Supporting SVP, Yacht Operations with Four Seasons Yachts strategy, inform business planning activities and operationalizing its key initiatives.

  • Developing and successfully executing the Four Seasons Yachts shore-based guest journey, that meets Four Seasons standards and is driven by individualized excursions, events, and activities, leveraging the operating Four Seasons portfolio where meaningful.

  • Work with cross-functional team to develop, execute and operate a seamless guest pre-embarkation, excursions, and post-debarkation process at Four Seasons standards.

  • Responsible for managing the overall guest services from the moment of booking to the moment of coming home with seamless experience.

  • Develop a World Class guest services team that will be Yacht guest ambassador for their journey. This team will be critical to the success of the journey to provide the right Four Seasons recognition for each guest, tailor the trip, capture the important details to set up the on-board team to cater to their specific needs, to book in advance as many of their items as possible to make as seamless as possible.

  • Analyzing, evaluating, and managing hospitality (non-marine) security and safety on and off the ship, creating a robust security and safety system in collaboration with respective stakeholders to ensure the welfare of our guests and our own team.

  • Working closely with risk advisors to ensure proper insurance is in place for all vendors.

  • Work cross-functionally with key stakeholders to provide an operations perspective and ensure focus, resources, and collaboration on achieving Four Seasons Yacht priorities.

  • Developing, maintaining, and controlling approved budgets and costs of shore-based operations and guest services.

  • Maximize synergies and returns with other Four Seasons hotels and resorts, as well as other lines of business throughout journey.

  • Have an industry leading pre-arrival connection with all guests to ensure an expedited, seamless arrival & departure through customized itineraries and support seamless documentation requirements.

  • Identification of the right technologies and guest experience through this is a critical component.

  • Analyzing, auditing, and managing the quality of the service and guest experience delivered from the moment of booking to the moment of coming home.

  • Regular reporting as required to all stakeholders of the guest satisfaction and key areas of opportunity for all to improve.

  • Be the central point for any post stay concerns and provide immediate follow up to ensure satisfaction.

  • Supporting and advancing the most critical initiatives to accelerate Yacht business growth.

  • Supporting Four Seasons Yachts ambition by participating in developing and refining our strategy based on experience and learnings from our first yacht operations.

  • Primary Four Seasons contact for Yacht excursion partners and vendors.

  • Select the best local partners that are best in class, providing unique experiences suitable to the guest and yachting experience, and have the ability the look forward to developing trends to ensure our experiences are up to date.

  • Work in collaboration with Security & Safety team on the appropriate evaluation process of these vendors.

  • Establish the necessary advance team programming to review and evaluate all of the shoreside operations.

  • The VP will also represent the Four Seasons brand to local civic, business, industry, and local government in the destinations we visit.

  This role is based in Miami, reporting to the Senior Vice President, Yacht Operations. This role involves interactions with all departments within Four Seasons, platform providers, and service delivery partners.

  What You’ll Be Doing

  “World Class” Individualized Excursion Creation, Development, Execution, And Management:

  • Lead development of world-class yacht excursions based on itineraries

  • Select local high-end partners that can offer individualized and personalized experiences, that have “access” to unique venues that are not accessible to the public.

  • Work closely with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts featured in Yacht itineraries to plan events and excursions in and outside of the hotels. Leverage local relationships established in location where we have Four Seasons properties.

  • Negotiate with local partners, maintain relationship, and regularly audit and check them for meeting health & safety standards

  • As excursions will make up approx. 40% of Guest experience/satisfaction rating, execute programs seamless, measuring guest satisfaction and optimize where necessary.

  • Continuously demonstrate collaborative approach with key business partners i.e., VP, Ship Operations, Corporate Yacht Organization etc.

  • Maintain “World-class” excursions by identifying trends and new developments, pro-actively adapt offering where necessary.

  “World Class” Shore Logistics:

  • Develop and execute seamless Four Seasons standard embarkation and disembarkation processes

  • Plan optimal embarkation and disembarkation facilities, based on itineraries and excursions to create a seamless Yacht Guest journey.

  • Support selection of of best-in-class port agents. Work together with port agents, and where necessary and available select local high-end partners that can offer “World-class” embarkation and disembarkation processes.

  • Negotiate with local partners, maintain relationship, and regularly audit and check them for meeting health & safety standards.

  Hospitality Security And Safety Management:

  • Work together with key stakeholders to develop, execute, and evaluate security & safety processes on board of the yacht.

  • Work together with our local partners to develop, execute and evaluate security & safety processes on shore.

  Guest Services – Define And Manage Customer Experience Along The Full Guest Journey:

  • Work together with key stakeholders to handover guest contact after the moment of booking

  • Manage guest relationship, capture critical information to personalize stay, and cross-sell / up-sell where possible.

