Director of Sales & Marketing

Highgate Hotels•St Pete Beach, FL

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Sales & Marketing leads the resort’s top-line revenue strategy for group, volume transient, and catering business. The role is responsible for generating significant group, corporate, association, convention, and social-event business for a large, full-service resort, while directing the rooms and catering sales teams to meet or exceed budgeted revenue. The director monitors market trends, market share, and competitive activity; develops sales and marketing strategies; and oversees a marketing communications plan and the budget supporting revenue initiatives. The role also builds destination and industry partnerships, communicates customer concerns throughout the organization, and uses hotel reporting, financial results, and market data to guide decisions and improve performance.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience as a sales leader, with prior hotel sales experience.
Proven success leading sales and marketing for a large, full-service resort, convention hotel, or complex hospitality property with substantial ballroom, meeting, catering, and event facilities.
Demonstrated ability to personally generate, negotiate, and close significant group and catering business, with a measurable track record of achieving or exceeding revenue budgets.
Experience communicating and working with ownership groups and asset management.
Proficiency with sales automation systems, including DELPHI, and PMS systems.
Experience collaborating with revenue management.
Well-rounded knowledge of market segments and channel sources and the ability to develop a strategic plan for each.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment.
Ability to develop a cooperative and competitive team spirit and winning attitude.
Demonstrated ability to build, coach, and hold a high-performing sales and catering team accountable for measurable production goals, proactive prospecting, and new business development.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Marketing.

Responsibilities

Lead and drive top-line revenue for group, volume transient, and catering segments.
Develop and execute group and event sales strategies to increase qualified leads, site inspections, conversion rates, average group rates, banquet revenue, and total account value.
Assess and respond to market trends, market share, and the competitive hotel environment.
Develop and execute integrated marketing strategies across digital marketing, social media, email, public relations, paid media, and strategic partnerships.
Develop and implement a marketing communications plan to achieve the hotel’s desired positioning and manage the sales and marketing budget.
Build strategic partnerships with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, destination management organizations, meeting and event industry associations, and regional business organizations.
Represent the voice of the customer and communicate key issues and concerns throughout the organization.
Use Smith Travel Research data, financial P&L, sales mix, forecasts, group pace and position, and other hotel reporting to inform decisions.
Communicate market trends, demand generators, supply and demand, and economic factors affecting hotel performance.
Monitor group booking pace, definite and tentative business, lost business, lead sources, booking windows, and event profitability; implement corrective actions to achieve revenue and market-share goals.
Conduct competitive-set reviews and SWOT analyses and monitor new supply.
Develop plans to penetrate primary markets based on geographic source information.
Develop and implement key segment strategies and manage existing and target key accounts.
Design sales deployment schemes and market assignments.
Develop sales goals to achieve budget and market-share targets.
Manage sales activities and travel schedules.
Direct, lead, train, motivate, and hold the sales and catering team accountable for production goals, prospecting, and new business development.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance
401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions
Paid holidays
Paid vacation
Paid sick leave in accordance with applicable law
Employee assistance program
Educational opportunities and tuition reimbursement
Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law