Assistant Director Of Sales

Sonesta Hotels•Washington, DC

22h•$100,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

As the Assistant Director of Sales, you will serve as a key sales leadership partner to the Director of Sales & Marketing, balancing individual sales production with team leadership and development. This is a hands-on, results-driven role for a proven hotel sales professional who can consistently produce business while also coaching, motivating, and holding others accountable for achieving their goals. The Assistant Director of Sales will carry an assigned individual revenue goal and is expected to be a high-performing producer while supporting the overall Group Sales Team and Strategy, developing business across key market segments while driving room revenue, market share, and overall commercial performance. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced hospitality environment and enjoys balancing strategic leadership, relationship-building, business development, and team development. You’ll lead the Group Sales team, oversee key accounts and market strategies, and partner closely with Revenue Management, Catering, Events, Operations, and hotel leadership to maximize group production and deliver exceptional client experiences. The ideal candidate is a strong seller, strategic thinker, and exceptional people leader who leads by example and understands that successful sales leadership requires both personal production and the ability to develop others.

Requirements

7+ years of full service hotel sales experience with a strong knowledge of group sales, meetings and events, corporate, association, government, and other key hotel market segments and experienced organizational and analytical skills.
Proven track record of individual sales production and consistently achieving or exceeding revenue goals.
Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, motivate, and develop sales professionals while maintaining personal production responsibilities.
Strong understanding of hotel revenue management, group pricing, forecasting, booking pace, displacement, market segmentation, account management, and revenue optimization.
Proven ability to prospect for new business, develop strategic accounts, negotiate effectively, close business, and build long-term client relationships.
Demonstrated ability to analyze sales performance, identify trends and opportunities, and develop actionable strategies to improve results.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, networking, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to establish priorities, hold oneself and others accountable, and make sound business decisions in a fast-paced hotel environment.
Ability to travel for client meetings, sales calls, networking events, trade shows, and industry functions as needed, while representing the hotel and Sonesta corporation. Work and collaborate with Global Sales and other sales entities the hotel may partner with to actively sell the hotel.
Flexible availability, including occasional evenings, weekends, networking events, and client entertainment opportunities.
A passion for hospitality, sales, people development, relationship-building, and achieving measurable business results.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field preferred.
Previous leadership experience as an Assistant Director of Sales, Senior Sales Manager, Director of Group Sales, or comparable hotel sales leadership role preferred.

Responsibilities

Carry and achieve an assigned individual annual revenue goal through proactive prospecting, account development, relationship management, and conversion of group business.
Maintain a strong, healthy sales funnel and consistently demonstrate activity, follow-up, conversion, and revenue production necessary to achieve individual goals.
Develop new business through outside sales calls, prospecting, networking, client appointments, site inspections, presentations, trade shows, industry events, and client entertainment.
Identify opportunities within assigned markets and accounts to increase room nights, ADR, revenue, and overall hotel profitability.
Utilize sales systems and research tools, using all available resources to identify prospects and develop business opportunities.
Serve as a key leadership partner to the Director of Sales & Marketing in executing the hotel's sales strategy and achieving overall revenue objectives.
Help drive the performance of the Group Sales team by monitoring and mentoring the team for production, pace, pipeline activity, prospecting, conversion, tentative business, lost business, and future opportunities.
Participate in regular sales and pipeline meetings and provide meaningful insight into opportunities, challenges, market conditions, and strategies to achieve goals.
Assist the Director of Sales & Marketing in establishing sales priorities, action plans, and strategies aligned with hotel need dates, market conditions, and revenue objectives.
Lead by example by maintaining a strong personal production record while demonstrating the sales behaviors and accountability expected from the broader team.
Identify opportunities to improve sales processes, productivity, communication, and collaboration across the department.
Establish clear expectations and lead by example around prospecting, account development, follow-up, sales activity, conversion, revenue production, and client relationship management.
Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews with Group team to evaluate pipeline health, production, prospecting efforts, upcoming business, and opportunities for growth.
Maintain a thorough understanding of the Group Sales pipeline and assist the Director of Sales & Marketing in monitoring overall department pace and production.
Review definite, tentative, prospect, and lost business to identify opportunities and risks.
Monitor account production and market activity to identify opportunities to increase penetration and generate incremental business.
Assist in developing action plans to address shortfalls, need dates, underperforming markets, and changes in market demand.
Ensure proposed rates, concessions, contracts, and client commitments align with hotel strategy, operational capabilities, and profitability objectives.
Monitor competitor activity, market trends, account production, booking pace, and demand patterns to identify opportunities and mitigate risks.
Support effective communication regarding client expectations, concessions, special arrangements, and contractual commitments.
Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, communication, and service excellence across departments.
Provide the Director of Sales & Marketing with timely updates regarding sales performance, team opportunities, challenges, client issues.
Assist with special projects, strategic initiatives, presentations, account development, and other priorities identified by the Director of Sales & Marketing.
Represent the Sales department and hotel leadership professionally when interacting with clients, partners, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
Assume appropriate leadership responsibilities in the absence of the Director of Sales & Marketing, as assigned.