  • Offer, book manage, and organize airport transfers.

  • Offer and pre-book excursions and activities.

  • Manage and organize any other guest requests.

  • Together with the team on the Yacht, setup a system to handle excursions management, including the management of “last-minute changes”.

  • Provide the right support, guidance and assistance to the on-ship excursion team as required.

  Quality Management and Assurance:

  • Organize and execute guest survey after every sailing.

  • Evaluate guest survey results, identify opportunities for improvement, and share-out feedback.

  • Audit our service delivery in all aspects, quality, security, safety, hygiene

  Manage And Optimize Employee Experience:

  • Create a Four Seasons level employee experience, for optimal employee engagement

  • Work with stakeholders to define end-to-end employee guest experience.

  “Crisis Management”:

  • In case of issues on the Yacht (e.g., sickness of key people), all shore-based staff should be able to jump in and work on the Yacht for a limited amount of time. The VP of Shoreside Experience e.g., could assist in Guest Services or General Management.

  Travel:

  • Up to 40% of time, regularly visit the Yacht, the destinations, and our local partners

  Who You Are

  • Is an engaging leader from the ability to lead with intellectual and emotional maturity, demonstrating a personal philosophy of life and work habits, practicing consultive supervision and observing ethical business practices.

  • Has the ability to conduct oneself in an ethical and exemplary manner which encourages like manner or conduct.

  • Can represent the interests of the Four Seasons and its team in a fair, impartial, and equitable manner.

  • Ability to respond properly in any yacht emergency or safety situation.

  • Having multi-cultural interpersonal skills consistent with best practices in a global environment.

  • Strong leadership skills with the ability to achieve results through others.

  • Financial, budgeting, and analytical proficiency, to work closely with the Director of Finance to provide ongoing feedback on the costs of shore-based activities, and opportunities to increase our revenue and upsell opportunities through developing innovative extraordinary experiences

  • Operational excellence, to create and develop together with local partners excursions and activities that are highly personalized and individualized.

  • Flexibility to quickly adapt to changing guest needs/demands.

  • Oversee developing and implementing seamless pre-boarding and post-disembarkation experiences.

  • Capture, share and ensure the Operations team has insights to deliver an elevated personalized experience.

  • Experience with security, safety, and quality management

  • With our health & safety & security specialists establish expectations in this space, evaluate, and audit our local partners extensively on their delivery for on shore experiences.

  • The ability to develop, with the aid of key personnel, strategies, and programs to ensure attainment of the Four Seasons Yacht customer excellence goals and objectives.

  • Organizing & team building and make selections for key positions according to the Four Seasons Yacht company policies ensuring the candidates meet the job specifications.

  • Counsels and advises direct subordinates on the selection of their staff.

  • The capability to develop job descriptions to ensure clarity and understanding of the job's purpose and the tasks performed in achieving job responsibilities.

  • The ability and install a system of standards of performance, whereby everyone may objectively appraise their own performance.

  • The capacity to develop objectives for all key subordinates pertaining to their functional responsibilities, which contribute to the achievement of the Four Seasons Yacht goals.

  • The ability to implement performance planning and review all team members, according to established performance standards and mutually agreed upon results to budgeted plans.

  • Coordination and supervising by setting forth clear guidelines and ensuring that these are adhered to throughout all local shore operations.

  • Collaborate with Operational stakeholders to set forth minimum acceptable standards of quality, operation, and service as a benchmark point for self-measurement.

  • Supervise all team members and local partners in carrying out their operating responsibilities and tasks, coordinating efforts and establishing priorities where necessary.

  • Action-oriented problem solving by placing emphasis on future oriented, but practical aspects of the business when handling problems solving situations.

  • The ability to maintain a system of quality monitoring, control and information feedback which compare results to plans.

  • The ability to analyze guest reviews and guest compliments or complains regarding shore-based experiences.

  • Experience with ensuring quality and Health & Safety audits are conducted as required.

  • Hands on-mentality. Especially in start-up phase, before a full team has been recruited, need to be able to deliver with limited resources.

  • Previous experience supporting the customer journey with reservation and CRM systems.

  What You Bring

  • Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree in Tourism or Business-Related discipline preferred

  • 15+ years luxury tour operating, destination management (DMC) and/or excursion buying in senior roles.

  • Mediterranean and/or Caribbean destination experience preferred but not essential.

  All internal applications must be submitted and approved in Workday by May 26, 2023.

  Four Seasons is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To access the 'EEOC is The Law' Information poster please visit this website - https://eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

• About the company

  Times change, but our dedication to perfecting the travel experience never will. Our highly personalised 24-hour service, combined with authentic, elegant surroundings of the highest quality, embodies a home away from home for those who know and appreciate the best.

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