Whaler’s Cove Lodge is an all-inclusive remote fishing lodge located in the banana belt of southeast Alaska.
We are currently seeking an experienced and adventure-loving individual, who realizes that variety is the spice of life, for this very unique and integral position.
Summers will be spent on-site at Whaler’s Cove Lodge near Angoon, Alaska, where housing and board will be provided. The rest of the year, this position is based in beautiful Kalispell, Montana. While in Montana, year-round staff supply their own accommodations.
Year-round, full time, Guest Service Manager
Healthy communication skills, willingness to solve issues, positive attitude, big picture mentality, sense of humor, self motivation, and an ability to adapt and learn are all necessary. We are looking for someone who will take pride and gain immense satisfaction from providing an unforgettable vacation for our guests. Salary range to start $50,000 – 65,000 DOE. TIPS, fringe benefits, and incentive packages additional.
If this opportunity appeals to you, and you are someone that is prepared and excited to be a crucial and relied upon member of our close knit operation, please send us your letter of interest and your resume to [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you!
Whaler’s Cove Lodge
Guest Services Manager
Summary
This position is responsible for contributing to an exceptional Guest experience! From the first point of contact, through the reservation process, travel, arrival & welcoming, friendly departures, daily activities, processed fish shipments, and gift shop sales for up to 32 Guests per day, for a 3-month operating season in Alaska and a 9-month administrative season in Montana. The lodge is located in Southeast Alaska, Killisnoo Island, just off of Admiralty Island National Monument, near the Tlingit Village of Angoon. This is a remote wilderness lodge specializing in salt & freshwater fishing and ecotourism.
Responsibilities
Skills & Qualifications Required
Location & Terms of Employment
Year-round position. June – September in Alaska. Must be on-site for the entire operating season. The season runs approximately 2nd week of June through approximately the third week of September.
October – May in Kalispell, Montana satellite offices.
The position is available as soon as a qualified team member is discovered.
Considerations
Team Oriented ~ This position is one of only 4 core crew members that provide this company its backbone. This person needs to be independent, yet totally understand the interdependence that this operation requires to succeed. Healthy communication skills, willingness to solve issues, positive attitude, big-picture mentality, sense of humor, self-motivation, and an ability to adapt and learn are all required.
Professionalism ~ We require our Guest Services Manager to present themselves in a professional manner at all times. We always have guests at the lodge (from June into September) with turnover days on Saturdays (every week) and Tuesdays or Wednesdays (alternating every other week). Because of our remote location, it is very difficult to replace any of our crew during the operating season. We expect a commitment to stay the entire season or an agreed-upon length of contract. It is important that our applicants understand the operation and what responsibilities will be required of them.
Attitude & Social Ability ~ Our Guest Services crew are in a position with very high guest exposure. It is important that our personnel enjoy people and enjoy showing the guests a good time. We are looking for individuals who truly enjoy hospitality! We require our team to have a positive attitude, show extraordinary manners, and be courteous at all times. This position involves daily communication with both General Managers year-round, and during the operating season, 7 Department Managers, up to 21 crew members, and up to 32 guests daily!
Safety & Medical ~ Our guides are our eyes and ears on the water. Guides are expected to keep tabs on other vessels from the lodge, including self-guided boats. At times our guides act as radio relay stations if a boat is trying to contact the lodge and is out of VHF range. Guided vessels are required to lend assistance to vessels in emergency situations where life or property is in danger. Guest Services crew are the primary monitors of the lodge VHF station and is required to assist with any communications necessary. This position will be one of the first to communicate to the Coast Guard if necessary. Knowledge of maritime radio etiquette is helpful. Guest Services crew and General Managers rotate monitoring the lodge radio 24 hours a day, while guests are on site.
Operating in the Alaskan environment is inherently dangerous and all of our employees are required to be aware and responsive to any potentially dangerous situation that may arise.
Firearms are kept on-site and carried by all freshwater guides. The lodge has a working cannon, for entertainment purposes only.
