Director, Mountain Operations

Create Your Experience of a Lifetime! Come work and play in the mountains! Whether it's your first-time seeing snow or you were born on the slopes, joining our team means discovering (or re-discovering!) a passion for the outdoors while building lifelong connections with teammates and guests from around the world. With 40+ resorts across 3 continents, you can join our team for a season or stay to build a career. From day one, you'll receive some of the highest compensation rates in the industry, free Epic pass(es) along with free ski and snowboard lessons, 40% retail discounts, the chance to grow through Epic Service - our leading training and development experience, and wellness benefits to fuel your success. Candidates for year-round positions are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted up to 90 days after the posting date, or until the position is filled (whichever is first). Job Benefits Ski/Mountain Perks! Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family AND free ski lessons MORE employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles 401(k) Retirement Plan Employee Assistance Program Excellent training and professional development Referral Program Full Time roles are eligible for the above, plus: Health Insurance; Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Vision Insurance plans (for eligible seasonal employees after working 500 hours) Free ski passes for dependents Critical Illness and Accident plans Job Summary: The Director of Mountain Operations is responsible for leading the Snow Surfaces team (Snowmaking, Grooming, Terrain Parks), Lift Experience (Lift Operations, Scanning), Fleet Maintenance, Lift Maintenance, and Patrol to ensure consistent and safe experiences for our employees and guests. This position assists in the development, communication and implementation of resort goals & initiatives while developing and maintaining strong working relationships both internally & externally. This is achieved through strong leadership, financial management, teamwork, employee development, and quality control. Job Specifications: Starting Wage: $96,000 - $113,000 + annual bonus + equity Employment Type: Year Round Shift Type: Full Time hours available Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age Housing Availability: Yes Job Responsibilities: Lead a caring safety culture within the departments to achieve the goal of zero work related injuries. Create/manage departmental goals including budgets and capital projects, employee development, and operational goals. Provide reliability of all resort facilities to provide an unmatched quality of service for our internal and external guests. Responsible for development, oversight, forecasting, and adhering to all departmental capital and operating budgets. Assist in the continuous training, counseling, and mentoring of returning and new staff with a higher focus on leadership within all teams. Motivate, reward, and encourage all employees. Build positive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. Understand and implement all requirements of ANSI and OSHA regulations. Build a professional working relationship with representatives of these agencies. Ensure compliance with federal, state and local agencies. Increase operational efficiency and effectiveness through on-going intra and inter-departmental communication and cooperation. Actively participate in enterprise-wide best practice groups relevant to operating departments with a focus on driving companywide results. Act as Vail Resorts representative with the local community as necessary. Assist in planning for the future development and capital improvements of all assets and infrastructure. Assure that all required records are maintained and kept up to date. This includes, but is not limited to, all mechanical, electrical and operational procedures, maintenance and operations logs, lift failures and incidents, and downtime logs. Other duties as assigned Job Requirements: Prior mountain operations experience and/or other comparable operations leadership experience. 5+ years of supervisory experience Experience with ROI analysis, forecasting and capital project experience Expert Skier or Snowboarder Preferred: 5+ years of mountain operations experience MS Office and Teams experience The expected pay range is $96,000 - $113,000 + annual bonus + equity. This is the pay range we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Individual compensation decisions are based on a variety of factors. In completing this application, and when submitting related documentation, applicants may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, and/or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. We follow all federal, state, and local laws including restrictions on child/minor labor. Minors hired into this position will not be asked or permitted to engage in any activities restricted to adult workers. Vail Resorts is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law. Requisition ID 512689 Reference Date: 11/21/2025 Job Code Function: Mountain Operations

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