Rein Dance Equestrian Hiring Recommendation Property & Executive Operations Manager
Important distinction: This is not a barn-manager or horse-care position. It is a hybrid of property operations, facilities and vendor coordination, executive support and hands-on logistics.
About Rein Dance
Rein Dance is a private family equestrian and landholding operation in Delano, Minnesota. The core property includes approximately 160 acres, an 11-stall barn, multiple structures, vehicles and agricultural equipment, and a small mixed herd of performance, retired and legacy horses. Surrounding parcels may support carefully approved landscape, conservation, garden, facility and equestrian projects over time.
The immediate priority is operational stability. We need an unusually capable local operator who enjoys bringing order to complexity and making sure commitments are completed. This is not a desk-only role: a day may include organizing priorities, taking a truck to service, meeting a contractor, receiving a delivery, picking up supplies and closing the loop with a short written update.
The Mission
Own the logistical and administrative backplane that keeps Rein Dance and its approved property projects moving priorities, vendors, service appointments, vehicles and equipment, deliveries, supplies, records and follow-through so Julia and Cindy can focus on horse-program, creative and ownership decisions.Because this position requires a consistent on-site presence in Delano, we will prioritize candidates already located in the west metro area.
How the Role Works
This position has one direct manager and two primary internal clients. Julia and Cindy may both request support, but all requests are captured in one shared priority list. The Executive Operations Director sets the consolidated priorities, spending rules and performance expectations and resolves conflicts. The employee is not expected to referee family disagreements or decide privately which principal to disappoint.
Primary Responsibilities
1. Operating rhythm and executive support
- Maintain one master list of requests, commitments, projects, deadlines, decisions and blocked items.
- Turn requests into an owner, next action, due date, approval and definition of done; run the weekly priority review and issue a brief status report.
- Coordinate property-related calendars, meetings, correspondence, research, estimates, pickups, drop-offs and follow-up for Julia and Cindy.
- Prepare short decision briefs showing options, cost, timing, tradeoffs and the decision required.
2. Property, fleet, supplies and vendors
- Serve as the on-site point person for approved deliveries, contractors, service providers and inspectors.
- Coordinate service and records for trucks, trailers, tractors, skid steers, utility vehicles and other equipment, including registrations, inspections, warranties and preventive-maintenance dates.
- Order, pick up, receive and organize approved supplies; establish minimum inventory levels and reorder points for designated critical items.
- Conduct documented visual property rounds and route exceptions to the appropriate employee, vendor or qualified professional.
- Source vendors, compare proposals and track each approved work order through closeout, including scope, estimate, approval, photographs, warranty and punch list.
- Challenge incomplete or substandard work constructively and escalate cost, quality, timing or safety concerns before they become larger problems.
3. Approved property and parcel projects
- Coordinate approved projects involving roofing and structures, fencing, roads, drainage, utilities, landscaping and gardens, tree buffers, conservation work, and storage or agricultural buildings.
- For each material project, maintain a named sponsor, written scope, budget, schedule, approval status, decision log, next milestone and list of open risks.
- Arrange site visits, bids, permitting and professional support and document progress; design, engineering, construction-management and capital decisions remain with qualified professionals and ownership.
- Do not absorb a new concept merely because it has been discussed. Existing operations are stabilized before expansion enters the active workload.
4. Administration, safety and continuity
- Maintain the asset register, service calendar, project tracker, critical-supplies list, vendor records, warranties, approvals, emergency contacts and simple procedures.
- Submit invoices, receipts and purchase documentation promptly using the entity and property coding established by WoodGreen Services.
- Coordinate planned property coverage and create enough continuity for Julia to step away from logistics for 72 hours; equine-care coverage remains with the horse-care team.
- Be an attentive on-site presence during scheduled hours without becoming security, the equine emergency responder or a standing 24/7 on-call employee.
What Success Looks Like
First 30 days establish visibility
- Learn the property, staff roles, care-operation interfaces, assets, vendors, recurring services, deliveries and active projects; identify the ten highest-risk or most overdue items.
- Create the master work-and-project register and weekly priority-and-reporting rhythm.
- Document decision rights, spending approvals and emergency contacts.
By 60 days install the backbone
- Put vehicles, equipment, inspections and recurring services onto a preventive-maintenance calendar; establish critical-supply reorder points.
- Put vendor files, purchase-card and receipt workflows, emergency information and the property-round checklist into regular use.
- Resolve, schedule or explicitly defer the highest-priority maintenance backlog, with an owner and date for every item.
By 90 days demonstrate reliability
- Handle at least 80% of routine property logistics without Julia or Cindy personally chasing the work.
- Complete at least 90% of controllable commitments by the agreed deadline, raising delays before the deadline rather than after it.
- Eliminate avoidable missed service intervals and critical-supply stockouts and maintain a rolling 90-day property, fleet, vendor and project plan.
- Complete a planned 72-hour logistics-continuity test in which Julia is not required to manage vendors, deliveries, service appointments or routine property follow-up.
The Ideal Candidate
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in executive operations, private-estate or rural-property management, facilities, construction coordination, hospitality operations, family-office support or high-level executive assistance.
- A record of managing vendors, schedules, assets, budgets and many small commitments, with exceptional closure, judgment and calm follow-through.
- Comfort respectfully asking, "Which existing priority should move?" when urgent work is added.
- Strong systems instincts and proficiency with calendars, spreadsheets, shared documents, task-management tools and basic budget tracking.
- Comfort in a rural environment, outdoors in Minnesota weather, around horses and farm equipment, and with contractors and service technicians. Equestrian expertise is helpful but not required; humility around horse-care experts is required.
- Confidence driving full-size pickups and utility vehicles; trailer-towing experience is helpful. A valid license, acceptable driving record and mature handling of confidential information are required.
Work Arrangement and Physical Requirements
- Full-time and primarily on-site in Delano, with a regular weekday schedule. Occasional early-morning, evening or weekend needs should be scheduled whenever possible and are not a standing 24/7 obligation.
- Local driving for vendors, parts, supplies and vehicle service is regular. Company-vehicle, mileage and insurance procedures will be defined before hire.
- The role moves between office work and active property coordination. With or without reasonable accommodation, the employee must be able to walk uneven ground, use stairs, work outdoors in varying weather and occasionally lift or transport routine supplies up to 40 pounds.
- Employment is contingent on satisfactory references and appropriate background and driving-record checks.
