[Hiring] Account Director, Global Luxury & Lifestyle Sales @IHG

Role Description

The Global Luxury & Lifestyle Sales Account Director is primarily responsible for an account portfolio of luxury agencies to maximize and drive revenues and market share to IHG brands.

• Knowledge of luxury consortia networks and agency partners across Midwestern USA.
• Manage and coordinate transient and group luxury travel requests for hotel partners, ensuring a high level of service and client engagement.
• Create, evolve, and drive strategic global account plans while developing relationships and networks within the accounts to increase opportunities, conversion, and revenue for our hotels.
• Interact with all Associates from their respective accounts as well as IHG Hotel sales teams to deliver bookings from our mutual end-user customers.

Location: Remote. Candidate must reside in Midwestern U.S.: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, or Wisconsin; and must reside within 1 hour proximity to a major US airport.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Marketing, Management, Business, or a relevant field of work, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience preferred.
• 6-8 years progressive work-related experience in the service industry with at least 4 years in multi-unit or corporate roles in a hotel setting.
• Strong knowledge of luxury consortia networks and agency partners across Midwestern US.
• Strong knowledge of IHG products, rates, and marketing programs.
• Ability to develop strong relationships with customers’ senior management.
• Confidence in representing multiple properties and working remote from team members and line manager.
• Establishes goals and objectives, sets performance targets and timely delivery of projects.

Requirements

• Manage and develop portfolio of accounts to maximize market share and revenues.
• Assess accounts and their opportunities, create account plans as per the IHG template, and execute strategies and tactics to drive revenue and market share.
• Network within the accounts to find key decision makers, their support staff, and other relationship opportunities.
• Collaborate with IHG hotels to design and deliver on in-person events that allow travel agents to experience IHG brands.
• Conduct or participate in client meetings as well as plan and coordinate familiarization tours and site inspections.
• Handle and manage clients’ queries or issues.
• Gather information on current and prospective clients/contacts to generate incremental business.
• Collaborate with IHG hotel-facing sales teams to deliver for NHOPs and key portfolios of hotels.
• Keep an accurate record of all sales calls made for future reference and control purposes in the sales system.
• Ensure accurate Account Profiles and Account planning are undertaken at least annually with such templates completed and posted to appropriate communication channels and sales systems.
• Work with the appropriate Hotels to ensure clear communication of expectations and goals.
• Update Account and Contact profiles, attach Account plans, ensure ‘live’ information for action.
• Use both account interaction and publicly available tools to monitor competitors' activities as it relates to both IHG and the portfolio of accounts and share relevant information with key stakeholders.
• Maintain effective control of sales expenses.
• Assist with familiarizations and entertaining as required.
• Act as a resource for all on-property hotel staff.
• Include hotel General Managers and sales staff where appropriate on sales calls.
• Report to the Director of Global Luxury & Lifestyle for The Americas on market trends.

Benefits

• The salary range for this role is $84,000.00 to $139,000.00.
• This role is also eligible for bonus pay (as applicable).
• Comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, and other benefits to employees.