Mariner Sands Country Club General Manager/COO

Mariner Sands Country Club General Manager/COO Job Category:GM/COO Club:Mariner Sands Country Club Location:Stuart, FL GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER PROFILE: MARINER SANDS COUNTRY CLUB STUART, FL GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OPPORTUNITY AT MARINER SANDS COUNTRY CLUB One of the early gated residential club communities in southern Martin County, Mariner Sands Country Club (MSCC), has reimagined itself over the past few years with several new, updated amenities including a brand-new clubhouse in the past year! We are searching for a new General Manager/Chief Operating Officer (GM/COO) to bring energized, interactive, front-facing leadership to the Team and to be actively involved with the Board and Committees as the Club continues its significant capital reinvestment in amenities and relevancy to the next generation of residents. Further strategic positioning of this community is desired by the Board, and the future looks very bright! MSCC is seeking a financially astute, professional, can-do, naturally front-facing, and positively passionate leader who can inspire and manage staff to achieve the goals set by management and the Board. He or she must have impressive financial competency and be able to stay focused on budgets and the Club's strategic plans, including the newly completed clubhouse and major enhancements to the member experience. Further, they expect a GM/COO who can continue to raise the bar on overall member and staff experiences, ensuring that MSCC is viewed as one of the most desirable club communities in South Florida. The GM/COO oversees both the Club and the Community at Mariner Sands and must have strong knowledge of FL Statute 720 requirements. Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity. ABOUT MARINER SANDS COUNTRY CLUB AND COMMUNITY Mariner Sands Country Club is a gated private country club community located in Stuart, Florida. The community spans more than 880 acres and features beautiful homes, many recently updated, with golf course and lake views. At the heart of the community is Mariner Sands Country Club, offering a vibrant lifestyle supported by exceptional amenities and a year-round social calendar. In 2025, Mariner Sands celebrated the opening of its new clubhouse, marking a major milestone for the community. The clubhouse features enhanced dining venues, expanded social spaces, and amenities designed to further elevate the member experience. Members enjoy several dining options, including the casual Sand Bar at the pool, The Ashley and The Reserve for indoor and outdoor dining overlooking the golf course, and The Mariner ballroom, which hosts weekly events, Sunday brunch, and special celebrations. Golf is central to the Mariner Sands experience with two 18-hole championship courses. The Gold Course, designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio, blends strategic challenge with scenic beauty. The Blue Course, created by Frank Duane, an associate of Arnold Palmer and Robert Trent Jones, offers an enjoyable experience for golfers of all skill levels. Members also enjoy extensive practice facilities, including a five-acre driving range, short-game training areas, practice putting greens, and instruction from PGA-certified professionals, as well as a full calendar of tournaments and golf events. Beyond golf, Mariner Sands offers a wide range of recreational and wellness amenities. The Club features a state-of-the-art fitness center with modern equipment, personal training, and group exercise classes, as well as a full-service spa offering massage and wellness services. The resort-style pool complex includes a free-form pool, lap lanes, and poolside dining at the Sand Bar. Additional recreational amenities include nine HydroCourt clay tennis courts, six pickleball courts, an active croquet program, and bocce courts, all supported by professional instruction and organized leagues and social play throughout the year. MARINER SANDS COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS: The Initiation fee is $120,000 for Golf members $31,705 for Golf Family dues, which is the top category of membership; others are a reduction from this level Capital Dues - $292 per month for the top membership category There is a total of 826 members in various categories Approximately $17.43M Annual Operating dues Volume Approximately $2.77M F&B Revenue (100% ala carte) Approximately 190 Employees (FTE) year-round, with approximately 18 additional seasonal staff members, including several H2B employees during that time There are 9 Board members, each serving 3-year terms 68 is the average age of membership The Club uses ClubEssentials for its POS, accounting and website There are approximately 40,500 rounds of golf played annually on the Club's 36 holes The Club and Community are organized as a 1120 corporation under Florida code section 277 The clubs offer the following committees: ARB, Audit, Bridge, Communications, Croquet & Bocce, Election, Finance, Fitness & Spa, Golf, Governing Document Review, Green, House, Insurance, Legal, Long-Range Planning, Maintenance Advisory, Members, Membership, New Clubhouse, Pickleball, and Tennis MARINER SANDS COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE: www.marinersands.com GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER POSITION OVERVIEW The Board desires a GM/COO who functions proactively and in a highly engaging manner, works very closely with the Board of Governors, and is actively involved with several Club committees. The GM/COO will be seen as the face of Mariner Sands Country Club and, in partnership with key volunteers, will be a primary visionary to ensure that MSCC consistently delivers an exceptionally high level of personalized service. This lead by example GM/COO will be the primary driver of enhancing and elevating the overall membership and staff experience, and of being an employer of choice within a highly competitive local hospitality community. The Board is desirous of working with a GM/COO who handles all operational matters and is an active thought partner on strategic and policy matters, and who is approachable and actively listens and engages, while providing transparency to direction and operations throughout, and who can help to identify new and active ways of marketing this ideally located community. Significant to the new GM/COO's success is the ability to understand the unique nature of residential community clubs, likely through firsthand experience gained in current or previous roles. Certainly, a key to his/her success is putting members first and recognizing that the foundation of providing staff support and clarity of mission, a natural mentorship approach, walking the talk and being present in his/her normal, sincere, and engaging style. Exceptional communications skills, including strong listening and respectful feedback skills, with both members and staff are a critical success factor and priority for the new GM/COO, as is easy approachability and recognizing that the entirety of the MSCC operation is his/her responsibility and time spent in each operating department and around the overall community is important. Clearly, and as noted, the demonstrated ability to listen and respectfully respond diplomatically is essential to success at Mariner Sands while overseeing both club and community operations. The Club and Community have enjoyed a large influx of new residents over the past few years, and the GM/COO will be a key player in the orientation, on-boarding and introduction/transition of these and future members/residents into Mariner Sands; effectively managing these changing demographics will be a critical measure of the new GM/COO's success. The ability to manage expectations with exceptional EQ is critically important, but a fair amount of that is accomplished simply by being present, approachable, accessible, diplomatic, and by having the necessary gravitas to be viewed with confidence and trusted by all constituencies. Additionally, and of great importance, is putting appropriate urgency on responding to both members and staff. Paying attention to the details of maintenance in the many new amenities, having effective and followed SOPs, and focusing on the overall member experience, enhancement of staff culture and other key areas of success is critical, as the Club and Community have great curb appeal and have been well-maintained throughout. Direct reports include Executive Assistant, Director of Agronomy, Assistant GM, Director of Facilities and Grounds, Director of Finance, Director of Golf, Director of HR, Director of Membership & Marketing and Director of Security. Key attributes, characteristics, experiences, and style of the successful new leader include: Possessive of a deep knowledge in active club and community operations, with especially strong skills in financial budgeting and operations/capital planning, an appreciation of modern performance management systems and technology. Being financially astute and able to effectively guide a large operation, including working to further develop financial reporting areas, dashboards and KPI and metric transparency is important. Is expected to be a consummate hospitality professional with a servant's heart and strong operational management skills, who, in collaboration with the Board, Member Committees and Senior Staff, can define and strategically execute plans to ensure the MSCC is viewed as one of the premier club communities in South Florida. Someone who is naturally energized and engaging, visible and interactive with members and staff in a sincere and meaningful manner, the epitome of respectful, diplomatic relations. Exceptionally strong and timely communication and facilitation skills, both written and verbal, with the appropriate personal presence, desire, and ability to interact effectively before diverse constituencies of members, staff, vendors and other people who are part of the success of Mariner Sands Country Club. Having full operational responsibility for the Club and Community, and will be responsible and accountable for developing, monitoring, and managing the Annual Operating/Business Plan and Budget. He/she must be someone who can establish appropriate benchmarks for staff management success, and who is clearly able to articulate the reasons why to both senior staff and the Board. Someone who is hands on, but who works strategically and can clearly communicate his/her strategy and expectations to the team for whom he/she is a natural mentor. Staying relevant and ahead of changing demographic expectations as it relates to services, programming and amenities will continue to be of high importance at MSCC. Further, having worked through the entire cycle of planning, temporary facilities and reopening is hugely helpful and a priority. Possess a strong record of selecting and developing talent in club senior leadership roles and helping those departmental leaders continuously develop themselves and their respective staffs in a desire to create a culture of continuous evolution to excellence in execution and delivery. As noted, being a natural mentor is important and understanding the dynamics of seasonal operations and staff is important. A track record of results in governance/leadership partnership with active Member Boards and committees. Active involvement in CMAA or similar organizations where he/she has a strong network of peers and can stay abreast of the industry, trends, and opportunities for MSCC to stay relevant and proactive for its members and staff. The ability to lead in a very busy operation. The Club enjoys a very active golf program for both male and female members, has a vibrant F & B program and an exceptional number of clubs within the club' that need focus and attention, as well as a consistently high level of execution. INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Observe, ask lots of questions, and listen. Learn the seasonal flow' of Mariner Sands; its strengths and its weaknesses and develop a strong vision of where you see operations and facilities moving in the future to be relevant, competitive, and highly desirable by the next generation of residents. Create a state of the club' report after 100 days in the role, providing keen insights and observations of operations, processes, team and practices. Spend time with the team (staff in all areas of operations), getting to know them, their abilities, and aspirations, consistently using this time to further communicate the vision and mission of Mariner Sands. Ensure that clarity of expectations and accountabilities is in place for all key leadership roles, and that necessary resources are provided to achieve memorialized goals. Develop Board and Committee relationships, especially with the Club President and Executive Committee, working to create strong bonds and encouraging open communication. Meet and sincerely interact with and engage as many members as possible, including creating a series of by invitation' focus group sessions to listen, hear, learn, and develop relationships. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS Extensive experience required in business management and administration with particular emphasis on country club and HOA/POA operations. A business degree and a CAM license are preferred. Should have an informed working knowledge of golf, tennis, and related country club operations, in addition to POA/HOA operations. Exceptional financial business acumen with a helpful understanding of how to leverage high tech to further improve high touch Excellent judgment as a leader and motivator with high EQ Effective time management and prioritization skills Preferably, a CCM or equivalent certification, along with a strong peer network SALARY AND BENEFITS Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Club offers an excellent bonus and benefit package, including CMAA membership. INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile. Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mike Galletti, Chairman, and the MSCC Search Committee and clearly articulate why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career and why Mariner Sands and the greater Stuart, Florida 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 April 20, 2026. Candidate selections will occur in May, with first Interviews expected before Memorial Day and second interviews after the holiday. A desired start is as soon as reasonably possible following selection. IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: Last Name, First Name - Resume Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Mariner Sands (These documents should be in Word or PDF format) If you have any questions, please email Patty Sprankle at patty@kkandw.com Search Executive: Kurt D. Kuebler, CCM, CMAA Fellow Partner O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 701 M: (407) 864-6798 - Jupiter, FL kurt@kkandw.com Kevin Vitale, CCM Search Executive O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 730 M: (908) 285-4762 kevin@kkandw.com