Director of Operations

Property Description:

Located in Wheaton, Illinois, Cantigny Golf is one of the Midwest’s premier public golf destinations, featuring 27 holes plus a 9-hole youth links course, a state-of-the-art practice facility, a full-service clubhouse, dining venues, and year-round instructional programs. The facility is recognized for its exceptional course conditions, outstanding guest service, and commitment to creating memorable experiences for golfers of all skill levels.

Cantigny Golf is part of Cantigny Park, a 500-acre destination that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The park features beautifully maintained gardens, walking trails, museums, educational programming, special events, and recreational opportunities, making it one of the Chicago area’s most unique cultural and outdoor attractions.

Owned by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Cantigny Golf and Cantigny Park are dedicated to excellence, stewardship, and service. Team members enjoy working in a collaborative, mission-driven environment focused on delivering exceptional hospitality while preserving and enhancing one of the region’s most treasured public spaces.

Position Summary:

Summary The Director of Operations is a hands-on, coach-and-player leader who collaborates closely with the Director of Food & Beverage, Director of Golf, Head Superintendent, and Director of Sales to oversee the successful application and completion of strategic initiatives across Cantigny Golf and Cantigny Park. This role manages property-wide day-to-day operations, bridges gaps between departments, and ensures comprehensive property management. The Director of Operations also partners with the General Manager to develop, maintain, and evaluate target initiatives, and to administer workforce-management tasks including training and compliance. This position thrives in a dynamic environment, acts as a manager of change, and leads operational improvements through influence and collaboration rather than authority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Hands-on Leadership, Coaching, and Talent Development

• Actively participate in frontline operations to model Cantigny & KemperSports standards and demonstrate operational excellence.
• Coach, mentor, and develop supervisory staff and cross-functional leaders; provide timely, constructive feedback and performance development plans.
• Build bench strength through targeted training, succession planning, and opportunities for growth across departments.

Strategic Initiatives Oversight

• Partner with the General Manager and cross-functional leaders to develop, implement, monitor, and adjust strategic initiatives that enhance guest experience, operational excellence, and financial performance.
• Lead project management for cross-department initiatives, ensuring on-time delivery, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Property-wide Operations Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations across Cantigny Golf and Cantigny Park, including facilities, maintenance, grounds, guest services, safety, security, technology, and vendor management.
• Maintain consistent service standards and operational policies; drive continuous improvement and standardization across properties.
• Other duties as assigned

Cross Department Collaboration and Influence

• Work in concert with the Director of Food & Beverage, Director of Golf, Head Superintendent, and Director of Sales to align on staffing, scheduling, events, revenue opportunities, and service delivery.
• Lead through influence—build trust, create cross-functional coalitions, and guide priorities without relying on formal authority. Use data, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving to drive alignment and buy-in.

Change Management and Adaptability

• Act as a manager of change: assess change impact, develop change-management plans, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and monitor adoption and outcomes.
• Navigate shifting priorities, resource reallocations, and evolving guest needs with agility and resilience.

Unfamiliar Areas and Cross-Functional Learning

• When initiatives span unfamiliar functions, quickly acquire domain knowledge, leverage internal experts, and coordinate cross-functional teams to implement improvements.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer and standardization across departments to accelerate learning curves and ensure consistency.

Workforce Management and Compliance

• Assist the General Manager with workforce planning, including recruitment strategy, training programs, performance management, and succession planning.
• Develop and maintain training curricula, ensure regulatory compliance (safety, food safety, labor laws, worker certifications), and track completion and effectiveness.
• Oversee onboarding, safety programs, and ongoing staff development; monitor attendance and payroll accuracy; manage performance development plans.

Administrative and Financial Oversight

• Assist with budgeting, financial reporting, and cost-control measures across properties; prepare periodic reports to inform decision-making (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly).
• Maintain inventories and asset management practices aligned with organizational standards.

Safety, Sanitation, and Compliance

• Ensure implementation and adherence to health, safety, and sanitation standards across all operations; drive corrective actions as needed.
• Maintain compliance with local/regional regulations and company policies; uphold risk-management practices.

Acting Leadership and Continuity

• Serve in the absence of other department heads as required to maintain smooth operations.

Training and Development (Coaching Focus)

• Design, implement, and evaluate workforce-training programs focused on guest service, safety, and regulatory compliance; embed coaching practices and measure effectiveness.

Systems, Standards, and Process Improvement

• Own relevant checklists, standard operating procedures, and process-improvement initiatives to ensure organizational cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence.

Performance Management and Supervision

• Directly supervise key operational leaders and managers and ensure performance alignment with Cantigny’s standards.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of high-volume operations management experience in hospitality, recreation, or similar environments; experience coordinating across Food & Beverage, Golf, Grounds/Head Superintendent, and Sales is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated track record in leading cross-functional teams, budgeting, project management, and strategic execution.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced Excel and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; experience with POS and operations software.
• Solid understanding of inventory controls, vendor management, and cost-control practices.
• Ability to analyze data, develop actionable plans, and drive results.
• Customer-service oriented with a collaborative leadership style; ability to bridge gaps between departments.
• Coaching and mentoring capability; emotional intelligence; facilitation and negotiation skills.
• Change-management mindset: comfortable guiding teams through ambiguity and organizational shifts.

Certifications (current, or ability to obtain within 30 days of start)

• Food safety certification, Safe alcohol service, or related sanitation training.

Work Environment and Other Requirements

• Must be willing to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed to support events and operations.
• Ability to maintain flexibility in work environment across a large and dynamic property, often requiring extensive walking, standing, moving equipment, etc.

Supervises:

Managers & staff as assigned

Classification:

Full-Time, Year-Round, Exempt, Salaried

Pay Range:

$90,000 – $110,000 annually

KemperSports Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer