Area Director of Sales and Marketing ("Director de Area de Ventas & MKT")

POSITION PURPOSE

The Area Director of Sales & Marketing is tasked with proactively identifying and pursuing suitable business opportunities through a combination of tele-prospecting and direct sales in order to meet both personal and hotel revenue objectives. This role entails gaining a thorough understanding of how to support the property and enhance customer loyalty by delivering exceptional service at every customer touchpoint. The director will hold overall responsibility for total revenue management and yield strategies, including implementation and assessment of results across group and transient room sales, group food and beverage services, meeting room rentals, local catering, outlet services, and other revenue streams. Key strategies will encompass market mix, pricing, sales status, direct marketing initiatives, and acquisition performance. The objective is to optimize profitability for the resort while ensuring outstanding service quality for our customers. Additionally, the director will be accountable for analyzing market performance, potential outcomes, and achieving budget, forecasting, and target goals across a group of hotels.

Essential Responsibilities

• Manage and direct the sales effort of the sales & marketing team for two hotels.
• Enthusiastically and proactively sell the property’s concepts to group, corporate and leisure prospects in a way that best illustrates the identity of the brand as innovative and new.
• Prospect and qualify all lead sources through cold calls, tele-prospecting and networking to generate new opportunities.
• Consistently meets or exceeds individual and team sales and catering goals and hotel budgets
• Managing preferred corporate, wholesale, leisure transient, and group accounts that meet or exceed hotel revenue goals
• Negotiates contracts ensuring that all pertinent aspects of solicitation and closing are complete and documented
• Actively pursue new clients through creative/innovative sales techniques and aggressive prospecting
• Identify opportunities to upsell customer through food & beverage offerings, room upgrades, AV and lighting upgrades and spa faculties, if applicable
• Manages lead sources to ensure quantity and quality of leads
• Create customized Wedding Packages, Menus, and proposals, etc.
• Respond to all customer inquiries within 24 hours or sooner
• Maintain accurate CI/TY information on all bookings, specifically program details, client correspondence, traces and to-do lists
• Conduct unique site inspections that create a WOW experience for the customer
• Follow proper event management procedures for event execution to include but not limited to BEO creation, F&B forecasting, resume communication, amenity/VIP designation and room block management
• Produce and distribute accurate banquet/catering event orders, timelines, diagrams, and resumes within timeframe set by hotel
• Coordinate, plans and implements wedding related marketing tactics and events
• Produce and distribute 10-day Events Schedule and BEO Packet, as well as Daily Events Schedule
• Preside over weekly 10-day BEO reading and daily 3-day BEO readings
• Drive strategies to develop long term business relationships and repeat business
• Attend tradeshows, make on-site field presentations, and outside sales calls to prospective clients
• Monitor sales activities/performance to ensure revenue goals meet or exceed established plan and accurately report variance/projections to management
• Participate in weekly strategy meetings and use Revenue Management resources to help make informed decisions and maximize revenue
• Ensure that the property is maximizing the use of all company, brand and local CVB programs
• Recruit the best possible sales team and reduce turnover through coaching, counseling and training
• Provide support and coaching for team members to drive high levels of performance, job satisfaction, and personal growth
• Develop and maintaining positive relationships with peers, competitors and brand partners
• Develop annual Group, Banquet, and Catering Operating Budget and Sales & Marketing plan in conjunction with the property’s executive team and executes marketing-related items
• Work with other hotel departments to successfully market amenities including spa, restaurant, lounge and events (as applicable)
• Manage/direct all advertising, public relations, and promotional activities.
• Coordinate local advertising to promote hotel’s restaurant, lounge, spa, etc.
• Coordinate, plan and implement wedding related marketing tactics and events
• Add creativity and trend insights into driving catering revenue via wedding packages, promotions and public relations
• Work with corporate marketing team, vendors and agencies to develop creative
• Represent hotels at various meetings and events in support of community and public relations
• Use brand opportunities to drive revenue
• Track and report on all sales activities for hotels
• Track and report on all event planner surveys and feedback
• Keep informed of industry news that affects the organization and shares information with team
• Partners with Operations in providing a customer experience that exceeds the customer’s expectations.
• Effectively develop relationships within the community to strengthen and expand customer base for future sales opportunities.
• Be an active part of the property management teams fostering and developing the desired Azul Hospitality Group culture
• Stimulate a friendly, cheerful attitude in his/her conduct with other managers, guests, and fellow associates.
• Drive product quality and a unique guest experience at every opportunity.
• Ensure that all administrative procedures are in place and functioning effectively
• Ensure a challenging and exciting environment to encourage full career development and personal growth
• Establish and monitor cost and expense control systems and procedures to achieve budgeted operating results.
• Take corrective measures and actions to ensure highest possible profitability.
• Maximize revenues through pro-active action rather than re-active.
• Work as a member of the yield team to ensure maximum occupancy is achieved at the highest possible average rate via effective setting and monitoring of rate occupancy controls.
• Assist in revenue management, room inventory control, stay controls and distribution channels as needed.
• Assist with new hotel opening’s sales efforts and ramp up.
• Assist with transition of new hotel acquisitions to the company’s portfolio.
• Advise the General Managers of all matters relating to Sales & Marketing.
• Attend weekly leadership meetings.
• Perform all accountabilities in a timely and efficient manner, following established company policy and projecting a favorable image of Azul Hospitality Group to achieve objectives.
• All other duties assigned by the Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Environmental conditions are inside, a job is considered “inside” if staff spends approximately 75 percent or more of the time inside. Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems.
• Must be able to sit at a desk for up to eight (8) hours per day. Walking and standing are required the rest of the working day. Length of time of these tasks may vary from day to day and task to task.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 lbs. occasionally.
• May be required to lift trays of food or food items weighing up to 30 lbs. occasionally.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 lbs. occasionally.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening and hearing ability and visual acuity.
• Hearing, smelling, tasting, and visual ability to observe and distinguish product quality and detect signs of emergency situations.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with guests, supervisors and subordinates.
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near and color vision and depth perception.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks occasionally.
• Ability to work primarily with fingers to pick, pinch, type and carry out substantial movements (motions) of the wrists and hands as well.
• Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment such as computers, printers, 10-key adding machine, multi-line touch tone phone, filing cabinets, FAX machines, photocopiers, dolly and other office equipment as needed.
  
  

Supportive Functions

In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the manager based upon the particular requirements of the hotel:

• Assist with any guest inquiry.
• Enforce hotel safety standards.
• Any other duties as assigned by the General Manager.
  
  

Travel Requirements

• This position requires travel 15% - 25% of the time.
• This position is based in Los Angeles, CA.
  
  

Specific Job Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Must be able to speak, read, write and understand the primary language used in the workplace.
• Must be able to read and write to facilitate the communication process.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Considerable knowledge of complex mathematical calculations and computer accounting programs. Budgetary analysis capabilities required.
• Extensive knowledge of the hotel, its services and facilities.
• Must have excellent leadership capability and customer relation’s skills. Most tasks are performed in a team environment with the staff member acting as a team leader. There is minimal direct supervision.
• Must be detail oriented with outstanding organizational and communication skills.
• Must possess basic computational ability.
• Must possess basic computer skills.
• Knowledge of computer accounting programs, math skills as well as budgetary analysis capabilities required.
• Ability to analyze, forecast data, and make judgments to ensure proper payroll and production control.
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy and collect accurate information to resolve conflicts.
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state and local laws governing equal employment opportunity and civil rights, occupational safety and health, wage and hour issues, and labor relations, including, but not limited to the following statutes and their state and local analogues (where applicable): Title VII, ADEA, Equal Pay Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, FLSA, ADA, OSHA, FMLA, and NLRA.
  
  

EXEMPT POSITION

Exempt Staff Members are not covered by the overtime provisions and do not receive overtime pay. Exempt Staff members are paid a fixed salary that is intended to cover all of the compensation to which they are entitled.

EDUCATION

High school or equivalent education required. Bachelor’s Degree and/or equivalent level of education preferred.

Experience

Sales and/or Catering manager experience in hospitality required.

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS

Ability to provide and maintain a valid driver’s license as the position may require the operation of motorized and electric vehicles.

GROOMING

All Staff Members must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Azul Hospitality standards. Refer to the property specific required grooming and uniform standards policy.

ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established by Azul Hospitality from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Staff with irregular attendance / tardiness will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Upon employment, all staff is required to fully comply with Azul Hospitality rules and regulations for the safe and effective operation of the hotel’s facilities. Staff members who violate hotel rules and regulations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, staff members may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required. This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that a staff member in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.