The Greenbrier Valley Aquatic Center has an important job opening and is looking to hire local — applications for the director of operations position are open for the next few weeks.
“It’s our hope that we’ve got a great local candidate that can take this one,” explained Jamie Hamilton, director of community & donor engagement. “It’s such a community-driven project and, in a perfect world, we would love a local person to be the operator come from that community and be invested in it.
The aquatic center is an over $6 million project, with $4 million coming from local donors hoping to get a new place to swim. The center is still under construction in Fairlea near the State Fairgrounds. The project was ready to begin construction after a $2 million grant from the state completed the funding goal in early 2020.
The director of operations would be the leader at the helm of the Aquatic Center ship. Hamilton hopes to find a candidate who can build the team from the ground up and keep its three pools running for years.
“This person is going to need to have a strong work ethic and understand that this is essentially a new business,” Hamilton said. “It certainly, particularly early on, will not be a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. This is a position that is going to require someone that is dedicated. … Ideally, they would start as early as mid-June. Right now, we’re looking at an opening in the middle of October. That would give that person a couple of months to come on board, get comfortable. We’ve got other positions we need to hire for, and we want this candidate to be the lead on that so they can form the team they envision to be the right people.”
To do this, Hamilton emphasized the need for someone who understands the hospitality industry as well as aquatics, rather than someone with a formal education.
“The ideal candidate is someone who has a record of leading teams, leading people, comfortable being a point person,” Hamilton explained. “We had always talked about this facility operating in a high service environment. This isn’t gonna be four walls, a mediocre pool, and generic lighting, it’s going to be something more than that. We want the service environment of the staff to be reflective of that. We would love the candidate to have a background in the world of aquatics, but just as, if not more, important is someone that has a record in the service industry. Someone that understands what it takes to provide a good experience for members, guests, and for anyone that’s there.”
Although Hamilton didn’t put a number on a salary, he did note they would “gauge it on the level of experience, the skillset, what we think they’re bringing to the table, but it’s going to be a very well compensated position, relative to similar positions in other facilities and nonprofits in the greater area. We know what those individuals are making. It’ll be a very high-quality job. They’ll be getting a free family membership, a benefits package, paid time off, all the niceties you’d expect in a top-tier job.” He also noted he originally expected to be in the position after fundraising was completed, but was unable to take it.
Those interested can apply over Facebook on the Greenbrier Valley Aquatic Center page or send a cover letter, resume, and references to Hamilton at jamie.gvac@gmail.com.
