Warwick Yacht & Country Club General Manager

GENERAL MANAGER PROFILE:
WARWICK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB
NEWPORT NEWS, VA

THE GENERAL MANAGER OPPORTUNITY AT WARWICK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB
An amazing opportunity exists for candidates with a successful track record of leadership and high-quality operations management at experience-centric club operations or high-end establishments in the hospitality industry. We are conducting the General Manager (GM) search for Warwick Yacht & Country Club (WYCC). The candidate will be an integral part of a high-performing team for this multi-generational yacht club in the Greater Chesapeake Bay area.

The future General Manager (GM) must demonstrate team-building skills, financial literacy and possess proven best-practice skills in club leadership. Having an intuitive strength in building consensus, setting clear goals and objectives, and executing effectively to these well-defined targets, and doing so with a strong and natural "mentorship" style are required. The ability to positively guide the Board and Committees as well as the staff in a professional, respectful, and diplomatic manner is a clear priority here.

Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.

HISTORY OF WARWICK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB
The Warwick Yacht & Country Club, located in Newport News, Virginia, was established in 1960 as a private haven for boaters and community-minded individuals along the waterfront. Situated on Deep Creek at the junction of the James River and Warwick River, the club began as a focal point for recreational boating and social gatherings and over the decades has grown into a multifaceted private club while maintaining its strong emphasis on maritime traditions and family-friendly recreation.

The club offers extensive boating amenities tailored to members' needs, including covered slips, open slips with and without lifts, boat racks, and dedicated trailer parking. A state-of-the-art marine pump-out facility was installed in 2022 to support environmental responsibility and convenience for power and sailboat owners. Transient boaters are also welcomed, and the deep-water access provides easy connectivity to the broader Chesapeake Bay region.

Beyond the water, Warwick Yacht & Country Club provides a range of recreational and social facilities. Members enjoy an L-shaped 25-meter swimming pool with a diving board and a separate baby pool, tennis and pickleball courts (including recent renovations for four pickleball courts), and a clubhouse featuring a dining room, bar, and topside party/banquet spaces ideal for events and weddings. Members also enjoy excellent food prepared by their tenured executive chef and his staff and a welcoming community atmosphere round out the offerings, making it a vibrant spot for both leisurely days and special celebrations.

WARWICK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS

• 238 Members
• $1.5M Approximate Gross volume
• $530K Approximate Dues Volume
• $500K Approximate F&B volume
• 75 Slips
• 10 Committees
• 10 Board Members
• 2 Year Terms for most Board Members and for Trustees
• 2 FTE Employees

WARWICK YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE:

GENERAL MANAGER - POSITION OVERVIEW
The GM will direct all day-to-day operations of Warwick Yacht & Country Club. The new GM will be a highly visible, hands-on leader who can work collaboratively with team members to manage all aspects of club functions. The GM is responsible for delivering outstanding service and memorable experiences to the multi-generational membership and their guests.

Reporting to the Commodore, the GM leads the organization in accomplishing its mission of being a vibrant, member-driven yacht club providing all members with extraordinary experiences and legendary services. The position conveys the WYCC values in a manner that is well understood, widely supported, consistently and effectively implemented. The GM supervises the Dining and Beverage, Administrative and Maintenance, Marine Facilities and pool staffs.

Key attributes include:

• An individual who embodies Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty to the Warwick Yacht & Country Club members and staff.
• A highly visible, engaging and outgoing club leader who enjoys daily interaction with club members, guests and staff.
• Possesses a deep understanding and track record of success managing high quality, multi-outlet food and beverage operations; has sustainably grown revenue and trained/developed/retrained best-in-class front of house teams.
• A verifiable motivator and leader who can bring out the best in others by setting clear goals and expectations, holding them accountable for outcomes, by providing consistent feedback and support.
• Being naturally outgoing, conversant, respectful, and diplomatic, but able to diplomatically say "no" when appropriate.
• An organizationally focused individual who recognizes that obsession with details and consistency of delivery at an extremely high-level result in member and associate satisfaction. Keen understanding of quality in all aspects of the club and club operations as well as demonstrable success in leading clubs to continued relevancy and successfully managing evolving membership demographics.
• Fosters cordial and respectful relations with members, while at the same time ensuring that WYCC Policies and By-laws are consistently applied by staff and followed by members and guests.
• Maintains exceptional member relations and delivers outstanding membership experiences and satisfaction by creating a quality environment through staffing, programming, operations, and maintenance. Drives creation of a membership experience that retains existing members and leads to new member growth.
• Proposes appropriate annual and longer-term financial objectives, including the capital budget plan, and manages operations to consistently achieve these goals. Is responsible for achieving operating and financial results consistent with board-approved goals and objectives.
• Is committed to making WYCC a vibrant, member-driven club and promotes an existing positive and respectful relationship between members and WYCC staff.
• Helps in the development of the long-term strategy and stays abreast of industry trends and challenges. Proposes annual objectives and plans that meet the needs of members, employees, and other stakeholders; ensures consistent and timely progress toward strategic objectives.
• Works closely through and with the Flag Officers and Committee Chairs to keep the Board of Directors informed on all important aspects of WYCC operations. Is effective at taking the lead in pressing for actionable decisions.

