Since 1949, the Cal Alumni Association’s Lair of the Golden Bear has provided unforgettable summer vacations for generations of Cal alumni families and friends of the University of California, Berkeley “Cal”. Located three hours east of the Bay Area in the Stanislaus National Forest in beautiful Pinecrest, Calif., the Lair’s fresh air, sunshine, and surrounding natural beauty provide guests with an amazing mountain playground. Their mission is to provide families with an escape to the beauty of the outdoors, where laughter echoes through the trees and lifelong friendships are born. Additionally, the Lair is expanding its offerings year-round, complementary to summer family camps, to include science camps for middle-school students, retreats for faculty and administrative leaders, as well as future seminars, retreats and conferences in its under-construction Lodge and Conference Center at Camp Oski.

The Lair of the Golden Bear (“the Lair”) is a flagship program of the Cal Alumni Association (“CAA”) and provides all Cal graduates with rewarding connections to the university, to fellow alumni, and to current students. Founded by the original graduates of the University of California in 1872, the CAA today represents more than half a million alumni living around the world.

Structure and Operations

CAA is led by an Executive Director and guided by a Board of Directors, with added support and involvement of the Lair Committee, comprised of Board members and non-Board members, devoted exclusively to the guidance and support of the Lair. CAA has two locations: one at the Alumni House on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, and the other at the Lair of the Golden Bear campsite and cabins in Pinecrest, California.

Each summer the Lair hosts up to 800 campers per week, totaling nearly 8,000 campers annually. The Lair is also host to hundreds of guests staying at the 15 new year-round cabins at Camp Oski, where year-round programs can be held. The General Manager (“GM”) of the Lair plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall experience and ensuring that every guest, with every program, feels a sense of belonging and adventure from the moment they arrive.

Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, the General Manager is responsible for the vision, strategic planning and execution, as well as the overall management and operation of the current $7.6 million year-round family camp business and programs. Serving as a member of the CAA senior management team, the GM resides onsite in Pinecrest, CA at the Lair of the Golden Bear from May through October; the GM has the option to live offsite if residing in the local Pinecrest area. The position will require occasional travel to the main U.C. Berkeley campus for planning, as well as senior management and Board meetings. It is important for the General Manager to be visible at Alumni House for relationship building with support departments.

The GM leads a team of 15 full-time and 2 part-time staff through 5 direct reports. During camp sessions, the number of Lair staff increases to 165 individuals, consisting of team members recruited through the University, from other colleges and universities, as well as local professionals.

In addition to daily operations, the GM will oversee the construction and launch of a new Lodge and Conference Center, managing the Project Manager responsible for overseeing the completion of the project. Construction is underway; the Conference Center is expected to open in late 2025.

CAA’s leadership, the Board, and the Lair Committee are seeking an innovative and inspirational General Manager who can drive the strategic growth of the Lair by identifying and analyzing new channels of growth

and operationalizing these channels. Of equal importance the GM is a professional who brings a mindset of exceptional hospitality and guest services ensuring a first-class experience. This GM will move the Lair operations forward while retaining the core service excellence and continuing to provide the setting and services that many Lair families anticipate. Multiple generations of Lair Campers are committed to an annual get-away and have traditions unique to their Camp Week. They reconnect with other returning families with whom they have formed lasting friendships, bonds and memories as a result of their shared experience at the Lair. The GM will bring an understanding of and embrace intergenerational guests and continue to offer tradition that is met with warm, genuine hospitality and an unmatched experience.

The GM will creatively identify new program areas for the Lair, as well as promote and market the Lair, with all of its resources, to new audiences and prospective campers and guests. The Lair’s potential growth and opportunity to scale will reflect the GM’s vision for exciting and innovative next-level hospitality!

A recent successful example of a new audience is the science camps being held at Camp Oski for middle-school students, achieved by partnering with school districts in the region. Potential future audiences could include academic department leadership holding faculty retreats, partnerships with affinity groups to introduce outdoor education that is non-culturally normative, and multi-day seminars on specialized topics, such as climate change or environmental conservation, where the Lair’s location offers unique place-based characteristics.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Oversee implementation of the new Lair Strategic Plan and Lair Master Plan in coordination with the Lair Committee. Serve as staff liaison to the Lair Committee.
• Serve as executive leader of the Lair to CAA executive staff, the CAA Board, the Lair Committee, and other university representatives.
• Responsible for oversight of all aspects of operations of the Lair of the Golden Bear family camp, including the care, safety, and maintenance of the camp properties, guest experience, and supervision of the camp staff in a manner that is aligned with DEIBJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice) principles.

