Sage Hospitality Group · 1 month ago
Director of Transitions & Openings
Denver, CO
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$125K/yr - $150K/yr
10+ years expSage Hospitality Group is seeking a Director of Transitions & Openings to join their team in Denver. This role is responsible for overseeing the seamless transition from concept to opening for new and reimagined properties, ensuring that each launch reflects the company's purpose while balancing creative excellence, operational readiness, and financial discipline.
HospitalityLifestyleReal Estate Investment
Responsibilities
Translate early-stage brand and business strategy into a cohesive transition and opening roadmap that ties creative intent, budget discipline, culture, and operational readiness together
Partner across disciplines to define the why, what, and how of each project, ensuring the purpose and guest experience promise are reflected in every tactical plan
Build and manage detailed pre-opening budgets, validating line items against underwriting and ensuring clear alignment between development assumptions, opening costs, and long-term operating performance
Coordinate with corporate leadership, partners, and ownership teams to align project goals, brand standards, and success metrics
Establish measurable opening outcomes, including guest experience, financial targets, and cultural benchmarks, to guide all disciplines toward shared results
Develop and oversee the opening critical path timeline, integrating milestones across all disciplines (Design and Construction, Marketing, Sales, Revenue Management, Finance, People & Culture, IT, Operations, etc.)
Facilitate cross-functional milestone meetings, ensuring all departments are aligned on key dates, dependencies, deliverables, and accountability
Embed process discipline into every project, not as a checklist, but as a shared framework for delivering purpose-driven work
Develop and continuously refine Sage’s Transition & Opening Playbook, evolving tools, templates, and best practices for scalability and excellence
Lead all property transitions and openings from signing through completion
Provide tactical support and execution on critical pre-opening workflows — including liquor licensing, bank account setup, regulatory approvals, inspections, and other operational readiness requirements — ensuring each milestone is completed accurately and on schedule
Establish and manage pre-opening budgets, ensuring cost efficiency and alignment with financial forecasts
Collaborate with and support People & Culture and Operations on staffing, training, onboarding, and culture immersion plans
Work closely with construction, design, and development teams to confirm that all physical environments align with schedule, brand specifications and operational flow
Coordinate with procurement and installation teams to ensure equipment, furniture, technology systems, and operating supplies are installed and implemented in accordance with opening milestones
Partner with IT to ensure smooth implementation of property management systems, POS, reservation platforms, and security protocols
Coordinate with Marketing and Sales teams on pre-opening campaigns, digital strategies, PR strategies, and activation events that bring the brand story to life
Support and/or implement Sage’s brand culture and guest experience standards across diverse brand environments, ensuring alignment with Sage’s purpose while adapting to partner flags and independent concepts
Conduct post-opening reviews with key stakeholders to assess successes, challenges, and ROI against strategic intent
Translate learnings into improved tools, processes, and templates for future openings
Maintain a feedback loop across Sage disciplines to continually evolve how projects are transitioned and launched
Qualification
Required
Minimum 10 years of experience in hospitality operations, development, or transitions
Strong knowledge of hotel financial systems and operational processes
Proven ability to manage complex projects and deliver results on time and within scope
Excellent communication, training, and interpersonal skills
Advanced proficiency in financial systems and reporting tools
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to learn and master new technologies quickly
High attention to detail and organizational skills
Collaborative mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
Self-motivated innovator with a passion for identifying opportunities and implementing sustainable improvements and operational excellence
Ability to travel as needed (up to 75%)
Prolonged sitting throughout entire shift at computerized workstation
Sitting 85%, Walking 5%, Standing 5%, bending, kneeling, lifting, climbing 5%
Lifting and carrying of objects, 30-35 pounds
Hearing required to train and interact with management and associates
Vision required to read reports, computer, etc
Excellent comprehension and literacy required for review and preparation of all documentation
Mobility - limited mobility between offices and departments. No continuous standing, climbing or driving
Preferred
Bachelors or Master's Degree preferred
Benefits
Unlimited paid time off
Eligible for bonus
Medical, dental, & vision insurance
Health savings and flexible spending accounts
Basic Life and AD&D insurance
Company-paid short-term disability
Paid FMLA leave for up to a period of 12 weeks
Eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) program with employer matching
Employee assistance program
Tuition Reimbursement
Great discounts on Hotels, Restaurants, and much more.
Eligible to participate in the Employee Referral Bonus Program. Up to $1,000 per referral.
Company
Sage Hospitality Group
Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality Group is an experiential hospitality company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Walter Isenberg
President and CEO
Matt Schwartz
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Recent News
Sports Business Journal
2026-01-08
Company data provided by crunchbase