MICHLIFEN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

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Now established as Morocco’s premier golf club, Michlifen Golf & Country Club opened for play in Summer 2018 and is located in the upmarket mountain town of Ifrane, a 45 minute drive from the historic city of Fez. The 18 hole, Par 72 layout is set on a stunning site within the ecologically recognized Ifrane National Park and overlooks expansive mountain ranges and forest land.

The course is the first Jack Nicklaus Signature design in North Africa, built to exacting championship specifications and is ideally placed to host International tournaments and events. The property features a stunning full service clubhouse with panoramic views across the golf course and mountains. The Michlifen Golf Academy further complements the facilities with three IMG performance studios offering the latest in custom fitting and golf learning technology.

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The golf club forms part of the iconic Michlifen Resort & Golf, already recognized as one of the finest and most exclusive Spa and Alpine retreats. The 70 room, five-star hotel features a luxury 3500m2 spa, and with the addition of the golf course, is set to offer the ultimate golf & leisure get away in one of Morocco’s most historic and upscale regions.

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KEY OBJECTIVES

 

Key objectives for Michlifen Golf & Country Club can be considered as follows:

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• To create a golf experience that meets and exceeds the quality of the Michlifen Hotel and which integrates successfully within the existing structure to ensure a seamless guest experience.

• To support the room night initiatives of the Hotel Business whilst also driving additional non- Hotel business to ensure the golf operation contributes successfully to the bottom line.

• To create International recognition for the resort by leveraging the IMG brand and creating unique marketing and events opportunities.

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IMG

 

Further highlighting the owner’s commitment to quality, the Club is managed by IMG, the World’s largest and most respected sports, media and marketing company.

 

IMG currently manage and consult to over 20 luxury Clubs and Resorts around the world and pride themselves on a client-focused, boutique approach. In addition to ensuring the quality of the golf course, guest experience and membership programmes, Michlifen members will also enjoy exclusive access to IMG’s network of golf properties and events around the world.

 

The Director of Golf, shall be supported extensively, both remotely and on-ground, by IMG’s corporate team based in London and Singapore. This includes, but not limited to, IMG’s Director of Operations, Regional Agronomist and Director of Marketing. Prior to the commencement of each operating year, IMG and the General Manager shall develop submit the Operating and Capital budget to the Club owners for their review and input.

 

Michlifen Golf & Country Club is IMG’s first management project in Morocco and, as such, is of particular strategic importance. The Director of Golf will be considered an important part of the IMG Team and will be actively included in both project specific and company-wide discussions.

 

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THE DIRECTOR OF GOLF POSITION

 

The Director of Golf operates at a tactical and strategic level, managing and continuously developing all aspects of the golf business. This involves providing a clear vision for its strategic direction, whilst taking personal responsibility for identifying additional sales and marketing opportunities; customer service excellence is consistently delivered, and revenues and profitability are maximised.

 

Key areas of responsibility include the golf academy, golf shop, golf course maintenance, locker room, outside golf services, sales and marketing, the members’ club and the facility’s administration.

 

The Director of Golf is the primary coordinator, through his/her team of management professionals, of budgeting, hiring, training, orientations and teammate “culturization,” and supervision of associates. He/she will therefore be using and applying relevant and necessary marketing techniques to drive usage of operations along; assuring member and guest needs and desires are consistently met and often exceeded. Club member and guest satisfaction and enjoyment of the programming and service experience at the club are primary ‘drivers’ to its overall success.

 

The Director of Golf, as a strong and highly visible and respectful presence with guests and the membership, must be an exceptional communicator, have adroit personal interactive skills and the maturity to instinctively know how to make guests and members feel that they are consistently treated in a gracious manner. Further, he/she must be able to communicate these expectations to staff with diverse backgrounds and get them to understand and execute to those expectations.

 

The Director of Golf is the key influence to ensure that guests and members are engaged from a programming, activities, servicing and experience perspective. The Director of Golf must be intuitively engaged and in tune with this very guest orientated, fiscally responsible environment.

 

Key Attributes and areas of focus

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The successful Director of Golf will demonstrate:

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• A natural leadership style that promotes staff and guest engagement.

• Ability to act as a thought partner with IMG and the Club owners.

• Superior communication skills, exuding energy and creativity.

• Disciplined follow up to complete team goals and objectives.

• Attentiveness to guest services and satisfaction.

• Understanding of superb dining and other food and beverage experiences for the club members and guests.

• Effective financial management skills through development and oversight of the annual operating budget.

• Continual visibility to guests, members and staff as the face of the club.

