The Newbury Boston
Compensation Type: Yearly Highgate Hotels: Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, this forward-thinking company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate continues to demonstrate success in developing a diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts, featuring contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team of seasoned hospitality leaders and corporate offices worldwide, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. www.highgate.com Location:
The Newbury Boston at One Newbury Street, located in the premier shopping and dining neighborhood of Boston’s Back Bay is an iconic property originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and most recently was the Taj Boston. The building was recently transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel with 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street. Overview: The Director of Housekeeping is responsible for leading all aspects of the Housekeeping Department, including guest rooms, public areas, and back-of-house spaces. This role ensures the delivery of consistent luxury standards, a clean and safe environment, and an elevated guest experience, while maintaining strong financial controls and labor productivity. The Director of Housekeeping provides strategic and operational leadership to a large, unionized housekeeping team and works closely with Rooms Division leadership and other departments to support seamless hotel operations. Responsibilities: Operations & Quality StandardsOversee daily housekeeping operations for guest rooms, public areas, and back-of-house spacesEnsure all areas are maintained to luxury brand and hotel standardsLead daily room inspections and maintain a consistent quality control programInspect VIP and special-request rooms prior to arrivalEnsure accurate room status reporting and resolve discrepancies with Front OfficeMonitor out-of-order, out-of-service, and discrepant rooms and coordinate resolutionPartner with Engineering on preventive maintenance programs and follow-up on work ordersLabor & Financial ManagementOwn housekeeping labor management, productivity standards, and schedulingPrepare staffing plans aligned with forecasted occupancy and business levelsMonitor payroll, overtime, and productivity to ensure budget complianceControl departmental expenses including supplies, linens, uniforms, and contracted servicesOversee linen and terry PAR levels, inventories, and loss prevention effortsParticipate in monthly and quarterly inventories for linens, uniforms, and suppliesFollow purchasing, invoicing, and accounting procedures in accordance with hotel standardsLeadership & Union RelationsLead, coach, and develop the housekeeping leadership teamFoster a respectful, accountable, and performance-driven work environmentManage union relations in collaboration with HR, including coaching, corrective action, and contract complianceEnsure proper onboarding, training, and ongoing development of all housekeeping staffPrepare and deliver performance evaluations and formal feedbackConduct departmental meetings and training sessions on a regular basisGuest Experience & CollaborationEnsure housekeeping plays an active role in the overall guest experienceRespond to guest concerns in a timely and professional manner and ensure proper follow-upMaintain constant communication with Guest Services and Front OfficeCoordinate with other departments to support group arrivals, large turns, and special eventsMonitor and act on special requests, VIP needs, and guest preferencesCompliance, Safety & AdministrationEnsure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment and safety regulationsMaintain proper key control, lost and found procedures, and security protocolsEnsure proper handling and storage of cleaning products in accordance with OSHA standardsMaintain accurate departmental documentation including schedules, inspections, inventories, and reportsEnsure all required payroll reports and activity logs are completed and submitted on time
Qualifications: Education & Experience:
At least 5 years of progressive experience in a luxury hotel or a related field; or a 4-year college degree and 3 or more years of related luxury experiencePrior Director-level leadership experience within Housekeeping requiredExperience leading unionized housekeeping operations preferredDemonstrated ability to manage large teams in a fast-paced luxury environmentWorking knowledge of labor scheduling, productivity standards, and payroll controlsExperience overseeing room quality, inspections, and preventive maintenance programsProficient in Microsoft Office and hotel systems (PMS, housekeeping platforms, reporting tools)Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skillsPhysical Requirements: Long hours may be required based on business needs, including weekdays, weekends, and holidaysAbility to walk and inspect the property for extended periodsAbility to lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds occasionallyGeneral Requirements:Communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with guests and all levels of employeesMaintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all timesDemonstrate strong problem-solving, organizational, and time-management skillsMaintain confidentiality of sensitive informationAttend all required hotel meetings and trainingsParticipate in Manager on Duty coverage as requiredComply with all hotel policies, procedures, and safety standardsPerform other duties as assigned by hotel leadership
