Director of Sales

Access Destination Services•San Diego, CA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Sales (DOS) is responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the Sales team to meet and exceed revenue goals across the West Coast. This is achieved through thoughtful sales strategy, strong leadership, and hands-on coaching to ensure consistent execution. The DOS serves as the undisputed destination and market expert, deeply immersed in California and West Coast hospitality landscapes, with strong knowledge of hotel partners, venues, and industry relationships. This role works closely with Managing Directors and cross-functional partners to ensure alignment, performance, and long-term growth.

Requirements

10+ years of sales experience in DMC, events, or hospitality
3+ years of sales leadership with a track record of team growth and coaching
Strong knowledge of and relationships within the [local hotel/market ecosystem]
Salesforce fluency: pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting
Confidence in client-facing roles, especially with hotel GMs and executives

Nice To Haves

Experience scaling or expanding sales across multiple West Coast markets
Familiarity with highly competitive destinations (LA, San Diego, Bay Area, Napa, Palm Springs, Seattle, etc.)
Warm, collaborative leadership style with high accountability

Responsibilities

Client Relationship Management: Own and drive the West Coast relationship management strategy, building executive-level partnerships with key clients, hotels, and industry partners aligned to long-term growth. Advise the sales team on complex client needs, translating insights into customized solutions and best-in-class discovery practices. Set the standard for client communication across the territory, stepping into high-stakes or critical conversations as needed.
Sales & Market Strategy: Set and refine the overarching sales strategy for California and the West Coast, aligning with national objectives and market-specific opportunities. Develop and oversee lead generation, qualification, and pipeline strategy, ensuring efficiency and accountability across the team. Define proposal development standards and personally engage in enterprise-level or strategic opportunities to secure key wins. Collaborate closely with Managing Directors, Events, Creative, and cross-territory DOS and ADOS partners to ensure consistency and best practices. Represent Access at high-profile industry events, client activations, and conferences to strengthen market presence and uncover growth opportunities.
Product & Destination Expertise: Serve as the top destination ambassador for California and West Coast markets, ensuring the sales team is equipped with strong destination knowledge and positioning. Champion best practices for communicating destination offerings, experiences, and vendor partnerships. Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key partners to secure preferred access, insights, and competitive advantages.
New Business Development: Set the overall strategy for prospecting, pipeline development, and account growth across the West Coast. Drive closing strategy by coaching the team on win-rate improvement and personally leading strategic or enterprise deals. Establish strategic direction for FAMs and hotel partner events, ensuring alignment with Access priorities and senior-level relationships. Define and monitor pipeline KPIs, adjusting strategy and coaching as needed to ensure sustainable growth.
Contracts, Negotiation & Risk Management: Define negotiation standards and frameworks to ensure consistency, profitability, and risk mitigation. Lead or support negotiations for enterprise-level and strategically critical opportunities. Partner with National, Events, and Creative teams to ensure smooth execution and client satisfaction.
Reporting & Forecasting: Oversee Salesforce data quality, pipeline health, forecasting, and reporting across the territory. Leverage dashboards and analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and inform strategic decisions. Own the West Coast sales forecast and partner with other Territory Directors and executive leadership to assess national performance and revenue outlook.
Team Leadership & Development: Mentor, inspire, and coach sales leaders and sellers to exceed individual and team revenue goals. Lead hiring, onboarding, and development to build and sustain a high-performing West Coast sales team. Establish ongoing training and performance benchmarks aligned with Access objectives and market demands.
Access Values: Consistently embody and reinforce Access Values: Imagine First, Demand Integrity, Embody Excellence, Always Collaborate, Service Obsession

Benefits

CULTURE & EXTRAS
Certified as a Great Place to Work – 3 years in a row and counting!
50+ years in the industry!
Women-owned and women-led
Fun, creative, and supportive culture
Focus on recognition and employee value – including annual and quarterly awards
Paid day off to serve your local community
Annual all-company retreat to connect, learn, and have fun together
Annual qualifier-based incentive trip for top performers (certain departments eligible)
Regional team outings
Monthly companywide meetings to connect, learn, and celebrate wins
COMPENSATION
Highly competitive total compensation, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses
Very strong performance-based quarterly commission plans
401k with company match (eligible after 1 year – up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately
Monthly cell phone stipend
WORK LIFE BALANCE
Work from home opportunities and flexibility (including full home office setup)
Flexible schedule opportunities
Generous PTO
Sick days
9 full holidays
5 half days off prior to holidays to unplug early
2 floating holidays off to be used on holidays of your choice
½ day Fridays in July & August (based on achievement of goals)
HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND FAMILY
Extensive menu of health plans to choose from
Paid parental leave
Pet insurance program
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mentorship program
“Masterclasses” in industry/department-specific topics
State-of-the-art technology platforms and tools – including training
Annual and monthly meeting content that focuses on professional development