JOIN OUR TEAM
Cuyama Buckhorn is a timeless roadside inn & restaurant located on State Route 166 in the heart of Cuyama Valley, where community, locally-inspired food, and artistry flourish.
We are pleased to announce our resort reveal! Our resort retreat now boasts a full service, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a craft coffee shop, and a market featuring house-made and local products. Wanderlust seekers can also enjoy a glistening pool to splash into under the warm California sun, a spacious jacuzzi to warm up in on cool desert nights, a barrel sauna with sunset views, outdoor fire pits and games to bring together friends new and old, as well as plenty of event spaces to celebrate the beauty of this unmatched haven.
We can’t wait to have you join our growing team to help create a warm and welcoming home away from home for locals and travelers, alike!
RESORT
General Manager
Are you interested in leading an award-winning, boutique, destination property, located in a rural community with a vast, untouched landscape and an incredibly tight-knit community? Cuyama Valley, also known as The Hidden Valley of Enchantment, is surrounded by mountain ranges, national forests, national monuments, and wildlife refuges. This incredibly unique and rather untouched area of California is located just over an hour from California’s Central Coast, an hour from Bakersfield, and 2 hours from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
We’re looking for an enthusiastic, driven, and collaborative leader, with a passion for hospitality and the boutique sector, to run our acclaimed boutique resort in this hidden corner of Santa Barbara County’s high desert. The ideal candidate is someone with a rich hospitality background spanning hotels and food & beverage, who enjoys collaborating with a dynamic and engaged team and is a natural born leader.
This candidate will work closely with the owners and the hospitality company management team to oversee the on-site resort team to continue to elevate and grow the Cuyama Buckhorn business, as well as be involved in building a larger hospitality brand.
After several years of significant renovations to our historic property, we announced our resort reveal in February of 2021. Since then we have been operating as a full-service boutique resort with a farm-to-table restaurant and bar, craft coffee shop, market, and event spaces. We are now regularly booking weddings, retreats, and celebratory events for hotel group reservations and buyouts, offering full food and beverage programs as well as catered events. Additionally, we regularly put on our own immersive experiences and ongoing programming that highlight our local community, local ingredients, the breathtaking natural landscape of our valley, and like-minded partners, in addition to operating the inn, restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and market on a daily basis. We’re looking for someone to help continue to strengthen our team, elevate our standards, improve the guest experience, grow and improve our business, and build our hospitality brand.
The ideal candidate is someone who is excited about the idea of living in a rural tight-knit community and who is ready to relocate to help be a part of an incredibly unique and ongoing project. Someone who loves the outdoors, agriculture, nature activities, and embraces a remote lifestyle would enjoy Cuyama, as our valley is filled with amazing natural landmarks including, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, beautiful campgrounds and stargazing, as well as plenty of incredible local farms and ranches.
This role is a great opportunity to establish roots in a compassionate and close-knit community, reconnect with the great outdoors, and be a part of a growing hospitality company.
***Housing is provided for this position.
ABOUT US
Cuyama Buckhorn is an artfully-restored roadside resort in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s high desert.
The iconic property, originally built in 1952, has been re-imagined as an elevated retreat nestled in The Hidden Valley of Enchantment. It rests at the intersection of 4 counties, on the other side of The Los Padres National Forest from Santa Barbara proper, and is just two hours or less from Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and Paso Robles.
Cuyama Buckhorn offers an intimate getaway filled with thoughtfully crafted meals, a bar where conversation flows effortlessly, 21 newly refined rooms with stylistic nods to the past, and 2 acres of artfully designed outdoor space. The Enchanted Valley sits amidst star-filled night skies for some of the best stargazing in California and pastoral golden mountains boasting hiking trails, breathtaking wildflowers, and wilderness. The food, design, and creative spirit of Cuyama Buckhorn is inspired by the rich history of the local community and the bounty of Cuyama Valley.
This resort retreat boasts a full service, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a craft coffee shop, and a market featuring house-made and local products. Wanderlust seekers can also enjoy a glistening pool to splash into under the warm California sun, a spacious jacuzzi to warm up in on cool desert nights, a barrel sauna with sunset views, outdoor fire pits, and games to bring together friends new and old, as well as plenty of event spaces to celebrate the beauty of this unmatched haven.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage and oversee the entire Cuyama Buckhorn business, including but not limited to, Cuyama Buckhorn Inn, The Buckhorn Restaurant & Bar, The Buck Stop Coffee Shop, The Buckhorn Market and down the road, The Ranch at Buckhorn
- Personnel management and hiring of all Cuyama Buckhorn staff
- Manage operations budget for the company
- Oversee/manage all financials of the business and report financials, forecasts, and other projections to ownership on a monthly basis
- Oversee and manage scheduling for all departments to ensure staff retention and happiness, as well as financial efficiency
- Communicate with ownership on a regular basis to keep ownership updated on staff, business, timelines, issues, guest relations, and overall operations
- Manage overall operations of the business, including day-to-day on-site operations of all areas of the business
- Manage, update, and master all different business platforms and programs, including but not limited to; Web Rez Pro, POS System (Meridian Star), QR systems, Proposal Path, OTAs, etc.
- Work with ownership and management to curate larger objectives for the business and work with team to ensure objectives are met
- Come up with creative initiatives to drive revenue for Cuyama Buckhorn and work with the management team to implement these initiatives
- Create a training plan for staff and oversee/ensure that ongoing training continues to get to the next level of service standards
- Work with management team to create systems, SOPs, and overall operating procedures for all departments
- Work with management team and manage inventory for all departments
- Improve efficiencies for the business and help staff improve efficiencies on a regular basis
- Hire and oversee training for additional staff members as needed
- Act as a leader to effectively "team build," train, and instill enthusiasm, drive, strong work ethic, and team charisma for all staff
- Maintain, grow, and create new and positive relationships with guests, staff, potential clients, owners, suppliers, partners, and members of the local community
- Add, manage, and expand operating procedures, amenities, and services added for the resort
- Oversee guest relations across departments and ensure strong standards of service at all times
- Be available off-hours when necessary and be willing and able to work weekends and holidays
- Continue to manage and improve reviews and standards at all times
- Strengthen and expand business partnerships, including community partnerships
- Develop and create memorable and one-of-a-kind experiences at Cuyama buckhorn
- Work with management team to successfully implement events and ongoing programming
- Generate added revenue for all aspects of the business
- Oversee sales, group sales, and work closely with marketing team to create goals and objectives and ensure objectives are met
- Assist in developing initiatives to drive tourism to the valley
- Set goals for hotel to be part of larger groups like Forbes Stars, exclusive booking sites, etc. and coach the team on how to achieve/be invited/qualify
- Assist in development, establishment, and vision for larger hospitality brand
QUALIFICATIONS
- 3-4 years in a hospitality leadership role, preferably in a resort setting
- Prior hospitality general management experience
- Passion or interest in the boutique hospitality sector
- Strong understanding and experience in managing hospitality budgets and financials
- A people person, with strong communication skills, who is able to build a collaborative team and trusting relationships
- Strong leadership skills, management skills, customer relations skills, training skills, and project management skills
- Collaborative personality with the ability and desire to successfully lead a team
- The successful candidate will need to live/relocate to Cuyama, CA. Housing will be provided as part of the compensation package.
DESIRABLE
- Part of an opening team of a restaurant, hotel, or resort, or the creation of a hospitality brand
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Hotel Management or Business Management
- Ability to communicate in Spanish
- Up-to-date certifications in liquor and food service
EOE STATEMENT
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Job Type: Full-Time