LJA Mission Statement:
The mission of Lake Junaluska is to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body.
Located in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, Lake Junaluska is a conference and retreat center that hosts over 50,000 overnight guests annually. We have over 400 lodging rooms, a campground, and meeting space for up to 2,000 people. All of our facilities are located on a scenic 1,200 acre campus which boasts panoramic views, abundant recreation opportunities, and a 200 acre lake. Our market ranges from youth groups to affluent leisure guests primarily from the Southeastern U.S.
Essential Functions:
- Ensure that all Group bookings are handled and processed efficiently and correctly, through consistent interactions with the Sales & Coordinator Departments.
- Responsible for supporting the booking process for all overnight accommodations, special events and day activities.
- Assist the Revenue/Reservations Manager in supporting the department's day to day activities when asked.
- Ensure the group blocks are created and monitored correctly prior, during and post group dates.
- Routine review of lodging blocks, and upkeep digital tracking of group blocks and their associated pick-up.
- Coordinate with involved parties to ensure timely processing and pick-up of group blocks.
- Oversee event registration for: Lake Junaluksa-organized events, group packages, events contracted for registration services. As needed, review booked reservations to ensure accuracy and operational success.
- Monitor/create reporting associated with groups to depict accurate pick-up, billing, forecasting, etc.
- Check for group reservation errors and contact the caller of the reservation or group contact accordingly to obtain and verify information.
- Work with Event Coordinator and Group Coordinators in regards to group rooming lists, reservation changes and group billing according to contract and email history.
- Monitor room type availability daily.
- Monitor non-guaranteed reservations daily and contact the caller of reservation if needed to obtain a credit card.
- Responsible for canceling reservations when required and adding appropriate cancellation fee.
- Create and maintain group room blocks and advise Revenue Manager of supply availability for leisure guest rooms.
- Help avoid and resolve billing challenges in group reservations.
- Support inbound calls from in-house, future and past guests.
- Monitor internet bookings, availability and billing.
- Assist in completing VIP and internal reservations; communicating any issues to Reservations/Revenue Manager.
- Assist in completing all email reservations and changes for groups.
- Share knowledge about groups with relevant departments to ensure positive guest experiences are had.
- Support the training of reservationists and front desk to ensure team members are well equipped to support the group guest experience at Lake Junaluska.
Guest Communication & Experience:
- Communicates closely with the Sales Department, and group organizers to ensure groups at Lake Junaluska have a positive experience.
- Responsible for coordinating the sale of event tickets and special meal tickets at all Lake Junaluska front desk locations and via the Lake Junaluska website.
- Continuously strives to enhance processes and make suggestions to improve the operational efficiency of Lake Junaluska's reservations system, and guest experience at Lake Junaluska.
General:
- Be able to make decisions in an autonomous manner that meet the needs of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
- Possess excellent hospitality skills and a strong desire to foster an attitude of Christian hospitality to "exceed guest expectations".
- Comply with all safety policies, practices and procedures and report any unsafe activities or conditions immediately to supervisor or the Human Resources department.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned and required.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Associate's degree or equivalent; or one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Hospitality and/or Reservations Department/Event Coordination experience are preferred.
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals
- Excellent written and oral communications skills with people from a wide variety of education and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Advanced computer skills to include, Microsoft Office, G-Suite, electronic mail, routine database, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics. In addition, hotel property management system experience such as SMS /Opera or sales systems such as Delphi, Hotel Sales Pro or Maestro, etc. are preferred.
- Organizational Skills: Must be very detail oriented with the ability to prioritize tasks, organize daily activity and perform multiple tasks at the same time. Strong organizational and analytical skills are essential.
- Knowledge of Property Management System and Sales and Events Management platform(s) preferred
- MUST be very detailed oriented with the ability to prioritize tasks and organize daily activity to maximize productivity of both self and team
- Ability to allocate time efficiently with minimal supervision
- Ability to resolve customer service related issues and troubleshoot a variety of customer, clients and/or employee questions.
- Must have solid customer service experience
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; must be able to calculate rates, ratio and percentages and to create and interpret sales graphs
- Ability to minimize conflict within the workplace. Customer service and conflict management experience or training is a must.
- Ability to travel offsite and use remote desktop access if and as needed
- Understanding of Christian beliefs and values. Knowledge of The United Methodist Church is ideal. Ability to support the Mission and Vision of Lake Junaluska is essential.
- Must have the following:
- Valid NC Driver's License
- Access to reliable vehicle
Performance/Success Factors
- Be punctual to work and other related functions
- Perform well in a team environment
- Complete work in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner
- Ability to prioritize daily tasks and events
- Perform routine duties with minimal supervision
- Provide leadership to others through example and sharing of knowledge/skill
- Adhere to departmental standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Strives for excellence in all tasks and duties and foster an attitude of "exceeding guest expectations"
- Able to work independently but operate within LJA policy guidelines using independent judgment
Working conditions
- Light to moderate physical activity performing non-strenuous administrative type work
- Well-lighted, heated and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation; with quiet to moderate noise
- Physical demands: able to lift up to 25 pounds, manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items
- Manual dexterity to perceive attributes of objects and materials
- Climb, balance, stoop, kneel; frequently moves about, able to stand, walk, and sit for extended periods
- At times, be outdoors in all weather conditions
- Vision: must be able to see close, have good vision to perform daily duties
- Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; nights, weekend, holiday, OT, as required
Lake Junaluska is an Equal Opportunity Employer