If a situation arises that requires medical attention, the crew is to contact the lodge immediately and render any assistance possible. The community of Angoon has a medical clinic with emergency staff available; although due to irregular cell service, contact may not occur immediately. Regional scheduled seaplane service or charters may be available to transport patients to adequate medical care facilities in Juneau or Sitka (this is a minimum 40-minute transport). In addition, the U.S.C.G. Air Station in Sitka has the capability to medevac serious injuries. In any case, the lodge management is to be contacted immediately to ensure a coordinated and timely response.
Guest Services crew must be healthy, physically fit, maintain a clean appearance, be drug-free (pre-employment drug testing and random seasonal drug testing is company policy at company discretion), and be a non-smoker. Anyone who cannot maintain themselves in a professional manner regarding alcohol consumption need not apply.
Company Policy ~ Employees of Whaler’s Cove Lodge are to abide by the most current version of the Employee Handbook (provided at the time of hiring). The duties and policies described in this job description are in addition to, and an integral part of, the employee policies set forth in the Employee Handbook.
Guest Services Meetings ~ The Guest Services Manager facilitates a weekly Guest Service meeting during the Operating Season. Due to the seasonal nature of our industry, this is a requirement to ensure that all Guest Services crew are coached, trained, and updated throughout the operating season so that they are educated and empowered to provide an exceptional Guest experience. The time and place of these meetings is established at the beginning of the season. Topics of the meetings vary depending on the week. Generally, each meeting will cover: the coming weeks guest needs; Q&A regarding lodge policies for reservations, guest requests, etc.; tides and weather for the coming week; television show filming schedules with boat assignments; review of Guest forms; fishing areas; Whale sightings and feeding areas to be aware of; current guest issues; emergency orders as issued by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game; and any changes of fishing or guiding regulations. Most importantly the Guest Services meeting is a round table discussion where ideas can be fielded to enhance our guest’s experiences. It is intended to be a productive and positive meeting to ensure communication amongst the Guest Services crew and lodge management.
System Builder ~ The entire operation and guest experience revolves around the planning of the Guest Services Manager. This person must be able to work with currently established systems that have proven effective and be willing to offer production solutions to system changes, if needed. Guest Services Manager must communicate often with Dock, Kitchen, Housekeeping, Shop, and General Manager.
Adaptable & Hard Working ~ This industry is intense and unique. This company performs its services in a very remote location in Alaska: crew lives and works on 10 acres, on a small island, for 90+ days, with little “downtime”. Without a doubt, the operating season is hard work. Most of the administrative duties are performed at the company satellite offices in Kalispell, Montana: the crew is near home, plenty of “downtime”, work is Monday thru Friday with Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and three day weekends off, and the social aspect of the job is scaled back to the 4 core crew members in addition to phone and email time with current and future Guests.
Daily Schedule & Routine in Alaska
Guest Services is responsible for operating the front desk during various shifts from 6:00 a.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. Work week consists of six (6) days on shift, with one (1) day off. A typical week during the operating season for the GS Manager includes 60+ hours (during the administrative season approximately 30+ hours per week, plus 6+ weeks paid vacation.)
Breakfast is served at 7:00 am each morning. A lunch bar is provided during breakfast (for guests and staff).
Hot lunches are provided to the crew at 12:00pm, daily.
Boats are typically away from our dock by 8:00 am each morning (except turnover days).
Newly arriving guests (on turn-over days) are typically ready to depart the dock by 9:00 am to 10:30 am. Mother Nature determines the actual movements of guests!
All guest turnovers happen first thing in the morning with outbound guests leaving on the same aircraft or ferry that the inbound guests arrive on. Whaler’s Cove Lodge operates continuously and uninterrupted (24/7) from opening day until the last guests depart. The 2023 season opens to the first guests on June 22 and the last guests depart on September 11th. Our 2023 operating season is 82 days with guests and includes 24 turnover days. This year we will be hosting over 600 guests.
