Malam Jabba Ski Resort, Pakistan Seeking Manager
Samsons Group has developed a tourist resort at Malam Jabba in KPK province (formerly Northwest Frontier). It is the first and only winter ski resort open to the public, in addition to providing outdoor tourist facilities throughout the year. The ski slope is small by international standards but it is homologated by FIS (International Ski Federation) and since 2016 has held annual international slalom races.
Malam Jabba ski resort is a ski resort situated in the Hindu Kush range of the Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan at a top elevation of 2,804 metres (9,199 ft).The resort is located in Malam Jabba village, 40 kilometers east of Saidu Sharif and 314 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. It is the largest and oldest ski resort in Pakistan
Features for tourists include a chairlift to the top of the ski piste, ziplines from the ski slope to the roof of the hotel, rock climbing courses, leap of faith adventure jump and winter ice skating rinks, and curling on ice. On some holiday weekends as many as five thousand members of the public have visited the resort: ensuring their safety and well being will continue to be paramount. Some activities can be dangerous if not supervised correctly and it is the aim of Samsons Group that the resort should be firmly family oriented and anything that detracts from this will not be tolerated.
Further investments in exciting features are planned and experience in similar developments will be a significant advantage.
Samsons have completed the first phase of a five-star hotel with 100 rooms. Expansion of the hotel will continue for the next two years. The hotel is managed separately by a well known hotel chain.
A second resort (known as Green valley and Magic Mountain) is under development just two kilometres away.
We are seeking an experienced resort manager to be resident in Malam Jabba taking responsibility for all facilities and our employees at both resorts, ensuring that all guests receive the best service and experience during their visit, notably in the restaurants, coffee shops, ski rental shop and future food courts.
At present Samsons do not provide overnight accommodation but a series of mountain chalets are currently planned, as are budget accommodations and a camping site. Negotiations are in progress to develop a number of resorts and tourist projects, and the successful candidate will advise the COO in negotiations with resort planners, architects and constructors.
The successful candidate will have a minimum of ten years experience in the holiday industry, managing an international resort, with emphasis on winter sports, and will be expected to develop the tourist business during the whole year and will be in charge of day to day management of the individual teams.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Resort Manager is responsible for:
1. Liaison with the management of the hotel ensuring the best experience for their guests.
2. Liaison with the local authorities and security forces.
3. Management of all employees on the resort, establishing the most efficient division of responsibility for each team, and setting the guidelines and operating instructions for each team.
4. Liaison with the chief engineer: the resort is independent for electricity, water and sewage and heating: there are no services provided, but negotiations are in progress to change this.
5. All administration of the whole resort.
6. As the resorts increase in size and number, the successful candidate will advise the COO how best to expand the management team to ensure the optimum tourist experience for all our guests.
A competitive remuneration and benefits package will be offered. Generous local accommodation and transport will be provided.
The Wali of Swat, who at the time was the historic ruler of Swat, would move his court to Malam Jabba annually during the summer months. In the summer of 1962, the visiting Austrian ambassador to Pakistan and good friend of the Wali, suggested that a ski resort be built in Malam Jabba.
The Austrian government funded the chairlift and provided skis and boots, while the Pakistani government built a hotel with 50 rooms. Construction of the entire resort finished in 1988, but the resort sat idle for another 10 years because of disputes over whether it should be run by the government or the private sector. In 1999, the government won rights to run the resort.
By 2006, over 20,000 people in Swat were employed indirectly by tourism to the region, including the resort.
In 2007, tourism and skiing infrastructure and businesses in Swat took a severe financial burden under Taliban occupation. The resort was converted into a stronghold for militants.
In April 2009, Operation Black Thunderstorm (Rah-e-Rast) was initiated, in a bid to retake control of the valley. As the army closed in on positions on the militants, the ski lift was destroyed and the hotel at the resort was set ablaze. The army retook Swat, but years of uncertainty and mayhem had negatively impacted international skiing in Pakistan. In 2014, the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leased Malam Jabba to the Samson Group of Companies for reconstruction of the ski resort and hotel, in a bid to boost tourism in the area again.
That same year the Swat Snow Festival was arranged to showcase rebuilding activities at Malam Jabba. The Norwegian embassy in Islamabad initiated the collection of skis, and Pakistani Norwegian businessman and politician Aamir Sheikh helped to collect skis, boots and gloves. Pakistan's Olympic skier Muhammad Karim, who participated in the recent Sochi Olympics, competed in the giant slalom and downhill during the event
Interested persons with the required experience should reply in the first instance to the administrative manager in England:
