Ohio Regional Manager of Environmental Affairs and Engineering

At Xanterra Parks & Resorts (Xanterra), the nation's largest National and State park concessionaire, environmental stewardship is fundamental to everything we do.  In the last several years, Xanterra has established itself as the industry leader in protecting and preserving the environment in more than 21 Xanterra operations in National and State parks and private resorts.

The company's 7,500 employees provide superior guest service to visitors from around the world who visit the company's 31 hotels and lodges with more than 5,300 guest rooms, 52 retail stores, 68 restaurants, 5 marinas, 9 golf courses, and 1,700 campsites within national and state parks. Each year, more than 18 million people visit the national and state parks where Xanterra operates.

These include the national parks at Yellowstone, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain, Petrified Forest, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, as well as facilities at 8 Ohio State Parks and 2 privately-owned resorts, Kingsmill Resort in Virginia and the Grand Canyon Railroad in Arizona. 

Position Overview: 

Xanterra is seeking a regional environmental affairs and engineering manager for its Ohio State Park operations to serve as that region's environmental conscience and building systems expert, working to make Xanterra's Ohio State Park operations a national leader in environmentally responsible business and tourism practices.

This person will also spend at least half of his/her time working with Xanterra management, engineering, and maintenance personnel in a supervisory role in regards to engineering projects and issues that exist in the region. The other half of his/her time will be spent leading, influencing, educating, and molding Xanterra's employees in Ohio into one of the most environmentally aware and responsible organizations in the hospitality industry. This agenda is supported at the highest levels in the company, a key ingredient for success.

The Manager will participate in designing the methodology for approaching and achieving this direction and drive its application. This is a rare opportunity to apply passion, technical knowledge, communication and people skills to facilitate cutting-edge business practices and efficient building operational systems that benefit both the local state park environment and guest service.

Develop, implement, and supervise:

1. multi-media environmental management programs and
2. building systems engineering projects for Xanterra Parks & Resorts' 9 Ohio State Parks which include lodging, retail, restaurant, transportation, marina, golf, and other hospitality operations.

These State Parks are: Salt Fork, Maumee Bay, Shawnee, Burr Oak, Punderson Manor, Hueston Woods, Mohican, Deer Creek, and Geneva Marina.

Responsibilities:

1. Develop, implement, and maintain environmental strategies and programs for Xanterra's Ohio operations consistent with the company's environmental management system (Ecologix). Working with the corporate environmental affairs department, achieve and maintain a self-certification of the EMS under the ISO 14001 standard.
2. Responsible for engineering projects/tasks as assigned by on-site General Managers and the Vice President, Parks North, as well as advising property staff concerning on-going engineering issues.
3. Provide support for engineering solutions to operational problems at property facilities.
4. Work with the General Managers, operations departments, and the corporate Vice President of Environmental Affairs to develop and implement environmental management programs and standards in the following areas:
   § Solid waste management
   § Energy and water efficiency of operational systems (including renewable energy)
   § Pollution prevention and waste reduction
   § Sustainable design and construction practices (including the LEED rating system)
   § Hazardous materials and waste management
   § Air emissions control/permitting
   § Environmental communication and education
   § Comprehensive affirmative procurement strategies
   § Underground and aboveground storage tanks (fuel dispensing and storage management).
   § Storm water Management
5. Coordinate with property departments - such as maintenance and purchasing - in implementing projects, setting standards, and monitoring results on environmental and engineering goals.
6. Serve as an environmental and engineering liaison between Xanterra and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) as it pertains to Maintenance Reserve and Repair (MR&R) projects at the Ohio Parks.
7. Develop and implement appropriate training programs to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and company requirements. Provide training to local maintenance staffs to increase their knowledge of their facilities and improve their skill sets as we maintain the facilities to ODNR standards.
8. Work with Xanterra's Vice President of Environmental Affairs and property General Managers to ensure regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal environmental statutes and regulations and minimize legal liabilities from potential hazards. This may include regulatory requirements with hazardous materials, hazardous waste (RCRA), universal waste, CFCs/halons, asbestos, lead-based paint, PCBs, pesticides, and fuel storage and delivery system management.
9. Serve as environmental spokesperson for Xanterra's Ohio State Park operations: communicating with and educating guests and employees; and working with ODNR and other governmental agencies on resolving environmental challenges and achieving goals.
10. Provide oversight of MR&R expenditures on maintenance contracts and repairs for the Ohio Parks to make sure best value for our expenditures.
11. Prepare and maintain a 5 year running Capital Plan.
12. Prepare, monitor, and document effective preventative maintenance processes for operational, guest, and public space equipment and facilities.
13. Promote company environmental stewardship with local, regional, and national environmental groups through committee participation and award application/recognition.
14. Develop energy conservation measures that reduce energy costs and Xanterra's carbon footprint for the Ohio parks. This includes coordinating energy audits with energy consultants and evaluating results and select priorities for implementing results of the audits.
15. Research, test, and implement proactive environmental and engineering technologies and procedures not only for Ohio operations but also to share with other applicable Xanterra operations.
16. Develop and manage a regional "Green Team," holding regularly scheduled meetings and establish goals and objectives for the committee.
17. Measure impact of programs and prepare required reports for Xanterra and the ODNR. Communicate these results with outside stakeholders.
18. Analyze for effectiveness and improve Xanterra's Ohio State Park environmental and engineering projects, and develop new environmental and engineering programs and procedures, as necessary.
19. Analyze facilities for feasibility of implementing US Green Building Council LEED Existing Building certification.
20. Serve on the Xanterra Incident Response Team and comply with all current safety and health requirements.
21. Position may be required to serve in an on-call capacity for non-business hours support if it is determined this is needed by the Vice President, Parks North and Vice President of Environmental Affairs.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science, engineering, or related field, plus minimum 5 years professional experience, preferably within the hospitality industry, in all aspects of environmental management. Supervisory or foreman experience in building construction, construction maintenance or maintenance engineering type operation. While a college degree is required, individual reputation, knowledge and experience in the environmental or engineering sectors will be the key criteria.
2. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with extensive experience in technical writing and public speaking. The Manager must communicate effectively with both corporate and field employees to identify opportunities to minimize the environmental impacts of Xanterra's business practices. 
3. Journeyman certification or thorough knowledge in one of the following trades: electrician, plumber, carpenter, boiler technician or refrigeration/HVAC; or certification as a USGBC LEED Accredited Professional or AEE Certified Energy Manager.
4. Familiarity with the required Building Codes for Ohio in addition to Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines per U.S. Department of Justice as relevant to the hospitality industry.
5. He or she will be a thought leader in regard to environmental issues and must possess outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including experience interacting with the media.
6. The Manager must be savvy as to proper business practices and present programs that are practical and financially sound. The Manager must genuinely enjoy people and be an effective team player, while also carefully introducing, promoting and driving change.
7. The Manager needs to have a personality and management style that inspires others, encourages employees to present their ideas and motivates a highly diverse group of people to understand what is expected and how to achieve/own those objectives. He/She must gain the respect of others by virtue of style, character, expertise and example, rather than through force or position.
8. He or she must be highly-organized and have strong administrative and leadership skills, including experience with operating budgets and the related accountability.
9. Experience in environmental report writing including EMS development, ISO 14001 certification, and environmental compliance auditing.
10. Familiarity with environmental laws and regulations as they relate to the hospitality industry, and an ability to keep abreast of this developing and complex field.
11. Well-developed personal computer skills.

Reporting Relationships:

This position reports directly to the Vice President, Parks North, and also to the Vice President of Environmental Affairs at the corporate office. 

Location: This is a full-time, year-round position with offices located at Deer Creek Lodge in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, about 20 miles southwest of Columbus.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits package includes 401k, health plan, vacation, and vehicle, among other things.

Start date: As soon as possible.

To Apply: 

Candidates must apply on line for this position and must submit a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this opportunity. Please click on the "Apply Here" option at the bottom of this page to begin the application process. If you have questions regarding this position, call Chris Lane, Vice President of Environmental Affairs.