• Understands the importance of and is able to leverage web, social media tools to communicate with the staff and member.

• Strong leadership and strategic planning experience.

• Cultural development through good hiring, training, communication, and developing a strong team work ethic.

• A creative, forward thinking marketing approach, continually looking for new strategies and activations to drive the business forward.

• Ability to build a strong relationship with all stakeholders, working to create a strong bond and communication exchange of diplomatic openness.

 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

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• Guest Services

• Develops relationships with members and guests and understands and anticipates their desires.

• Provides quality leadership and a positive upbeat image for the Club and its
  amenities. Leads with the dictate to provide guests with premier service in casual and fine dining, recreational excellence, quality products, and an exciting calendar of club events.

• Plans his/her work schedule so as to be personally visible and readily accessible to members and their guests at the right times and in the right places.

• Assures the smooth, efficient daily operation of the club to provide the members and guests with an environment of excellence in hospitality.
  Oversees a top-flight golf operation including golf course conditions, facilities, and programs for all levels players’ skills.

• Addresses and resolves complaints and suggestions, in such areas as general service, athletic programs, employee attitude, maintenance, and cosmetic appearance of the facility.

• Furthers his/her own continued development as a club management professional by participation in appropriate seminars and conferences, and others as approved, thereby enhancing his/her value and quality of services to the membership.

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Employee Relations:

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• To communicate regularly and effectively with individuals, managers and teams within the organization.

• To provide effective leadership for the golf operations management team, giving direction to individual managers and motivating and supporting them to achieve the organization’s vision and objectives.

• To produce staffing and succession plans for all aspects of golf operations, identifying workforce requirements needed to achieve the organization’s current and future objectives.

• To recruit, induct, monitor and develop members of the golf operations management team and complete regular performance reviews including Head Professional, Head Green-keeper, Head Teaching Professional or other.

• To ensure that all members of the golf operations management team have appropriate opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and experience to enhance their performance.

• To develop, deliver and monitor learning and development activities for the management team and to promote In-house training, PGA Training, further education and CPD.

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Financial Management:

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• Develops and prepares the annual operating and capital budgets and, after budget approval, manages and controls the operations to attain the desired results.

• Provides input to all department heads, professional staff, and key personnel, projecting and developing budgets, capital spending plans, fiscal controls, and operational guidelines.

• To establish, monitor and analyse operating budgets and take prompt corrective action to address variances, ensuring each operating area is maximising efficiency and profitability. To achieve revenue and contribution targets and identified KPIs for each aspect of golf operations.

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Communications:

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• Develops ongoing dialogue and rapport with guests and members through recognition, communication, the club’s newsletter, and follow through. Assures satisfactory communications between the club members and employees.

• Coordinates a program for the orientation of new members, Board members and staff.

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Marketing & Business Development:

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• To liaise with other senior managers to develop a coordinated sales and marketing strategy for the resort that links to corporate strategy and covers all areas of golf operations.

• To identify and develop innovative programmes for all customer segments including tournaments, social events, external promotions.

• To ensure that all promotional activity is properly structured, communicated and delivered.

• To establish, implement and review effective marketing strategies that take into account the expectations and needs of different customer groups.

• To stimulate innovation, encouraging staff to think outside of the box and put forward new ideas.

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Candidates Qualifications

 

A minimum of 3 - 5 years of verifiable, progressive leadership and management experience in an active, private member focused club environment. NOTE: Those current Assistant General Managers or Club Managers at well-recognized clubs, with verifiable records of achievement, will be strongly considered for this role.

 

A verifiable career track that demonstrates a record of tenure and commitment to previous employers, and that career moves were for enhancement of skills and experiences as opposed to ‘unplanned’ career changes.

 

French language skills are essential for this role.

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Personal Attributes

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• People focused:

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Leader, able to influence, motivator, team builder, coaching and mentoring style, ‘no problem’ mentality, positive, strong interpersonal skills.

 

• Business acumen:

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Results orientated, decisive, plans and prioritises, willing and able to deliver change, experienced and credible in the industry, able to work at both strategic and tactical level, in touch with current trends/issues.

 

• Personal traits:

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Maturity of character, customer focused, good time manager, self-motivated, creative: thinks outside the box, flexible, effective and natural communicator, strong presentation skills, logical thinker, pays attention to detail, uses initiative, confident and prepared to challenge, energetic

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Educational and Certification Qualifications

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• A Degree is highly desirable, preferably in Hospitality Management or Business.

• In lieu of the degree, substantial private club or hospitality experience will be considered.

• Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation preferred but not a must

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To apply please submit your CV to leonardo.izzi@imgprestige.com