The Newbury Boston at One Newbury Street, located in the premier shopping and dining neighborhood of Boston’s Back Bay is an iconic property originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and most recently was the Taj Boston. The building was recently transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel with 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street. Overview: The Director of Housekeeping is responsible for leading all aspects of the Housekeeping Department, including guest rooms, public areas, and back-of-house spaces. This role ensures the delivery of consistent luxury standards, a clean and safe environment, and an elevated guest experience, while maintaining strong financial controls and labor productivity. The Director of Housekeeping provides strategic and operational leadership to a large, unionized housekeeping team and works closely with Rooms Division leadership and other departments to support seamless hotel operations. Responsibilities: Operations & Quality StandardsOversee daily housekeeping operations for guest rooms, public areas, and back-of-house spacesEnsure all areas are maintained to luxury brand and hotel standardsLead daily room inspections and maintain a consistent quality control programInspect VIP and special-request rooms prior to arrivalEnsure accurate room status reporting and resolve discrepancies with Front OfficeMonitor out-of-order, out-of-service, and discrepant rooms and coordinate resolutionPartner with Engineering on preventive maintenance programs and follow-up on work ordersLabor & Financial ManagementOwn housekeeping labor management, productivity standards, and schedulingPrepare staffing plans aligned with forecasted occupancy and business levelsMonitor payroll, overtime, and productivity to ensure budget complianceControl departmental expenses including supplies, linens, uniforms, and contracted servicesOversee linen and terry PAR levels, inventories, and loss prevention effortsParticipate in monthly and quarterly inventories for linens, uniforms, and suppliesFollow purchasing, invoicing, and accounting procedures in accordance with hotel standardsLeadership & Union RelationsLead, coach, and develop the housekeeping leadership teamFoster a respectful, accountable, and performance-driven work environmentManage union relations in collaboration with HR, including coaching, corrective action, and contract complianceEnsure proper onboarding, training, and ongoing development of all housekeeping staffPrepare and deliver performance evaluations and formal feedbackConduct departmental meetings and training sessions on a regular basisGuest Experience & CollaborationEnsure housekeeping plays an active role in the overall guest experienceRespond to guest concerns in a timely and professional manner and ensure proper follow-upMaintain constant communication with Guest Services and Front OfficeCoordinate with other departments to support group arrivals, large turns, and special eventsMonitor and act on special requests, VIP needs, and guest preferencesCompliance, Safety & AdministrationEnsure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment and safety regulationsMaintain proper key control, lost and found procedures, and security protocolsEnsure proper handling and storage of cleaning products in accordance with OSHA standardsMaintain accurate departmental documentation including schedules, inspections, inventories, and reportsEnsure all required payroll reports and activity logs are completed and submitted on time
Qualifications: Education & Experience:
At least 5 years of progressive experience in a luxury hotel or a related field; or a 4-year college degree and 3 or more years of related luxury experiencePrior Director-level leadership experience within Housekeeping requiredExperience leading unionized housekeeping operations preferredDemonstrated ability to manage large teams in a fast-paced luxury environmentWorking knowledge of labor scheduling, productivity standards, and payroll controlsExperience overseeing room quality, inspections, and preventive maintenance programsProficient in Microsoft Office and hotel systems (PMS, housekeeping platforms, reporting tools)Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skillsPhysical Requirements: Long hours may be required based on business needs, including weekdays, weekends, and holidaysAbility to walk and inspect the property for extended periodsAbility to lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds occasionallyGeneral Requirements:Communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with guests and all levels of employeesMaintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all timesDemonstrate strong problem-solving, organizational, and time-management skillsMaintain confidentiality of sensitive informationAttend all required hotel meetings and trainingsParticipate in Manager on Duty coverage as requiredComply with all hotel policies, procedures, and safety standardsPerform other duties as assigned by hotel leadership