Operations and Financial Management

• Develop and manage the annual operating budget of approximately $7.6 million. In addition, is responsible for prioritizing capital improvement projects and then developing an annual capital budget of approximately $100,000 per year.
• Develop and restructure the staffing model as needed to efficiently maximize the net revenue from the Lair.
• Develop and implement a plan to improve the customer experience, leading to greater customer satisfaction, higher net promoter scores (NPS) and increased customer retention.
• Oversee planning, preparation, and construction of a new Lodge and Conference Center at Camp Oski, an approximately $6 million capital improvement, and manage the Project Manager hired to facilitate the completion of the project.

Marketing, Audience Building, and External Relations

• Identify and implement new ways to promote the Lair to new audiences.
• Serve as spokesperson and advocate for the Lair to university departments.
• Oversee marketing for the family camp, 15 year-round cabins, and the Oski conference center, working with CAA staff resources.

Human Capital Management

• Manage and supervise the full-time year-round professional staff for the Lair.
• Oversee recruiting, hiring, training and managing of approximately 165 seasonal Lair staffers.
• Develop and implement strategies to attract and retain a diverse pool of seasonal camp counselors and foster an inclusive work environment by promoting DEIBJ principles motivating and empowering staff to deliver exceptional service.

Qualifications

• Education: An undergraduate degree in a relevant field required; an advanced degree is highly preferred. However, well-qualified candidates with equivalent experience will be considered.

• Experience
  • Minimum of ten years of experience leading and managing a diverse, high caliber hospitality operations team, including some operational and administrative components.
  • Experience in hospitality management, especially in a camp or resort setting known for exceptional service, with knowledge, expertise, and experience in a leadership role in scaling and growing an organization.
  • A background that includes leadership in an organization in transition.
  • Demonstrated skills in negotiations, decision-making, written and oral communications, customer service, public speaking, public relations, marketing and promotion.
  • Strong organizational, management, and interpersonal skills; ability to interact with large numbers of people in an informal setting.
  • Demonstrated track record of successful organizational relationship and reporting dynamics in a complex, multi-site hospitality business.
  • Experience managing a business unit or enterprise with P&L responsibility.
  • Experience in developing and managing a large and complex budget.

   

  COMPETENCIES/ATTRIBUTES:

   

  The successful candidate will be:

  • Passionate about the Lair’s mission and vision with a commitment to providing exceptional hospitality.
  • A visionary and motivational leader who can balance camp duties and CAA administrative responsibilities.
  • Effective at managing up, down, and across the organization; empowering staff while upholding appropriate accountability. Adaptable, accessible, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative with colleagues. Equally comfortable with high level strategy and in-the-weeds execution.
  • Leader in style and practice, inspiring adherence to a standard of excellence and to professional best practices and protocols.
  • An excellent communicator both internally and externally – clear, transparent, inspirational, compelling. Direct, candid, honest and well versed in constructive conflict resolution. Intellectually curious, an active listener.
  • Appreciative of and adept at working on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice.
  • A natural problem solver and solution seeker when confronted by challenges or obstacles.
  • Confident and mature with high emotional intelligence (“EQ”) who can work well with diverse internal colleagues and a variety of stakeholders.
  • A strategic risk taker and self-starter, able to take the initiative in moving the work forward.

   

  The successful candidate will possess:

  • A passion for hospitality excellence with the desire to ensure memorable guest experience.
  • Exceptional customer service and employee satisfaction orientation.
  • The ability to supervise multiple and diverse activities and staff positions, ideally with college-aged team members.
  • Strategic thinking, collaboration, and relationship building abilities.
  • Proven decision-making skills in a managerial position.
  • Experience working with and solving problems for customers, campers, guests, and staff with a customer-centric approach.
  • Proven abilities to develop and implement strategies and new programs.
  • Ability to work diplomatically with diverse groups of people and with under-represented communities of students and/or alumni.
  • The ability to forge strong working relationships internally and externally, able to quickly develop trusting relationships across the organization, one who is viewed as a dependable thought partner.
  • Exceptional operational, analytic, and problem-solving skills, and therefore excellent operational and systems knowledge.
  • A growth mindset as well as the intelligence, intellectual range, and compassion necessary to be successful in a strategic leadership role. These qualities should come with varied and wise experience managing organizational growth and scale.
  • Ideally, knowledge of the Lair as a camper, staffer, or manager; working knowledge of U.C. Berkeley and the Cal Alumni Association; and/or U.C. Berkeley alum[nus/na].

