Director of Engineering

Overview

Live. Work. Explore. as a part of our team at Custer State Park Resort!

Custer State Park Resort is located in one of South Dakota's most iconic destinations in the heart of the Black Hills. Spanning nearly 71,000 acres, the park is home to nearly 1,400 bison, breathtaking granite formations, scenic drives, abundant wildlife and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. 

We’re hiring a Director of Engineering to Live. Work. Explore. in Custer State Park!

Job Summary:

The Director of Engineering provides strategic and hands-on leadership for engineering, maintenance, utilities, facilities, fleet, asset management, and capital improvement functions across Custer State Park Resorts. The resort operation includes multiple lodges, cabins, restaurants, commercial kitchens, retail outlets, recreational facilities, employee housing, roads, parking areas, utility systems, and guest-service facilities located throughout Custer State Park in South Dakota’s Black Hills.

This role is responsible for preserving historic assets, improving guest and employee experiences, supporting seasonal and year-round operations, and ensuring safe, sustainable, reliable infrastructure. The Director develops long-term maintenance and capital strategies, leads engineering and maintenance personnel, oversees complex technical systems and construction projects, and partners with resort leadership, South Dakota State representatives, Xanterra corporate resources, contractors, vendors, and professional service providers.

The successful candidate will combine strong facilities and project-management expertise with practical field leadership. The Director must be willing to work alongside the team, respond to operational needs, and provide clear technical direction while maintaining accountability for safety, regulatory compliance, financial performance, environmental stewardship, and exceptional guest service.

The Details:
Position Type: Full-time

Life in Custer State Park

• Retail, Lodging and Travel Discounts
• Planned employee trips and activities
• $350 Referral Bonus Program

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Operational Partnership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive engineering, maintenance, and asset-management strategy that supports property operations, guest service, safety, sustainability, and long-term business objectives.
• Lead engineering and maintenance functions across a geographically dispersed, multi-property resort environment with seasonal operating demands and a diverse portfolio of facilities and infrastructure.
• Build a high-performing organization focused on reliability, responsiveness, craftsmanship, accountability, operational excellence, and Legendary Hospitality.
• Partner with Operations, Lodging, Food & Beverage, Culinary, Retail, Recreation, Finance, Human Resources, Risk and Sustainability, and other property leaders to prioritize work and support business needs.
• Collaborate with South Dakota State Park leadership and applicable agencies regarding facilities, infrastructure, inspections, projects, environmental requirements, and operational priorities.
• Use Xanterra Corporate Maintenance, Engineering, Project Management, Procurement, Legal, Risk, Sustainability, and other support resources to supplement property expertise and execute complex initiatives.
• Maintain productive professional relationships with engineers, architects, consultants, contractors, vendors, utilities, regulatory officials, and other external partners.

Facilities, Utilities & Infrastructure Management

• Oversee the maintenance and reliable operation of lodges, cabins, restaurants, commercial kitchens, retail and recreational facilities, employee housing, administrative buildings, warehouses, shops, and guest-service facilities.
• Provide leadership and technical oversight for water and wastewater systems, HVAC, electrical distribution, plumbing, mechanical systems, building automation, refrigeration, fire protection, life-safety systems, and related utilities.
• Oversee roads, parking areas, fleet and transportation assets, grounds-related infrastructure, and other support systems assigned to the Engineering Department.
• Conduct and coordinate facility-condition assessments, document deficiencies, establish priorities, and develop corrective action and replacement strategies.
• Develop annual, three-year, and rolling five-year maintenance, infrastructure, and capital-replacement plans based on asset conditions, operational risk, regulatory needs, guest impact, and financial return.
• Evaluate infrastructure readiness for seasonal openings, closings, shoulder-season activity, emergency operations, and expanded year-round use.
• Coordinate facility opening, winterization, shutdown, recommissioning, and operational-readiness activities across assigned locations.
• Provide technical assistance and hands-on support to location maintenance teams when troubleshooting, inspections, repairs, emergencies, or operational priorities require direct involvement.

