General Manager – Marina Operations
General Manager – Marina Operations
The Opportunity
We are seeking a dynamic and highly visible General Manager to lead all aspects of marina and boatyard operations. This executive will provide strategic leadership across operations, finance, customer experience, marketing, facilities, and team development while ensuring the marina operates safely, efficiently, and profitably.
The successful candidate will possess a “mayoral presence”—a natural ambassador who is highly visible throughout the property, builds genuine relationships with customers, employees, boat owners, community leaders, and industry partners, and represents the marina with professionalism, credibility, and enthusiasm. They will be equally comfortable engaging with a yacht owner on the dock, mentoring employees, hosting community events, or presenting business initiatives to ownership.
Most importantly, this leader will be passionate about building a best-in-class, customer-first culture where exceptional service is not simply expected, but embedded in every interaction. They will inspire and empower the team to consistently exceed customer expectations, creating memorable experiences that drive loyalty, occupancy, referrals, and long-term growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Financial Leadership
- Provide overall leadership for marina, boatyard, and hospitality operations while maintaining the highest standards of safety, service, and operational excellence.
- Develop annual operating and capital budgets, including prioritized capital improvement recommendations with supporting business cases.
- Analyze occupancy, revenue, pricing, and market trends to maximize profitability and optimize asset utilization.
- Recommend annual rate strategies based on competitive positioning, customer demand, and occupancy trends.
- Identify opportunities to increase revenue through operational improvements, marketing initiatives, premium services, and customer retention.
Operational Excellence
- Maintain a highly visible presence throughout the marina, boatyard, and facilities, ensuring exceptional standards of maintenance, safety, cleanliness, and guest experience.
- Lead capital projects from planning through completion while ensuring schedules, budgets, and quality expectations are achieved.
- Review staffing models and seasonal schedules to ensure operational efficiency and exceptional customer coverage.
Customer Experience
- Champion a culture where every employee is committed to delivering extraordinary customer service.
- Personally engage with customers, proactively resolving concerns while strengthening long-term relationships.
- Oversee marina events and customer programs that enhance the property’s reputation and sense of community.
- Establish service standards that consistently create memorable experiences and differentiate the marina within the marketplace.
Leadership & Culture
- Recruit, develop, mentor, and inspire high-performing managers and employees.
- Foster an engaged, accountable, and collaborative culture built on teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
- Create an environment where employees are recognized, developed, and empowered to deliver exceptional results.
- Lead by example through visibility, accessibility, and a hands-on management style.
Marketing & Community Relations
- Serve as the public face of the marina, building strong relationships with customers, yacht owners, vendors, community organizations, and industry stakeholders.
- Oversee marketing initiatives, digital presence, advertising strategy, and seasonal promotional campaigns.
- Ensure the marina’s website and communications accurately reflect its premium brand and customer experience.
Safety & Security
- Maintain a safe, secure, and well-managed facility by partnering with security and operations teams.
- Oversee security systems, including surveillance technology and related infrastructure.
- Lead investigations and response efforts related to safety or security incidents while promoting continuous improvement.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in marina, boatyard, yacht club, waterfront resort, or comparable hospitality and marine operations.
- Demonstrated success managing complex operations with full P&L responsibility and capital budgets.
- Proven ability to build, lead, and inspire high-performing teams while creating a culture centered on accountability, engagement, and customer service.
- Executive presence with exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, coupled with the ability to serve as a visible leader throughout the organization and community.
- Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, pricing strategy, and operational performance management.
- Experience overseeing maintenance, facilities, capital projects, and operational planning.
- Professional certification such as Certified Marina Manager (CMM) is preferred.
- Boating, yachting, or marina operations experience, including knowledge of slip leasing, fueling operations, and waterfront services, is highly desirable.
- Outstanding problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills with the ability to balance strategic leadership and day-to-day operational excellence.