Senior Director, Group Distribution Strategy

Marriott•Bethesda, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The global distribution landscape in the lodging industry continues to expand and become more complex, and Marriott International recognizes the importance of the continued development and execution of a comprehensive channel distribution strategy. The Distribution team is charged with delivering long-term profitability to hotels and owners by generating demand and optimizing returns across owned and direct, and third-party customer facing channels. The team identifies, develops, and deploys the means to drive customers to Marriott’s lowest-cost owned and direct channels (marriott.com, voice, mobile, etc.) while cultivating and optimizing the relationships with all third-party channels, including groups & meetings, OTAs, Metasearch, wholesalers, TMC, and travel agencies. As a key team leader of Marriott International’s Distribution team, the Senior Director, Group Distribution Strategy, reports to the Vice President, Group and Transient Distribution Strategy and Activation. This position is responsible for developing and implementing Marriott’s distribution strategy for the Groups & Meetings segment. Working in close collaboration with key stakeholders in Global Sales, Continents, Revenue Management, Digital, IT, and Owner + Franchise Services, this position will define Marriott’s approach to drive group demand, strengthen the value proposition for direct channels, and address group intermediation cost and growth. The Senior. Director, Group Distribution Strategy will lead a team responsible for formulating a product vision, setting the strategy & roadmap, and managing the performance of Marriott’s direct channel Shop + Book products (e.g., Marriott.com RFP and QuickGroup) and Group Housing Solutions (e.g., ResLink and Rooming List), which cumulatively generate over $6B in revenue. This role also will lead Marriott’s strategy and management of existing and emerging third-party digital/technology players who play an active role in the group segment (e.g., Groups360, Cvent). He or she will lead the negotiation governance process for Group intermediary contracts and will help define and build support for the objectives, strategy, and options for all intermediary agreements in the group segment. This role also will be an active contributor to Marriott’s efforts to define the benefits provided to group customers, and will drive any changes to direct channel benefits and advantages. This leader will develop detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses, create compelling materials to describe and build support for findings and recommendations, and present these materials to key leaders across Marriott International. This is a critical role that is central to Marriott’s efforts to address the changing dynamics in the group distribution channel landscape and ensure that long-term profitability in the Groups & Meetings segment is achieved.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; Graduate degree preferred.
8+ years’ work experience, with at least five years of relevant work experience is required.
Demonstrated ability to manage, develop, and motivate a talented team is required.
Proven track record of strategy formulation, delivery and results is required.
Experience with strategy development, distribution issues in the group & meetings segment, relationship/account management, and emerging solutions and technologies is required.
Demonstrated ability to take complex projects from conception to successful execution, leverage creative problem solving and provide overall value analysis throughout is required.
Solid project management, organizational and process skills are required.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects without losing focus on priorities is required.
Demonstrated ability to work well within all levels of the organization, especially internal and external senior management, to build support for strategies and deliver results is required.

Nice To Haves

Consulting or similar experience with development and implementation of transformational strategies, particularly in the hospitality industry, is desired.
Experience in planning and preparing teams for complex partner negotiations is preferred, particularly with group partners in the hospitality space.

Responsibilities

Leading the Group and Meetings channel Distribution strategy and managing key account relationships.
Owns and executes on the distribution strategy for the groups & meetings channel, including development of the strategy, continual updates and refinement, definition and ownership of initiatives, communication and advocacy of the strategy, and participation as a subject-matter expert on related projects and company efforts.
Formulates a product vision, sets the strategy & roadmap, and manages the performance of Marriott’s direct channel Shop + Book products (e.g., Marriott.com RFP and QuickGroup) and Group Housing Solutions (e.g., ResLink and Rooming List).
Manages the primary Group channel accounts including, but not limited to, Groups360 and Cvent. Provides full suite of account management services, including relationship management, issue resolution, strategic planning, and support for contract negotiations.
Establishes and enforces global group channel standards including guidelines for third-party participation and compensation.
Leads the negotiation preparation process for group intermediary agreements, including developing frameworks, aligning leaders on objectives, and preparing alternatives and mitigation plans.
Communicates the group distribution strategy to senior-level internal and external stakeholder groups, including Marriott leadership, owners, and customers. Actively participates in forums to discuss group distribution trends, including owner and customer advisory councils and industry organizations.
Orchestrates efforts to ideate and develop new solutions in the groups and meetings space to drive customer demand and address group intermediation trends.
Serves as a subject matter expert on the dynamics and trends in the group intermediation space. Participates in key initiatives across the company related to driving group demand and strengthening relationships with meeting planners and group attendees.
Participates in the assessment of new third-party businesses, products, and services that support business and strategic objectives. Evaluates and defines key channel and technology investment opportunities.
Leads project planning and execution relative to initiatives and technical enhancements related to the group distribution strategy to reduce costs, increase sales, and optimize the role of intermediaries.
Develops specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work for self and direct reports.
Provides direction and assistance to other teams regarding projects. Determines priorities, schedules, plans and necessary resources to ensure completion of any projects on schedule.
Analyzes information and evaluates results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Thinks creatively and practically to develop, execute, and implement new plans or programs. Generates and provides accurate and timely results in the form of reports, presentations, etc.
Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates the quality of the teams’ operations.
Provides recommendations to improve the effectiveness of processes or programs.
Understands and meets the needs of key stakeholders.
Supports achievement of performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
Continuously improves department, program, team, and job structures and ensures clear leadership accountabilities are in place.
Interviews and hires employees.
Facilitates regular, ongoing communication in department (e.g., staff meetings).
Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for performance goals.
Solicits employee feedback.
Conducts annual performance appraisal with direct reports according to Standard Operating Procedures.
Identifies talents of direct reports and assists with their growth and development plans.
Performs other reasonable duties as required for the position.

Benefits

All positions offer a 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, discounts at Marriott properties, commuter benefits, employee assistance plan, and childcare discounts.
Full-time positions also offer coverage for medical, dental, vision, health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, adoption expense reimbursements, paid parental leave and educational assistance.

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