Resort Manager

Good organisational skills, management of time and attention to detail are all essential for a role that includes the following and much more: looking after the well-being of each member of the staff team; managing daily staff rotas and timetable changes etc.; liaison with the UK Office, suppliers, landlords, doctors etc.; welcoming, registering and settling in new arrivals; booking restaurants, mountain huts or Venice hotels for guests; food and laundry ordering and basic accounts management. There is also a commitment to the domestic running of the resort, as outlined below. You also provide support to the walking programme, normally timetabled twice a week to join or 'organise' a walk. Occasionally, you might also have to do an Airport Transfer.

Office Days

A typical day in the Office would involve the following:

• Managing the Domestic & Outdoor Teams. Each day the majority of our resort staff are split into two teams, Outdoor and Domestic. The Outdoor team are responsible for accompanying guests on the Organised Walks and Via Ferratas, whilst the Domestic Team go about all the domestic jobs in the village.
• Outdoor Team - the sort of help needed may be with allocating vehicles for organised walks / Via Ferrata, Wildflower Walks and transfers etc.
• Domestic Team - The manager works more closely with the Domestic Team each day, making sure our domestic commitments are met efficiently. Domestic Team tasks include room changeovers, cleaning chalets, apartments and vehicles, food deliveries etc. You would organise the team each day, splitting jobs accordingly and (time permitting) helping out with some of the tasks that need doing. During the morning you would monitor the progress of the team and check that cleaning jobs have been done to the correct standard. The idea of the split team system is to encourage accountability amongst individual members so that they support each other and get the jobs done quickly and efficiently in order to leave more time to enjoy the outdoors.
• Manning the resort office from 8am till 11.30am, then from 2pm till late (if necessary) waiting for new arrivals. The office can be quite busy in the morning with guests popping in with requests for information, queries and the occasional problem. There may be people who have arrived late the night before looking for a walk idea for that day. Others might want to book an activity such as rafting or paragliding etc, which requires a quick phone call in Italian or German. Others just want to book a table for dinner that night in a local restaurant.
• Afternoon - the afternoon shift is a bit like the morning one but interspersed with greeting new arrivals. Most people arrive up before 10pm but occasionally people arrive after midnight and into the early hours. You may sometimes be expected to wait for these.
• Arrivals Duty - Welcoming new arrivals is one of the most important jobs we do. You are likely to be the first person this a guest has ever met from Collett's, so a genuinely friendly, enthusiastic and happy disposition is essential for getting things off to good start with guests, who will be tired and weary after a long day. Simultaneously, we require efficiency, attention to detail and confidence, as you will be involved in registering people and asking them to sign our disclaimer (of which they have already been made aware). You accompany them to their accommodation, show them around, answer any questions and make sure they know where how to find us for more information. The important part of this job is actually listening to and assessing people's needs. Many new arrivals are exhausted after a long journey and want to be shown in as quickly as possible. Others are happy to chat and want to find out as much information as possible - It is your job to weigh up each.
• Occasional Emergency Jobs - Sometimes guests need accompanying to the Doctor's or hospital and we would expect you to drop what you are doing and go with them to help translate and provide support. Occasionally people need accompanying to the police station (e.g. if they lose something valuable) and your support and help in translating is vitally important. Similarly, you might find yourself spending much of the day at the local hospital with an injured person acting as an interpreter. individual party and act accordingly, giving the appropriate response.

Other regular tasks for the Resort Manager

• Liaison with UK Office / Distribution of Arrivals Information to Chalet Hosts.
• Food & Laundry Ordering & Management / Supplier Liaison.
• Managing registration forms and other essential Tourist Office paperwork.
• Helping with domestic chores and chalet cleaning around the village - being prepared to join the Domestic Day Team when asked to.
• General resort representation and ambassadorial role for the company.

Important: the 'Office Day / Outdoor Day' rota (with the various jobs they entail) is only the beginning of your responsibility to the job - not the end. Jobs can crop up unexpectedly and usually they need to be carried out immediately. We aim to recruit people who are prepared to 'go the extra mile;' people who will drop what they are doing (work or leisure) to help out when necessary. In short, you will familiarise yourself with what it takes to successfully run the resort and thereafter your initiative, enthusiasm and logistical efficiency will take over.

Qualifications and Experience required for a 'office resposibilities'

To get the most out of this experience, we cannot over exaggerate the importance of having a keen interest in the alpine environment and mountain activities, especially walking or climbing. There is very little to do in the villages in which we are based unless you are an outdoor enthusiast. If you are looking for a lively nightlife, forget it! We tend to socialise in the chalets or in a local bar with our guests or other members of the staff team.

The following are absolutely essential:

• A good level of spoken and written Italian. You should be able to express yourself reasonably well.
• Efficiency and attention to detail. and to see a job through to its end.
• Common sense and willingness to see a job through to its end.
• Polite, responsible and helpful nature / Engaging personality / Well presented.
• Respect for and interest in people, places and local culture.
• Positive energy, hard work and a willingness to get stuck into a range of day to day domestic and menial resort chores.
• Team skills /compatibility - a tolerant, flexible and supportive attitude.
• The willingness to do jobs over and above a timetabled schedule.
• A keen interest in walking or climbing or general interest in the outdoors. Reasonable experience of walking in the mountains and navigating using a map in mountainous or wilderness areas.
• Focus on and interest in the well-being and safety of others.
• Availability from mid-May to early October.