In 2020, Brian Linton and Joanna Linton left Philadelphia with their young children and relocated to a quiet town in the Pocono Mountains. What began as a side project — converting a 10-acre campground into a glamping destination — quickly evolved. That property became the foundation for what is now the next chapter of a growing national outdoor hospitality brand.
Ferncrest is building the next generation of outdoor hospitality — and we are still early enough that the operating system does not yet exist. This role is responsible for creating it.
As Director of Operations, you will take over once a property is ready to open and design the systems that power everything that follows. You will not inherit a fully built machine. The right candidate is someone who sees ambiguity as an opportunity and can turn messy problems into structured systems.
The Role
What you'll do.
Franchise Operations & Performance
- Build and execute the entire franchisee onboarding and operational process from pre-opening through the first 90 days.
- Create and execute training programs for franchisees to independently operate within Ferncrest standards.
- Establish a clear handoff process from development to operations, ensuring every property is fully prepared for launch.
- Own franchisee operational performance across guest experience, reviews, and adherence to brand standards.
- Build and oversee Ferncrest’s QA program, including property inspections, mystery guests, operational scoring, and corrective action tracking.
- Manage the future franchisee advisory committee as the system grows.
Systems, Standards & Operating Playbook
- Build and contribute to ongoing updates of Ferncrest’s operating manual and FDD-related documentation, including SOPs, training systems, operational standards, and decision frameworks.
- Develop seasonal operating playbooks to support franchisees through peak periods, weather shifts, and operational changes.
- Continuously iterate and improve systems using a 70% → iterate approach.
Customer Service & Decision Frameworks
- Directly oversee and manage Ferncrest’s in-house, remote Customer Service team of four.
- Design and implement a Customer Service Decision Engine: decision trees for common scenarios (fees, credits, issues, and the like), escalation frameworks, and communication standards and tone.
Guest Journey & Experience System
- Define and implement the end-to-end guest journey: booking and add-ons, pre-arrival communication and preparation, on-site experience (bridging remote operations with clear communication), and post-stay rebooking and feedback loops.
- Translate Ferncrest’s guest experience standards into clear, repeatable operational processes.
Technology, Systems & AI Enablement
- Analyze inefficiencies across our current tech stack (PMS, guest messaging, add-ons, and the rest).
- Implement the use of AI to improve scale and reduce manual workflows.
Financial Performance & P&L Ownership
- Own operational performance across properties with a clear understanding of how day-to-day decisions impact revenue, ADR, and overall unit economics.
- Coach franchisees to understand the relationship between operations and financial outcomes, and coach them toward stronger performance.
- Maintain fluency in property-level P&Ls, using them as a tool to guide decisions.
Company-Owned Property Operations
- Directly manage and oversee operations at our flagship location, and at future company-managed properties.
- Manage leadership (General Manager), with authority to hire, restructure, or replace as needed.
- Use internal properties as a testing ground for systems, processes, and operational improvements before scaling to franchisees.
Travel
Frequent travel to Ferncrest locations (up to ~75% during peak periods) for openings, audits, mystery visits, system rollout and training.
You
Who we're looking for.
- 7–10+ years of experience in multi-unit operations.
- Familiarity with hospitality preferred.
- Proven experience building operational systems, SOPs, and scalable processes.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building structure from scratch.
- Strong ability to identify operational inefficiencies and translate them into structured solutions.
- High emotional intelligence with the ability to manage relationships while enforcing standards.
- Experience working cross-functionally with marketing, finance, and leadership teams.
- Strong understanding of technology systems; able to define needs and workflows (no coding required).
Work arrangement
Tampa, FL; hybrid plus frequent travel to sites. We’re open to U.S.-based candidates if the fit is right.