Preventive Maintenance, CMMS & Asset Reliability

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs that maximize equipment life, reduce unplanned downtime, control costs, and minimize guest-service interruptions.
• Oversee the company’s computerized maintenance management and enterprise asset management systems (CMMS/EAM), including asset records, work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, labor, materials, inspections, costs, and completion of documentation.
• Establish standards for work-order prioritization, assignment, response time, escalation, closeout, quality assurance, and communication with operating departments.
• Ensure equipment history, warranties, manuals, drawings, specifications, inspection records, and other technical documentation are accurate, accessible, and maintained.
• Analyze recurring failures, deferred maintenance, work-order trends, utility use, and equipment performance to identify root causes and implement long-term solutions.
• Develop and maintain written policies and procedures for the safe operation, inspection, maintenance, and repair of facilities and equipment.
• Track key performance indicators related to preventive maintenance completion, work-order aging, equipment reliability, downtime, utility efficiency, safety, and departmental productivity.

Capital Planning, Construction & Project Management

• Lead capital improvement, renovation, infrastructure, and construction projects from initial concept and feasibility through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, closeout, and turnover to operations.
• Prepare project statements, scopes of work, budgets, schedules, contracts, requests for proposals, requests for information, bid packages, purchase documentation, change orders, and project correspondence.
• Coordinate project development and contracts with Xanterra Legal, Procurement, Finance, Corporate Engineering, Project Management, and other internal resources as appropriate.
• Select, direct, and oversee architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, vendors, and specialty service providers.
• Conduct preconstruction planning, site coordination, progress reviews, budget tracking, quality-control inspections, punch-list management, and final acceptance activities.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, within approved scope, on schedule, and within budget while minimizing disruption to guests and operating departments.
• Prepare annual and multi-year capital plans, cost estimates, business cases, return-on-investment analyses, and recommendations for asset repair, replacement, or modernization.
• Balance modernization, code compliance, energy performance, and operational needs with the preservation of historic character and park resources.

Safety, Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure Engineering and Maintenance activities comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws; OSHA requirements; fire and life-safety standards; environmental regulations; public health requirements; and State Park expectations.
• Maintain programs for safe work practices, lockout/tagout, confined-space entry, fall protection, electrical safety, hot work, chemical handling, personal protective equipment, and other applicable hazards.
• Coordinate inspection, testing, maintenance, correction, and documentation for fire alarms, suppression systems, extinguishers, emergency systems, and other life-safety equipment.
• Partners with Risk and Sustainability on environmental hazards, spill reporting and response, regulated-material storage and collection, hazardous-waste practices, pest management, and corrective actions.
• Compile, review, assign, track, and document deficiencies identified through facility-condition assessments, environmental audits, fire inspections, public-health inspections, State Park inspections, and internal reviews.
• Develop and maintain emergency preparedness, severe-weather response, utility-failure response, business-continuity, and recovery plans for facilities and infrastructure.
• Investigate incidents, equipment failures, and near misses; identify root causes; and implement timely corrective and preventive actions.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through visible leadership, employee training, field observations, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship

• Champion energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, responsible materials management, and sustainable operating practices throughout Engineering and Maintenance functions.
• Monitor utility consumption and costs, investigate variances, and identify conservation, equipment-upgrade, and infrastructure-improvement opportunities.
• Incorporate the best environmental practices and continual operational improvement into maintenance planning, equipment selection, project design, construction, and daily work practices.
• Support Xanterra’s stewardship mission by balancing operational requirements with protection of wildlife, natural resources, historic assets, and the park environment.
• Collaborate with property and corporate partners to evaluate renewable energy, building controls, water-system improvements, waste-diversion, and other sustainability initiatives.

