Owner Engagement Manager

Choice Hotels International • North Bethesda, MD

6d • $115,000 - $135,000

About The Position

The Owner Engagement Manager leads the development and execution of strategic engagement programs to strengthen owner satisfaction, advocacy, retention, and growth across Choice Hotels’ franchise portfolio. This individual contributor serves as a strategic resource within Owner Relations, translating owner insights, competitive intelligence, and engagement data into recommendations that inform departmental and business-unit priorities. The role partners across Brands, Franchise Performance, Portfolio Operations, Legal, Corporate Communications, and other teams to create consistent, scalable owner experiences. Working with minimal supervision, the Manager addresses complex issues with limited precedent, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and influences stakeholders in a matrixed environment.

The role leads owner-engagement strategy and outreach, supports owner associations and governance programs, and develops analytics and executive reporting to guide decisions. It manages engagement activities across visits, town halls, councils, committees, events, sponsorships, and communications; leads Choice’s engagement with owner associations; and turns owner sentiment and performance data into recommendations for programs, resource allocation, communications, and investment. Travel of up to 30% is required.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in owner relations, franchise relations, hospitality operations, account management, stakeholder engagement, or a related field.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrated experience managing communications and relationships with owners, franchisees, clients, or other strategic stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop solutions to complex, non-routine challenges and drive high-priority initiatives through completion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Ability to analyze engagement, survey, sentiment, and performance data and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to address complex issues with limited precedent.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with franchise owners and senior leaders.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder-management capabilities, including effectiveness in a matrixed environment.
• Strong analytical and business acumen, with the ability to translate qualitative and quantitative insights into clear recommendations.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with disciplined execution while managing multiple high-priority initiatives.
• Ability to travel up to 30%.
• Demonstrated commitment to Choice’s CORE values.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting governance, councils, associations, committees, or similar stakeholder programs.
• Hotel, hospitality, franchising, or related industry experience.
• CRM platform experience.
• Knowledge of hotel industry trends, competitive brands, franchising, and Choice Hotels’ offerings.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience; relevant study in hospitality, business administration, communications, marketing, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of owner-engagement strategies, playbooks, and tier-specific frameworks.
• Lead complex, multi-stakeholder owner outreach initiatives from strategy through execution, setting objectives and measuring effectiveness and owner impact.
• Develop recommendations for the Senior Director to shape engagement priorities, programs, and investments.
• Translate owner sentiment, competitive intelligence, industry trends, and best practices into engagement approaches, including solutions to complex issues with limited precedent.
• Manage the owner-engagement calendar across visits, town halls, councils, committees, events, sponsorships, and key communications.
• Coordinate with regional and brand leadership, Franchise Performance, Portfolio Management, Legal, Corporate Communications, and other stakeholders to deliver a consistent owner experience.
• Serve as an escalation resource on complex or high-impact owner-engagement matters and recommend appropriate actions to senior leadership.
• Lead Choice’s engagement with CHOC, ELFA, ROA, and other owner associations, including strategic agendas and materials, logistics, and resolution of action items.
• Develop and improve association programs, member-engagement models, and sponsorship strategies.
• Partner with association leadership and Choice Legal on bylaws, governance revisions, and other structural matters, providing recommendations informed by owner needs, industry knowledge, and business priorities.
• Oversee recurring program activities, including expense administration, membership and roster management, nomination processes, and executive briefing materials.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve operational effectiveness, and scale owner programs across the franchise portfolio.
• Lead the development and interpretation of owner dashboards, quarterly scorecards, key performance indicators, and executive reporting.
• Analyze owner surveys, sentiment, trends, segmentation data, and other intelligence to identify retention risks, growth opportunities, and emerging owner needs.
• Translate owner intelligence into prioritized recommendations for engagement strategies, resource allocation, communications, and program investment.
• Develop executive dossiers and pre-meeting intelligence for senior leaders’ owner meetings, visits, councils, and events.
• Monitor competitive owner-relations practices and industry developments and identify insights to strengthen Choice’s owner programs, benefits, communications, and franchisee value proposition.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid time off and leave for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance.
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings.
• Employee recognition programs.
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide.
• Annual bonus eligibility under Choice’s Management Incentive Plan (MIP).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level