   

  It is not necessary to meet all the criteria above to apply and be considered for this critical position.

Salary and Benefits

An annual salary of $165,000 to $180,000 will be offered, commensurate with experience. This position is classified as an at-will, full-time, exempt position, and is eligible to participate in company sponsored benefits. CAA offers excellent health care for employees and dependents, supplemental benefits, a 403(b) plan with company match, and generous paid time-off (PTO) benefits.

To Apply

To initiate consideration for this opportunity, please submit a resume and cover letter, speaking to your qualifications as per this Position Specification, to the Carlson Beck representatives below.

For additional information regarding this opportunity, please contact:

Sally Carlson, Managing Partner               Claire LeTard, Principal

415.203.5259 mobile                                     985.773.3326 direct

sally@carlsonbeck.com                              claire@carlsonbeck.com

Our Operating Principles

We are especially interested in hiring a candidate who will commit to building a workplace that:

• Fosters personal accountability and empowerment
• Inspires personal integrity and a commitment to ethical standards
• Builds trust and mutual respect
• Fosters effective communication
• Conducts work that is inspirational, innovative, forward-thinking and adaptable
• Reinforces teamwork
• Offers constructive feedback and coaching
• Shares a common commitment to vision/goals
• Nurtures a positive outlook
• Affirms diversity
• Allows for an aesthetic, healthy and accommodating physical workspace.

Benefits

For Our Full-time Employees:

CAA offers an excellent health care and supplemental benefits packages, 403(b), a generous paid time-off benefit, and more. We have a friendly, relaxed but professional environment, and we pride ourselves on our team approach.

Health Care Benefits:

• CAA employees are required to contribute 10% of their total medical premium for the employee and 20% for any eligible dependents.
• CAA pays 100% of the premiums for Dental and Vision benefits for the employee and any eligible dependents.

Paid Time Off Benefits:

• Vacation: 16 days/year for first 2 years of service, 18 days/year after completing 2 years of service, 21 days/year after completing 5 years of service.
• Sick time: 12 days/year
• Holidays: 11 total per year
• Paid time off between Dec 26 and Dec 31
• Birthday Holiday: 1 Day off

Professional Development:

• As affiliates to UC Berkeley, CAA employees are eligible to participate in many of the on-campus professional development workshops, seminars and professional networks available to UCB employees. Please note that this does not include undergraduate or graduate courses offered to students.
• CAA has a partnership with UC Berkeley Extension that offers our employees a discount on enrollment fees.

Financial Benefits:

• 403(b) retirement savings plan with a company match
• Supplemental Insurance with 100% of premiums paid by CAA:
  • Life Insurance
  • AD&D Insurance
  • LTD Insurance
• Option to purchase supplemental insurance plans from AFLAC

Commuting and Parking:

• If you’re a commuter, consider taking advantage our pre-tax public transit commuter benefit. You can load your Clipper Card or pay public transit fare with pre-tax dollars.
• Cal Bear Pass: Take advantage of UCB’s partnership with AC Transit. The partnership offers a cost savings of up to 70% off the standard monthly bus pass rate! CAA employees are eligible to purchase an AC transit pass at the faculty/staff discount rate with pre-tax payroll deductions.
• UCB Campus Parking Permit: As affiliates to UCB, our CAA employees are eligible to purchase a campus parking permit at the faculty/staff discount rate with pre-tax payroll deductions.

Access to Campus Programs and Discounts:

• Eligible to join the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) at the Faculty/Staff discount rate
• Special campus events
• Free admission to the University Art Museum
• Discount tickets for Cal Performances, Pacific Film Archive, and Hertz Hall
• AirBears: wireless internet access on campus