Associate Chief Academic Officer jobs in Miami, FL

At Brightline, we believe in creating meaningful connections through exceptional travel experiences. We operate at the intersection of hospitality and transportation and we are on a mission to encourage America to Go Car Free and Carefree.

Brightline owns and operates an express passenger rail system connecting major population centers in Florida, with plans to expand operations further in Florida, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and elsewhere in North America. We are the first new major private passenger intercity railroad in the United States in over a century, and we believe our business represents a scalable model for twenty-first-century passenger travel in North America.

Combine your experience, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit by joining our growing team in Florida. Brightline is pleased to offer an attractive and competitive compensation and benefits package as well as the opportunity to make a difference while making history as the only privately-funded rapid rail service in the country. 

Your Purpose

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be based in Florida and will be primarily responsible for continuing to elevate Brightline’s world-class Brand Experience in Florida as well as the day-to-day management of the business including current operations and future growth and expansion opportunities.  The COO will provide the leadership, management, and vision necessary to ensure that the company has the proper operational standards and controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow the organization and to ensure financial strength, operating efficiency, and a first-class guest experience. 

Your Role

Reporting directly to the President and a member of the executive committee of the operating company, the COO will closely coordinate and integrate with the executive team for strategic and tactical management of the overall enterprise. 

• Hospitality Operations: Overseeing all aspects of Station Operations (including Station management and Staff, Parking & Mobility operations, Baggage Handling, Food & beverage at Premium Lounge and Mary Mary bars, Retail and in-station Security), Onboard Operations (including commissary oversight, onboard F&B service, luggage operations and ticket enforcement/ security onboard the train) and our Guest Experience Call Center
• Maintenance & Housekeeping: Ensuring facilities and equipment are maintained in a first-class manner through daily cleaning and maintenance programs as well as annual and long-range planning of capital projects as needed to maintain our high standards.
• Safety & Security: Planning and implementing programs to ensure the safety and security of all guests and teammates including emergency preparedness plans.  Maintain system safety plan for audits by agencies.  Work effectively with the region's emergency medical providers and fire/rescue agencies to familiarize them with Brightline routes, equipment, and service characteristics.
• Transportation Operations: Working closely with the transportation team to ensure the seamless integration of railroad operations with the rest of the business to deliver a consistent teammate and guest experience. Work with the Transportation team to optimize the integration of the Operations Control Center with Guest Experience.
• Operating financials: Budgeting, forecasting, monitoring, and management of financials to ensure results are consistent with the overall company financial frameworks inclusive of profit-and-loss responsibility for railroad and hospitality operations.
• Information technology: Integration to include management of current needs and future strategies for the necessary technology support to operate the business.
• Public relations: Engage with leadership and PR team on management of external communications related to day-to-day operations inclusive of issues such as crisis management and emergency response outreach.  Engage in public outreach with both Commissions and local staff, elected officials, business leaders, media, consultants, citizens, and interest groups from the service area regarding transportation matters of mutual interest. Promote expansion of Brightline ridership by projecting a positive image of Brightline and its services.
• Culture: Promote a Team First Culture that seamlessly integrates all aspects of Brightline’s Operations. Advocate on behalf of the operations team for initiatives, tools, and solutions that elevate our Brand Experience. Be a relentless motivator for the operations team by leading by example and putting your team first.

You

The Chief Operating Officer will be an intellectually curious, analytically rigorous, and guest-centric executive who is highly effective at collaborating, influencing, and driving impact across an organization. The successful candidate will be highly entrepreneurial and have proven experience fostering an environment of innovation and unparalleled guest experience with a focus on operational excellence.

Ideal Experience

• 20 years of expanding responsibility leading operations with an emphasis on providing services related to hospitality/guest experience, transportation, and/or entertainment where the guest experience, teammate experience, and complex integration of people, facilities and equipment are central to successful outcomes
• Direct experience with profit and loss of an operating company. Specific focus on labor costs and management, costs of goods sold, and procurement. Track record of problem-solving, program creation, and leadership.
• Proven capability to lead and integrate in complex and unprecedented situations with new and disruptive products and services
• Proven leader of people with the experience to respond to a range of market conditions and changes consistent with reasonable expectations for a newly conceived product and newly constructed company
• Start-up and/or private equity experience is preferred
• Experience within the hospitality and/or hotel and/or travel sector is preferred. F&B experience is a plus. 

Critical Leadership Capabilities

• Driving Results
  • By focusing on results, the COO will lead by example in an organization that values accountability and execution.  The COO must be decisive, after gaining relevant perspective and input from others.
  • Driven by creating a world-class experience, the COO will constantly look to improve existing services and introduce new products and services to elevate the brand and our Net Promoter Score.
  • In addition, this leader will be financially astute and ROI-driven.  The COO will lead by example, unafraid to roll up their sleeves in a startup environment that values decisiveness, action and a guest-centric mentality.
  • The COO will have the ability to make sound decisions, demonstrating a strong sense of urgency and instilling that in others. They will also have a reputation for not micro-managing, but rather empowering their reports to succeed, and they will need to maintain a strong level of accountability to create change whenever such needs are not met.
• Collaborating and Influencing
  • Facilitates discussions to enable people to collaborate with each other independently; promotes collaboration across multiple parties.
  • Identifies and meets with key players and stakeholders to help them shape a consensus collectively and engages in a dialogue to reach a final conclusion together, compromising as necessary for results.
  • Develops explicit understanding of which relationships are most important to the organization and its stakeholders; builds a network prioritizing these relationships.
• Other Characteristics
  • Irrepressible optimism and a willingness to engage deeply with the executive team to advance ideas, initiatives and strategies.
  • Strong curiosity for evolving consumer trends, culture and technology and the creative application of same against various business opportunities.
  • Superior written and oral communication skills.
  • Strong relationship builder both internally and externally, with the ability to gently guide key stakeholders and team members through change.

Brightline Management, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Brightline Management, LLC will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current teammates to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.