Director of Front Office - 9 Orchard

About the role

Nine Orchard is a 113-room hotel in the restored 1912 bank building at the corner of Canal and Orchard on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Our guests come from every walk of life and every corner of the world, and they choose the Lower East Side for a reason. They notice everything, and the arrival experience is where the hotel makes its first promise. The Director of Front Office owns that promise.

What you'll own

• The end-to-end arrival experience: pre-arrival, welcome, rooming, and the recognition culture that makes returning guests feel known
• VIP strategy and execution for a high-profile clientele — discretion, preparation, and follow-through
• Guest experience metrics: own the scores, the reviews, and the recovery when things go wrong
• Leadership and accountability: Lead, schedule, and develop the front office team; Daily floor presence across shifts, including regular evening and weekend coverage — this role leads from the lobby; Set clear standards, coach in the moment, and hold every shift accountable to them; Build the bench: identify, train, and promote the next generation of front office leaders
• Operations: Own front office operations end to end: staffing models, scheduling, upsell program, room-inventory coordination with Housekeeping and Reservations; Partner with Housekeeping, Engineering, and F&B leadership on seamless guest handoffs

Required

• 5+ years of front office leadership in luxury or lifestyle hotels, with at least 2 years at FOM/Director level
• New York City hotel experience strongly preferred
• A demonstrated leader of people: teams get better under you, and you can show it
• Floor-first work style — present, visible, and hands-on across shifts
• Composure and discretion with high-profile guests

Preferred

• Lifestyle, boutique, or design-led hotel background (Aman, Auberge, Soho House, Ace, Standard, Sydell, Faena, NoMad, The Carlyle, The Greenwich Hotel, or comparable)
• Forbes Travel Guide or LQA standards experience
• At home with a broad, discerning clientele — from creative-industry regulars to leisure and business travelers

What we expect in the first 12 months

• Take command of the front office; establish a visible daily leadership presence across shifts
• Deliver measurable improvement in arrival experience and guest satisfaction scores
• Stand up a guest recognition and VIP preparation program worthy of the clientele

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary: $110,000–$130,000, commensurate with experience
• Annual bonus
• Unlimited PTO
• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• Supplemental coverage options (life, disability, accident, critical illness)
• Transit Benefit
• $50 monthly cellphone stipend

About MML Hospitality

MML Hospitality operates a portfolio of culturally relevant hotels and restaurants including Hotel Saint Vincent (New Orleans) and Nine Orchard (New York), along with the food and beverage operations at The Driskill and The Proper in Austin — with two new properties and membership clubs opening in 2027. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. More detail about 9 Orchard part of MML Hospitality, please visit https://culinaryagents.com/entities/627438-9-Orchard/.