Director of Sales | The SOMM Hotel & Spa

Columbia Hospitality•Woodinville, WA

13d•$160,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Sales leads sales strategy and department operations for The SOMM Hotel & Spa, an onsite role in the greater Seattle, Washington region. The position is responsible for achieving property and departmental revenue goals, developing sales strategies and budgets, forecasting business, managing group sales and yielding, and maintaining sales and event systems and standards. The Director works closely with the General Manager and Revenue Manager and serves as the primary support for group sales outreach, negotiations, contract review, planning, and service. The role also liaises with community organizations, city officials, industry associations, and public relations entities, and builds effective working relationships across hotel departments and with other stakeholders. The Director hires, trains, mentors, and develops department staff; sets team and individual goals; conducts regular one-on-ones, quarterly evaluations, monthly meetings, and training; and provides feedback, corrective action, and recognition as appropriate. Individual responsibilities include business development, prospecting, client relationship management, responding to incoming RFPs within 24 hours, negotiating and closing business, and revenue forecasting. The role requires strong leadership, financial and analytical capabilities, communication skills, hospitality sales knowledge, and the ability to travel for business. The SOMM Hotel and Spa is a planned 164-room luxury hotel in Woodinville, Washington, within the Harvest town-square development. Planned amenities include a signature restaurant, rooftop bar, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, a 5,661-square-foot spa, and retail space.

Requirements

At least 4–6 years of hospitality sales experience or experience in a similar environment.
Extensive knowledge and expertise in sales and/or event management, including sales and negotiation skills.
Ability to solve practical problems when information is limited.
Strong emotional intelligence and critical-thinking capabilities.
Ability to lead and influence managers and large teams, prioritize developing others, and assume responsibility for team outcomes.
Ability to anticipate customer needs and deliver service beyond expectations.
Initiative in addressing issues, preventing and resolving conflict, and solving practical problems where standardized solutions are limited.
Ability to establish urgency and enforce individual accountability within a team.
Working knowledge of applicable laws, codes, and regulations.
Excellent written and verbal communication, including writing contracts, reports, business correspondence, and operations manuals; presenting information effectively; and responding to inquiries.
Creative thinking and ability to develop innovative solutions or approaches.
Strong time management, information analysis, planning, organization, decision-making, problem-solving, and results-delivery skills.
Strong interpersonal communication and ability to understand and anticipate others’ emotions, concerns, and thoughts.
Interpersonal influence skills, including coaching, motivating, delegating, and relationship-building.
Strong mathematical skills, including calculating discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.
Analytical ability to assess data, identify trends, and develop insights that inform strategy and decisions.
Ability to create strategy and shift it promptly in response to market conditions.
Technical proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, and Excel.
Proficiency in client research and gathering relevant information, with the ability to stay current on industry trends and developments.
Strong financial acumen, including preparing and understanding P&L statements, PACE, and budgets, and knowledge of dynamic pricing and profitability.
Strong presentation skills for owners, leaders, clients, and team members.
Ability to travel, including by air or car, stay overnight in hotels, and participate in client entertainment.
Ability to work onsite in the greater Seattle, Washington region.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of hospitality sales platforms.

Responsibilities

Prepare annual internal prework, group strategic plans, and departmental revenue and expense budgets in alignment with the General Manager and property goals.
Set department objectives, revenue-driving strategies, team deployment plans, production goals, and individual performance targets.
Lead the department, manage through subordinates, conduct one-on-one meetings and quarterly evaluations, and address conflict constructively.
Meet department gross revenue expectations and adjust strategies when revenue targets are not being achieved.
Research the industry and analyze property data to forecast future business volume.
Produce accurate monthly closing reports, owner reports, pace analytics, and forecasting reports.
Oversee contractual language and agreements and ensure compliance with accounting standards for deposits, direct billing, and prepayments.
Report weekly prospecting, inquiry, activity, and industry-event achievements, and monthly financial results across P&L, sales and event platforms, and deposits/accounts receivable.
Manage group yielding efforts with support from the General Manager and Revenue Manager.
Maintain departmental standards and administer sales and event platforms and systems.
Provide overall direction, coordination, and leadership for department team members.
Support group sales outreach, negotiations, contract review, planning, and service.
Serve as a liaison to community organizations, city officials, industry associations, and public relations entities.
Develop favorable working relationships and open communication with other departments and stakeholders.
Hire, develop, mentor, and train department team members, identify growth potential, and create a monthly department training program.
Conduct monthly department meetings and provide constructive feedback or corrective action as needed; implement reward programs.
Achieve departmental objectives and contribute to revenue growth across assigned segments.
Build client relationships through new business development and networking; meet prospecting and sales activity targets.
Respond to incoming RFPs within 24 hours and use client negotiation and closing skills to secure business.
Forecast revenue and maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders.
Adhere to Columbia Hospitality policies and procedures; perform additional functions assigned according to business needs.

Benefits

Incentive eligible
Cellphone allowance
Daily pay option
Paid time off and holiday pay
Medical, dental, vision, and disability benefits
401(k)
HSA/FSA plans with employer contribution
Referral bonus
Discounted lodging, dining, spa, golf, and retail
Employee Assistance Program
Volunteer opportunities
Committee participation opportunities, including philanthropic and diversity/equity/inclusion activities
Task force work opportunities in locations around the globe
Online learning platform
Third-party discounts, including pet insurance, rental cars, movie and concert tickets, and theme parks and attractions