Director of Strategic Underwriting & Investment Analysis

Hotel Equities•Alpharetta, GA

17h•$110,000 - $140,000

About The Position

Director of Strategic Underwriting & Investment Analysis is responsible for leading underwriting, business-plan development, and executive-ready presentation materials in support of hotel management, acquisition, and strategic partnership opportunities. This role will focus on larger full-service, lifestyle, resort, soft-brand, and other complex hotel assets, combining financial modeling, market and competitive analysis, performance diagnosis, value-creation planning, and institutional-quality packaging. They will also support traditional full service and select service opportunities. This role works cross-functionally with Business Development, Investments, Operations, Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to produce credible analyses and clear owner-facing business plans. The ideal candidate combines strong modeling capability, structured thinking, clear communication, and the ability to translate complex analysis into persuasive materials for internal and external audiences.

Requirements

Minimum 4 years of experience in hospitality underwriting, investment analysis, asset management, strategy consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or a similarly analytical environment
Advanced Excel and financial-modeling skills, including the ability to work quickly, structure models cleanly, and produce decision-ready outputs
Strong quantitative skills and comfort evaluating complex assumptions, deal structures, and performance improvement opportunities
Strong problem-solving ability and judgment, including the ability to diagnose root causes of underperformance and translate analysis into actionable business plans
Ability to work through complex, imperfect, or incomplete information with sound judgment and attention to detail
Excellent written, verbal, and PowerPoint presentation skills
Ability to distill complex analysis into clear, persuasive materials for executives, owners, and institutional audiences
Strong client-facing communication skills and comfort presenting in live settings
Strong understanding of hotel P&Ls, STR, market dynamics, and commercial performance drivers
Strong proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
Comfort using AI tools and workflow technologies to improve speed, synthesis, and production quality
Ability to combine analytical rigor with efficient, technology-enabled work processes
High attention to detail and strong ownership mentality
Ability to manage multiple live opportunities and meet tight deadlines
Collaborative, low-ego, team-oriented working style
Strong professional presence, sound judgment, and commitment to high-quality execution
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Hospitality, Real Estate, Business, or a related field required

Nice To Haves

Experience with full-service, lifestyle, resort, or other complex hotel assets strongly preferred
Familiarity with franchise agreements, management agreements, and hotel deal structures preferred
Advanced degree is a plus

Responsibilities

Lead underwriting and pro forma development for hotel management, acquisition, and strategic partnership opportunities
Build, refine, and maintain detailed operating models, including revenue, departmental, labor, fixed-cost, cash flow, and return assumptions
Evaluate third-party underwriting, key assumptions, capital structures, and ownership objectives
Support analysis of key money, sliver equity, joint venture, and other investment-related opportunities
Conduct market research, due diligence, and competitive benchmarking for prospective opportunities
Leverage internal operating data, STR, CoStar, and other market intelligence sources to support assumptions and identify opportunity areas
Assess market positioning, demand drivers, competitive advantages, and risks relevant to each deal
Help maintain and improve internal benchmarking tools, underwriting templates, and related data resources
Diagnose where and why a hotel is underperforming across rooms, labor, sales, marketing, ecommerce, operations, and other key areas
Develop asset-specific business plans that define root causes, strategic priorities, and the actions required to improve performance
Build revenue theses grounded in product quality, competitive positioning, fair-share performance, and commercial opportunity
Support development of operational, commercial, and financial recommendations that are both credible and executable
Translate historical and projected results into concise bridge analyses that clearly explain the levers driving performance improvement
Distinguish between operational upside, commercial upside, and ownership- or diligence-driven assumption changes
Convert complex analyses into clear, credible value-creation narratives for institutional audiences
Package relevant team credentials, case studies, and quantified proof points that strengthen the company’s credibility in business development pursuits
Create clear, persuasive, executive-ready PowerPoint materials, including pitch decks, business-plan presentations, bridge analyses, and supporting appendices
Tailor materials to the audience and setting, including live presentations, follow-up materials, and more detailed backup content
Present underwriting logic, business plans, and key assumptions in a clear and structured manner to internal leaders, owners, and institutional audiences
Support Business Development and executive leadership in live pitch meetings, including Zoom and in-person presentations
Help improve and standardize the underwriting and business-plan development process, including intake, benchmarking tools, templates, research workflows, and presentation modules
Use AI platforms and workflow tools to accelerate research, synthesis, draft production, and process efficiency while maintaining analytical accuracy and presentation quality
Contribute to building a more scalable, repeatable, and institutional-grade underwriting function