Director, Sales Operations - India

Description

As Director, Sales Operations - India you will lead the development and implementation of strategic sales plans that maximize profitability for owned and operated hotels, to achieve hotels’ budgeted revenue, and increase RevPAR Index and market share targets.

Your responsibilities for the region include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Ensure the region’s managed hotel Sales teams
  • Are appropriately set up, strike the right balance between proactive and reactive
  • Have the right strategies in place to deliver their revenue targets
  • Use Hilton systems (e.g. Delphi) and tools per our standards; to create focused opportunities for the hotels
  • Have appropriate targets in place (SIP)
  • Evaluate and identify business opportunities for hotels and direct them accordingly
• Ensure the region’s managed hotel GM&E teams are capturing maximum demand and to drive the highest level of conversion
• Create and maintain people plans to ensure that the region’s managed hotel sales leadership are protected for future growth 
• Hold regular productivity reviews with the region’s managed hotel Sales teams to ensure we are acquiring enough new customers as well as growing existing customers' revenue and share
• Design and implement sales strategies to achieve revenue/EBITDA and to gain optimal market share
• Develop sales strategic plans and coordinate with Senior Cluster Revenue Manager (SCRM) of Revenue Management Consolidated Centre (RMCC) and Commercial Directors to maximize revenue
• Set long-term goals for the hotels' Sales department through a review of competitive data, demand analysis, and market mix to form the base for short-term goals and annual operational planning
• Work with the area GMs and Commercial Directors to develop and assist hotels in achieving their business plan objectives
• Determine the appropriate objectives for the business and how those objectives are going to be accomplished
• Work with key stakeholders, the Commercial Services team (marketing and revenue management), and the VP, Commercial Services - India, to structure the resources and activities of the hotel's Sales team
• Streamline business processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness within the Sales department at hotels
• Develop and recommend improvement on key account management at the hotel level to increase Hilton’s market share and be the hotel of choice
• Repurpose teams to ensure that sales resources are optimized, to drive market share from key accounts
• Develop and maintain relationships with decision-makers and influencers within the top producing accounts at the hotel level as you believe is necessary, especially across hotel clusters
• Ensure that local hotel sales plans align with regional and enterprise-wide plans
• Drive B2B account base for all properties in the system
• Be the key point of communication on hotel sales strategies between hotels and the Above Property Sales teams
• Work closely with the HWS to create the sales strategy for the region including activities to drive performance
• Support all managed hotels in their pre-opening phase to build sales strategies, review completion of pre-opening checklist, ensure sales strategy is clearly articulated with target accounts and activities, share information with above property teams
• Closely work together with the above property sales team to share new opening hotels information and plan for activities before opening, and engage hotels to join relevant sales activities organized by the HWS team during the pre-opening period

What will I be doing? 

As the Director, Sales Operations - India, you will be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards:

Business Acumen

• Partners with VP, Commercial Services - India as the Sales leader of their business
• Support hotel openings from a Sales perspective to make full use of Hilton’s engine
• Translate organizational goals and priorities into performance standards for the Sales team
• As Sales lead for the region ensuring the regional forecast for region’s managed hotels, managed segments and GM&E makes sense and is our most accurate view of the future based on current and anticipated trends

Setting Strategy

• Responsible for the creation of short, medium and long-term strategy plans to deliver sustained success amongst our managed segments and GM&E, ensuring that overall strategy is focused on growing market share
• Communicate strategy and performance against our regional strategy and initiatives
• Gain buy-in and support for the relevant strategies and key initiatives required to deliver the strategy from senior stakeholders
• Lead strategic planning across Sales in the region to advance the company goals while ensuring the communication of key messages to internal and external stakeholders
• Work closely with HWS (in and out of the region) to drive business to hotels within the region

Executing for Results

• Support the VP, Commercial Services - India in negotiations with 3rd party suppliers as and when necessary and share management of relationships as agreed
• Lead the region’s managed hotel Sales teams in the region as well as working in close collaboration
• Work closely in partnership with the Marketing and eCommerce team in the region in driving appropriate B2B marketing initiatives
• Ensure all Sales initiatives and big rocks are planned adequately and managed through to delivery
• Ensure that the Sales team is integrated in its approach to increasing market share
• Work the relationship with HWS globally to drive hotel performance. This includes understanding the account ownership of key accounts for the owned and managed hotels globally and building relationships with key stakeholders in HWS teams across the globe to drive account performance.

Leading Teams

• Ensure the above property hotel Sales teams provide adequate support to our property teams
• Maintain and develop talent on-property to ensure the highest performance level is achieved and plan for future succession
• Maintain adequate succession plans to ensure that our team is ‘future-proofed’

Building Relationships and Using Influence

• Develop and maintain excellent relationships with senior personnel across the company
• Develop strong relationships with key Commercial partners across the region to further strengthen our commercial performance
• Maintain strategic alliances with Global Database Management (GDM), Distribution & Channel Management, and other important Distribution centres
• The role will attend property visits, corporate & ownership meetings, budget and forecast reviews, and initiation of sales/commercial conferences in the region (budget permitting) with RCD
• Maintain excellent relations and ensure coordination with the Commercial Services APAC team to enable collective effectiveness

Special Projects

• Supporting APAC with regional projects as required

Requirements

What are we looking for?

The Director, Sales Operations – India serving Hilton Brands is always working on behalf of our Guests and working with other Team Members. To successfully fill this role, you should maintain the attitude, behaviors, skills, and values that follow:

Minimum Qualifications

• 8 years of experience developing and implementing strategic sales plans
• 8 years of experience presenting sales plans to senior-level executives and constituent groups
• 8 experience working in a collaborative/matrixed environment
• 5 years working with departmental financial data to make strategic/tactical decisions
• 5 years of experience evaluating and identifying business opportunities for hotels
• 5 years of experience managing a sales team

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree
• 10 years of progressive sales leadership at a multi-site, multi-branded, consumer-focused organization
• Experience with sizeable revenue diverse customers, and dynamic channels throughout the Asia Pacific
• Relevant sales experience could be a combination of B2B, B2C or B2B2C
• 10 years of hospitality experience or Hilton experience

What will it be like to work for Hilton?

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!