EMPHASIZED KEY CHARACTERISTICS

• Clearly understands the financial metrics for the successful attainment of goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently reviews these goals with direct reports to ensure understanding and 'buy-in' from those contributing to their attainment.
• Strong POS capabilities and the ability to run relevant reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Outstanding communication skills are necessary for this role and to be successful at WYCC. As the primary communicator of much of the information at the Club, proven outstanding verbal and written skills are critical. As is a keen ability to "listen," "engage," "build trust" and "be highly approachable."
• Must be a leader who "leads by example" with a nurturing, respectful, mentoring style of leadership with staff, carrying themself to a standard other staff want to emulate.
• A "hands on" leader who recognizes the balance between leading, doing and delegating.
• Must be vision and mission oriented; anticipating how the Club continues to evolve is important, as is being actively 'networked' in the industry to the point of being on the forefront of trends in clubs.
• Avisible, sincerely engaged and hard-working leader that brings ideas to the table and can express those ideas thoughtfully and easily to team members, the Flag, Board, Trustees and the highly active Committees.
• Being strategic in focus and able to gain support and execute approved plans and directions, sometimes encouraging the Board to make actionable decisions, albeit with a strong and natural ability to analyze and communicate the reasons behind recommendations.
• Recognizing the need for the continuation of an "employer of choice" approach to attracting, retaining, and developing staff at every level within the greater WYCC organization.
• Possessive of a strong financial acumen for hospitality trends and metrics, and able to fully comprehend and explain P/Ls, balance sheets, cash flow and operating, capital and project management budgets.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE GENERAL MANAGER

• Work diligently to develop the trust and confidence of key contributors by being thoughtful, candid, proactive, available, approachable and by listening and respectfully responding.
• In collaboration with the Flag Officers, Committee Chairs, Board members, Trustees and staff, ensuring that the overall financials, reports, and processes are in place and followed.
• Continuing employee engagement, primarily by being exceptionally proactive in engagement throughout the operation, learning names, spending time to know and understand the team members, learning the procedures and ebb and flow of business. The senior staff of the WYCC are long tenured, highly regarded and capable.
• Evaluate the overall member service experience and how it dovetails with employee performance, the accountabilities and responsibilities of key departmental leaders and further the plan for continuous improvement.
• Review the overall F & B operation, its consistency of execution and overall standards for success.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 5 - 7 years of progressive leadership/management experience in (preferably) a private member-owned club, or leading hospitality operations outside of the club industry in a similar hospitality operation.
• Strong personal qualities of confidence, credibility, energy, commitment, and humor along with exemplary ethics of honesty, integrity and loyalty.
• Technologically proficient and recognizing best practices use of technology to improve 'high touch' service delivery to members, as well as to more effectively manage and lead operations.
• Someone who respects the history, traditions and culture of the Club, while also being an innovator and a champion of new ideas and initiatives, looking to consistent improvement of member experiences and operational efficiency.
• A truly confident, diplomatic, and competent club industry professional with exceptional "executive presence," who recognizes the importance of accountability, and who has a strong history of success in working with member boards and committees.
• As noted above, a true "partner" with the Flag Officers, Board, Trustees and all active Committees, recognizing that he/she needs to be a creative problem solver whose ability to convey ideas, suggestions, and solutions in a thoughtful, well-reasoned manner with a high level of integrity results in high levels of respect.
• Yacht club and marina experience preferred but not required.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor's degree from a four-year university or college, preferably in Hospitality Management is preferred.
• In lieu of the degree, substantial private club or hospitality experience will be fairly considered.
• From the club industry, Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation is desired, but not required. If without such designation, a commitment to on-going and lifelong learning and strong networking capabilities is critical. If outside of the traditional CMAA background, having verifiable professional development that clearly provides confidence in one's ability to lead a club and hospitality operation like WYCC.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience and befitting a club of the size and scope of the Warwick Yacht & Country Club.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
Please upload your resume and cover letter in the order listed using the link below. When prompted for them during the online application process, you should have your documents fully prepared to attach. Please be sure your image is not on your resume or cover letter; it should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.

Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Warwick Yacht & Country Club search committee/ Mr. Ryan Sparks, Search Chairman, and clearly articulate why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career and why WYCC and the Newport News area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than Friday, June 19, 2026. Candidate selections will occur in late June with the first Interviews expected in mid-July and the second interviews a short time later. The new candidate should assume his/her role after Labor Day 2026.

IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
"Last Name, First Name - Resume" &
"Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter, Warwick Yacht & Country Club"
(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)

Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.

If you have any questions, please email Holly Weiss: View email address on click.appcast.io

Lead Search Executives:

Samuel D. Lindsley
Search & Consulting Executive
View phone number on click.appcast.io (M) - Cleveland, OH
View email address on click.appcast.io


Thomas B. Wallace III, CCM, CCE, ECM
Managing Partner
View phone number on click.appcast.io (M) - Cleveland, OH
View email address on click.appcast.io