Director, Sales

**About us**
IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the world’s leading hotel companies with around 350,000 colleagues working across more than 100 countries to deliver true hospitality for good. Our diverse portfolio of differentiated brands is well known and loved by millions of consumers around the world.

We genuinely care for our entire IHG Hotels & Resorts family. All our colleagues are valued, and their wellbeing matters to us. We provide the support our colleagues need to succeed and recognise them for their hard work. Our diverse global community values different perspectives and cultures.

**The day to day**
This position is remote-UK.
- You will be responsible for the sales management & strategy of the UK&I Managed Hotels Leisure segment, focused on the maximisation of revenue and developing new business opportunities.
- Responsible for the overall off-property global leisure strategy whilst developing and manage long term customer relationships within the luxury & lifestyle segment providing an end-to-end management of sales.
- Strategically drive direct, system delivery and utilisation through preferred distribution channels to determine rates and undertake client negotiations in line with the UKI Managed estate strategy.
- Develop and execute strategic customer account plans to deliver both incremental and quality revenue, including negotiating mutually beneficial contracts through 360-degree account management of a defined account portfolio of both new business and top tier agency partners.
- Develop in conjunction with the Director, Cluster Sales and Global Sales a robust sales strategy to achieve the hotel revenue budgets.
- Drive the Luxury & Lifestyle Leisure marketing plan to support the key strategies and activities in conjunction with the hotels, luxury and lifestyle global sales and marketing teams.
- Support and participate in on behalf and alongside the hotels (dependent on event) internal and external events to maximise resource and drive broader and deeper relationships, representing the hotels at International Trade Shows organised both internally and externally.
- Support strategic and tactical promotions and initiatives to maximise revenue in need periods, working closely with relevant hotels to identify touch points within account portfolio.
- Work across a wide variety of cultures and markets, tailoring approach and behaviours to understand key differentiators and leverage best practices accordingly.
- Demonstrate a best-in-class approach with compliance towards a processes, tools and sales strategy and ways of working.
- Implementation of the Luxury and Lifestyle hospitality calendar; developing and maintaining an agreed level of FAM trips to the hotels with key clients or potential clients.
- Organise and carry out in-market sales tours, strategically targeting sales territories which require further market penetration whilst also maintaining & growing existing client relationships to drive market share.
- Responsible for the people management of direct reports. Specifically focused on performance management, personal and career development plans and the sales delivery to achieve budgeted sales.
- Utilising relevant IHG tools and reports, continually monitor client performance, ensuring that the sales strategies & tactics in place remain aligned to the commercial priorities and business needs of the hotels.
- Work cohesively with the on-property commercial teams, communicating client sentiment, competitor insights and market intelligence to ensure we remain ahead of the competition and deliver a great guest experience.
- Act as the market segment specialist on behalf of the UK&I Managed Hotels bringing new creative flair and ideas to ensure the hotels remain memorable in this very competitive space from both a sales & operational perspective.

**What we need from you**:

- Education:_
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Marketing, Management, Business, Hospitality or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience desirable
- Key Skills_
- Solid record of sales achievement in the service or hospitality industry and understanding of channels to market to create revenue opportunities.
- Critical Expertise & Experience: _
- Significant experience in a Luxury and Lifestyle account management role with a portfolio of high growth international opportunities basing decisions upon sound data and insight, linked to the long-term strategy of the organization.
- Significant experience of negotiating the needs of hotels and the needs of the customer. Includes the ability to define, manage and execute mutually beneficial contracts
- An advanced ability to make effective commercial decisions based on an understanding and analysis of key commercial information and commercial levers.
- Significant experience in initiating, developing and managing mutually beneficial relationships with customers, hotel owners & on-property sales teams.
- Significant experience of operating i