General Manager/COO

Club:
Thornblade Club

Location:
Greer, SC

Position:
General Manager/COO

About the Club:
Greenville, South Carolina and the surrounding areas have been recognized as one the fastest growing and best places to live in the United States. Thornblade Club's location close to Greenville- Spartanburg International airport, local industry, quality schools, and family fun makes Thornblade Club an ideal location for people seeking a private, family-oriented country club experience.

Thornblade's centerpiece is its Tom Fazio designed golf course which recently underwent a complete bunker renovation. Thornblade is host to the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX on the Korn Ferry Tour. Nineteen time PGA Champions Tour winner and nine time PGA Tour winner, Jay Haas is a Founding Member and Honorary Director of Golf. PGA Tour and FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas and US Open champion Lucas Glover make Thornblade their 'home' club.

The tennis and pool complex at Thornblade features 11 lighted tennis courts with over 150 members participating in various USTA events. The pool area adjacent to the tennis complex is home to "The Blades" swim team and provides fun and entertainment for members of all ages.

Thornblade's expansive, traditional brick clubhouse was also recently renovated. Champs Grille provides a blend of both family oriented casual dining and a quality finer dining experience. The clubhouse contains a ballroom that can accommodate 350 seated or 500 for a standing reception/event.

Thornblade's Mission and Core Values:
Thornblade Club's Mission is to be a family-focused club providing a great member experience through excellent activities, service and atmosphere where true camaraderie prevails.

The members of Thornblade Club embrace a core set of values that direct the decisions we make, define the character of our members and guests, and preserve the tradition and excellence of the member and guest experience. These values are:

• Respect for our fellow members, valued staff and honored guests; for the rich history and traditions that make our club special; for the environment and our facilities.
• Integrity in all that we do; by honoring the spirit and rules of our great establishment; by maintaining financially sound practices; by embracing compassion, fairness and honesty in all our actions and decisions.
• Community where friendships are established, deepened and strengthened; in an atmosphere where families are supported and come together; in an environment for all who enjoy camaraderie and tradition.
• Inclusivity of all members and guests who exhibit honor and respect for all views and show true support for each other and the larger community.

Direct reports to the GM/COO include:

• Controller
• Clubhouse Manager
• Director of Golf Course & Grounds
• Director of Tennis
• Executive Chef
• Facility Engineer
• Food & Beverage Director
• Head Golf Professional
• Marketing and Communications Director
• Membership Sales Director

Operational Facts:

• Thornblade is organized as a 501c7 not for profit corporation.
• Operating revenues are approximately $8M to $9M annually.
• Food and Beverage revenues total approximate $2.5M annually.
• Rounds of golf are on an upward trend with approximately 32,000 forecast for 2020.
• Pre-COVID-19, the club had approximately 70 full time employees and 45 part time employees. Seasonal considerations may raise the total to 130.
• Membership categories break down as follows:

○ 525 Golf Members in 10 membership categories
○ 55 Athletic Members
○ 52 Clubhouse Members
○ 44 Honorary and Emeritus Members
○ 41 National and Non-Resident Members

• Full Golf initiation fee is currently $25,000 with monthly dues of $621.70, monthly capital dues of $118.26, and a $60 monthly food minimum.

GM/COO Position Overview:
The GM/COO at Thornblade has full responsibility for all aspects of operations, effectively managing all resources and reporting to the Board of Directors and the President. The GM/COO will lead the management team, be representative of modern management practices, and indirectly supervise all employees of the Club promoting a positive, engaging and competent service culture in all operations. He/she is expected to be an interactive "partner" with the Board, confident enough to 'challenge' the Board as collectively they make decisions, set strategic direction for the majority of members with consideration of the long term, well-being of the membership, and address any long term challenges.

The GM/COO has responsibility for day to day operations of Thornblade Club. He/She directs and administers all aspects of Thornblade's operations to assure that member's expectations for quality and service are met or exceeded. Diplomacy and personal touch are critical traits of the GM/COO, as are a passion to create a culture among Thornblade's staff, members, and guests that speaks to its mission and core values.