Any and all mechanical issues with vessels are reported to the lodge shop (via VHF) immediately upon discovery. Guest Services is responsible for immediate communication of these issues to the Shop. This enables the shop staff to prepare for mechanical repairs. All of our vessels are booked every day with few exceptions.
Each guided or self-guided saltwater excursion boat returns to the lodge with guests by 5:00 pm. Guided vessels returning from freshwater trips are to be back to the dock by 6:00 pm. (Freshwater trips do not impact the fish processing plant to the extent that saltwater trips do. Additionally, freshwater trips have more travel time each day and less time on the water (fishing) for guests.)
When boats return to the lodge in the evenings, guests and fish are unloaded, fish processing forms completed, vessels are thoroughly cleaned (interior and external, including heads), tackle and fishing gear maintenance, boating gear maintenance, vessel maintenance checks are to be performed after each guided day (by captains) so that there are no surprises the next morning. Our mechanical and support staff are willing to work all night if need be to perform necessary repairs to ensure that our fleet is in shape for each day’s uses. Our mechanics and related support staff are not available early in the morning to handle repairs that should have been known the day or night before. Dock and Guest Services communicate each evening for total fish counts for evening presentations.
Dinner is served to the guests and the crew between the hours of 6:00pm-8:00pm. If circumstances prevent any staff from being able to attend dinner, our chefs and kitchen staff can plate and hold dinner with notice. It is NOT a requirement for our crew to enjoy dinner with guests, however, the crew are welcome. The dinner and evening presentation is a great way to wrap up the day’s exhilarating moments. Awards are given each night to guests who chronicle their experiences with the group and for notable catches. We encourage guides and captains to take turns presenting our daily fish count and sharing their fish “stories”.
Fishing & boat assignments are plotted out for the season by the Guest Services Manager. These are never “etched in stone” and can be changed depending on guests’ needs, equipment availability, mechanical breakdowns, severe weather and a whole range of circumstances. The following day’s activities and assignments are firmed up each night with the guests around dinner (by the Guest Services staff). Daily activities and boat assignments are posted each night, generally by 8 pm in the main lodge and in the fish processing plant on the dock.
This is the routine, every day, for 82+ days each summer. If you’ve seen the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray…you get the idea!
Compensation
Salary DOE. Range $50,000-65,000 to Start DOE. Tips additional based upon guest directions. Additional incentives available. Spring, Thanksgiving, and Christmas breaks – Paid.
Travel benefit to/from the lodge, upon completion of each operational season. Modest room and exceptional board provided while at the lodge. Other benefits will be disclosed at the interview.
Accommodations & Meals during the time in Alaska: Crew will be housed in modest, private rooms. Only very few crew rooms have private baths, all others will share bath facilities. Laundry facilities (including detergent) are provided along with bedding and towels. Our staff enjoys hearty meals served plated in the lodge dining room. There is no obligation for the crew to share their meals with guests; the crew is welcome to enjoy their meals in the privacy of their rooms, etc.
Personal Items: Your only living expenses while at the lodge will be personal items: i.e. toiletries, medicines, special requests from Juneau, etc.
Together, the Job Description and Employee Handbook constitute the expectations of our Guest Services Manager and are considered a mutual agreement between employee and the lodge.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
Whaler’s Cove Lodge is a permit holder in the Tongass National Forest and Admiralty Island National Monument. All rules and regulations are expected to be followed.
Joella’s Hot Chicken is growing and always looking for great people to join our team! We are on a mission...
Apply For This JobAssistance with Flights and Housing Available We are looking for a professional Sous Chef to join the team at Prospectors...
Apply For This JobAre you seeking a summer of meaningful work? Are you passionate about mountain biking and want to inspire kids to find...
Apply For This JobWe are seeking a responsible and energetic individual to work Full Time on our Docks. Your job includes assisting customers with...
Apply For This JobThe Resort at Paws Up is America’s premier luxury ranch resort. Set on a 37,000-acre ranch, Paws Up embodies the...
Apply For This JobFor 52 years NOC has led the outdoor industry, taking more guests whitewater rafting and teaching more paddlers than any...
Apply For This Job