Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel has masterfully transformed a Renaissance Revival landmark building, part of Curlett & Beelman’s iconic architectural stamp on Los Angeles. Designer Kelly Wearstler seamlessly elevates 147 rooms and suites with compelling creative design, vintage California influences, and a trove of original works by L.A. artists.
Discover a trio of inviting dining destinations in one historic location, alongside a refined split-level rooftop pool deck with uninterrupted views of the city lights; plus 12,000 square feet of distinctive event spaces, including two suites that integrate the building’s sporting-club past by repurposing the vintage basketball court and indoor pool into inspired, unexpected design elements.
Position Overview
The Director of Operations is a senior hotel executive responsible for the daily leadership and performance of Rooms, Food & Beverage, Engineering, Valet, and Security operations at Downtown LA Proper Hotel. This role requires a highly visible, hands-on leader who leads from the floor, ensures operational excellence, and delivers consistently elevated guest experience in alignment with Proper Hospitality’s brand and service standards.
Roles & Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
Provide direct oversight of Rooms Division, Food & Beverage, Engineering, Valet, and Security operations, ensuring full compliance with applicable wage and hour laws, labor regulations, and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) requirements
Maintain a strong on-property presence, actively engaging with guests, teams, and leaders across all operational areas
Ensure seamless coordination between departments and third-party partners to support smooth daily operations
Labor Relations
Effectively lead Rooms Division ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreements and labor regulations
Partner with People & Culture to support labor relations, grievance handling, contract adherence, and productive collaboration with bargaining units
Balance operational efficiency with positive employee relations and service delivery
Food & Beverage Leadership
Provide strategic and hands-on leadership for all Food & Beverage operations, including restaurant, in-room dining, and events
Drive service standards, quality control, guest satisfaction, and financial performance across all F&B outlets
Collaborate with culinary and F&B leadership to ensure consistency, creativity, and brand alignment
*Prior oversight of a full-scale Food & Beverage operation is preferred
Guest Experience & Service Excellence
Champion exceptional service standards across all guest touchpoints
Actively participate in service recovery and guest engagement
Monitor guest feedback and implement continuous improvements to enhance satisfaction and loyalty
Financial & Performance Management
Drive departmental performance against budgets, forecasts, and key performance indicators, including labor productivity and cost controls
Partner with department heads to develop action plans that improve profitability while maintaining quality
Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and capital planning initiatives
Facilities & Safety
Oversee Engineering operations to ensure the hotel is well maintained, safe, and operationally sound
Ensure compliance with life safety, security protocols, and regulatory requirements.
Oversee third-party (Engineering, Valet and Security, ensuring service standards, contract compliance, and guest safety expectations are met
People Leadership & Culture
Lead, coach, and develop department heads and management teams
Build a strong leadership bench through mentoring, training, and succession planning
Foster a culture aligned with Proper Hospitality values, emphasizing accountability, teamwork and guest-centric thinking
Strategic Leadership
Develop and implement strategies to maximize revenue, profitability, and guest satisfaction across all outlets
Monitor and evaluate outlet performance metrics, including guest satisfaction scores, revenue targets, and operational efficiency
Collaboration & Communication
Work closely with hotel leadership, culinary, and sales teams to drive brand initiatives and special events
Maintain strong relationships with external partners, vendors, and local community organizations
Qualifications
Minimum 8–10 years of progressive hotel operations leadership experience in luxury, lifestyle or design forward hotels
Demonstrated Senior Leadership experience overseeing hotel operations with a focus on Food & Beverage in a hotel or lifestyle hospitality environment
Experience managing unionized hotel departments in compliance with collective bargaining agreements preferred
Proven ability to oversee **Engineering** and manage **third-party service providers** (Valet and Security). Proven leadership experience managing multiple outlets or multi-unit operations
Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing P&L statements
Deep understanding of F&B operations, including culinary, service, and bar management
Hands-on, visible leader with excellent communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills
Ability to develop high-performing teams and mentor future leaders
Knowledge of local, state, and federal labor and liquor laws
Passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences aligned with a lifestyle hotel brand
Key Attributes
Leadership: Inspires and motivates teams to deliver excellence
Strategic Thinking: Able to plan and execute long-term goals while managing day-to-day operations
Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of budgets, forecasting, and profitability
Problem Solving: Proactively identifies issues and implements effective solutions
Communication: Clear, persuasive, and approachable in all interactions
Guest Focused: Committed to delivering exceptional guest experiences consistently
Adaptability: Comfortable managing change and operating in a fast-paced environment
Collaboration: Works effectively across departments to achieve organizational goals
Why Join Proper Hospitality
At Proper, we build experiences that move people — and that begins with the team behind them. As a best-in-class employer, we’re committed to creating one of the Best Places to Work in hospitality by nurturing a culture where creativity, excellence, and humanity thrive together.
Everything we do is grounded in the belief that hospitality is more than a profession - it’s an opportunity to care for others and make lives better. Guided by the Pillars of Proper, we show up with warmth and authenticity (Care Proper), strive for excellence in everything we do (Achieve Proper), think creatively and resourcefully (Imagine Proper), and take pride in the style and culture that make us who we are (Present Proper).
We believe our people are our greatest strength, and we invest deeply in their wellbeing, growth, and sense of belonging. From comprehensive benefits to meaningful development programs, Proper is designed to help you build a career, and a life, that feels as inspiring as the experiences we create for our guests.
Our Commitment: Building the Best Place to Work
Our Best Place to Work initiative is a living commitment — a continuous investment in our people, our culture, and our purpose. We listen, learn, and evolve together to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to imagine boldly, achieve confidently, care deeply, and present themselves authentically.
At Proper, joining the team means more than finding a job — it means joining a community that believes in building beautiful experiences together, for our guests and for one another.