The GM/COO is responsible for the creation and implementation of service standards and processes while providing a collaborative and engaging style of leadership that focuses on the professional and personal development of Thornblade's staff. Being a strong and confident partner to the Board of Governors is also required of this position.

In addition to the Board of Directors, the Club's bylaws provide for standing committees as may be necessary or desirable to enable the Board to be effective and efficient. These committees are created to advise, not exercise authority over staff or operations. In essence the Board focuses on strategic vision and operational evaluation. The COO partners with the Board on these issues while leading day-to-day operations and functions as the "face" of the Club. All managers and staff report to the COO.

Like many clubs, Thornblade is developing new membership products and sales and marketing of these memberships will be a critical success factor for meeting the Club's goals and objectives.
The successful new COO at Thornblade will be a professional with great integrity, remarkable presence, superior judgment, and a visionary with extraordinary communication skills. These attributes will enable the COO to enhance the creative thinking of staff and management, gain the respect of staff and members and develop a superior standard of excellence.

Leadership Accountabilities:
Leadership

• Strengthens the Thornblade brand as a world-class family oriented country club with top level standards for service excellence.
• Effectively communicates Thornblade's vision, goals, and objectives to the staff. Inspires and empowers them to deliver excellence while achieving the planned outcomes.
• Serves as the model for Thornblade's standards for service, innovation, and teamwork. Holds others accountable for maintaining Club values and delivering first class service.
• Fulfills the Club's promise to the staff to provide a challenging and compassionate work environment, to recognize strong performance, and to listen and to act on feedback.

Presence

• Communicates clearly and effectively to all levels of the Board, Membership, and Staff.
• Creates an atmosphere of excellence within the Club – establishing high level of expectations and enabling the team to deliver on those expectations.
• Compellingly communicates to staff the critical role they play in achieving the vision, upholding the values, and meeting operational and strategic goals of Thornblade Club.
• Provides a level of executive and leadership presence that instills confidence in the individual employee, the Thornblade team and its members.
• Demonstrates good judgment in decision making that builds the confidence in the performance of the GM/COO position. 

Business Acumen

• Provides effective support to the management team to ensure quality operations both qualitatively and fiscally.
• Facilitates organizational change initiatives; leads and supports staff in seizing opportunities to improve the performance of the Club and continues to demonstrate first class service to the members.
• Facilitates development and achievement of professional and personal goals for self and staff.
• Effectively recruits, orients, develops, and retains a talented and diverse workforce. 

Member Satisfaction

• Establishes and models the Thornblade service expectations in all internal and external interactions and ensures that those service expectations are fulfilled by the entire organization.
• Ensures active performance feedback channels are in place and being utilized to assure employees receive information needed to perform and improve. Establishes incentive programs that reward the behavior the Club desires from the team.
• Proactively addresses performance issues when indicated and administers policies, decisions, and disciplinary actions with consistency. 

Financial Performance

• Guides the financial management of the organization. Aligns department goals and resources to meet the performance and financial objectives of the Club.
• Helps the Board, Department Heads, Employees, and Members understand the drivers of the Club's financial success.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of progressive management experience in a well-regarded private club or similar hospitality environment, with at least 5 years in the top executive role within a complex environment.
• A Bachelor's degree is required, preferably in hospitality management or business administration. An advanced degree or certification is favored, such as a CMAA certification.
• Proven leadership attributes with a history of "mentoring" others to both enhance member experience and develop their individual skills.
• Strong financial acumen, budgeting and presentation skills, along with an intuitive "ROI" mindset, being able to effectively communicate the vision behind the numbers.
• A true appreciation of golf, its history and how to deliver an exceptional "experience" to members and their guests.

Compensation:
The Club will offer an attractive compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary and benefits.

https://form.jotform.com/202782834637160

Combine your cover letter, resume and any additional materials into one (1) PDF file, using the following file naming convention: "Last Name, First Name, Thornblade General Manager / COO"

Please address your cover letter to:
Thornblade Club Search Committee
 

For a detailed view of the position, please click the link below

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TXrbPPqnn2tA3lpZYp3yGVpIcL8Yde4z/view?usp=sharing