Financial Management & Administration

• Develop and manage annual Engineering operating budgets, maintenance plans, utility budgets, staffing plans, and capital expenditure programs in coordination with the General Manager, Finance, and corporate partners.
• Monitor labor, materials, maintenance, utility, contract, and project expenditures; investigate variances; forecast needs; and implement appropriate cost controls.
• Approve expenditures within established authority and ensure purchasing, bidding, contracting, invoice approval, and documentation comply with Xanterra policies.
• Prepare financial analyses, cost comparisons, project justifications, and return-on-investment evaluations for capital and infrastructure decisions.
• Maintain accurate departmental records, project files, inspection documentation, contracts, permits, reports, and other required records.
• Communicate department performance, risks, deferred maintenance needs, project status, budget results, and resource requirements to resort and corporate leadership.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, hire, onboard, train, schedule, supervise, coach, and develop engineering managers, supervisors, technicians, trades personnel, and seasonal employees in coordination with Human Resources.
• Establish clear organizational structure, responsibilities, work standards, performance expectations, and accountability across property and location maintenance teams.
• Develop succession plans, technical-training pathways, cross-training opportunities, and workforce-development initiatives that strengthen internal capability and employee retention.
• Ensure employees complete the required safety, technical, regulatory, equipment, and contract-related training and maintain applicable licenses or certifications.
• Conduct regular department meetings, safety discussions, one-on-one coaching, performance evaluations, and recognition activities.
• Coordinate staffing and coverage for seasonal openings and closings, emergencies, on-call needs, special projects, and periods of peak business demand.
• Foster a collaborative culture in which employees communicate effectively with operating departments, take ownership of results, and understand the impact of their work on guests and coworkers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Engineering, Construction Management, Facilities Management, Building Technology, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered.
• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in engineering, facilities, maintenance, construction, utilities, or asset management, including significant managerial or supervisory responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-site facilities of operations in hospitality, resorts, parks, institutional environments, or a comparable setting.
• Demonstrated experience planning and managing capital and construction projects, including scope, budget, schedule, procurement, contractor oversight, quality control, and closeout.
• Working knowledge of HVAC, electrical distribution, plumbing, mechanical systems, water and wastewater systems, building automation, refrigeration, fire protection, and life-safety systems.
• Experience developing preventive maintenance programs and administering CMMS/EAM systems.
• Knowledge of OSHA requirements and applicable environmental, public health, building, fire, life-safety, federal, state, and local regulations.
• Proven experience developing and managing operating and capital budgets and evaluating project costs and financial returns.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, problem-solving, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, technical manuals, contracts, codes, inspection reports, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability and willingness to work alongside the team and provide hands-on technical support when operational needs are required.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel among facilities and project sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Facility Manager (CFM), LEED AP, Certified Educational Facilities Professional, or comparable engineering, facilities, construction, energy, or sustainability credential.
• Experience in state or national parks, destination resorts, remote hospitality operations, or facilities with significant seasonal opening and closing requirements.
• Experience preserving and maintaining historic buildings and infrastructure.
• Experience working with government agencies, concession agreements, environmental compliance programs, and protected natural or cultural resources.
• Experience managing projects valued at $1 million or more and developing multi-year capital and asset-replacement plans.
• Experience supporting both seasonal and year-round hospitality operations.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Directly and indirectly supervises Engineering and Maintenance managers, supervisors, technicians, trades personnel, and seasonal staff across multiple locations.
• Coordinates hiring, performance management, employee development, disciplinary action, and separation decisions with Human Resources and resort leadership.
• Provides technical direction to field maintenance and location personnel and coordinates work with contractors, vendors, professional service firms, State Park representatives, and Xanterra support departments.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Operational Excellence
• Change Leadership
• Capital Planning & Project Execution
• Asset Management
• Safety & Risk Leadership
• Environmental Stewardship
• Guest-Centric Decision Making
• Team Development
• Collaboration & Influence
• Financial Acumen

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in offices, shops, mechanical spaces, kitchens, lodging facilities, utility areas, construction sites, vehicles, and outdoor environments throughout the resort.
• Ability to work in varying weather conditions and on uneven terrain, including wet, icy, or snow-covered surfaces.
• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods; climb stairs and ladders; bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, or lie flat to inspect equipment and facilities.
• Ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds and safely use appropriate tools and personal protective equipment.
• Ability to work at elevation, enter mechanical and utility spaces, and travel regularly among multiple facilities and project sites.
• Ability to provide on-location or overnight coverage and work on-call, early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, or varied shifts when operational needs, projects, weather events, or emergencies require.

Benefits:

• Xanterra offers competitive benefit programs and services for eligible employees. For more information, click here. 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.