Director Owner & Partner Relations Luxury

Salary Details

Salary Description: Competetive Salary Offered

Job Description For Director Owner & Partner Relations Luxury

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Owner & Partner Relations Luxury provides strategic account management to a portfolio of owners, franchisees and franchise hotel owners across Europe.

The key areas of focus are:

• Effective account management of a portfolio of Luxury Owner & Partners focusing on: driving fees, ensuring brand compliance, holding owners and franchisees accountable to renovation cycle commitments, fielding initial contractual re-up conversations, and raising engagement.
• Support the continent's growth structure by increasing Marriott's preference with his/her portfolio of Owners & Partners.
• Support the continent's growth by assessing the capacity of a new operator to manage under our luxury brands. Lead the screening of new luxury operators partnering with the Luxury brand team, luxury COO and development team for proactive and strategic luxury franchise footprint expansion.
• Lead some asset management workouts such as change of ownerships, payment plans, renovations. Closely collaborate with Asset Management on more complex transactions where the lead will be with asset management.
• Work closely with the Luxury Regional Vice Presidents in Europe to drive financial performance across the luxury franchise portfolio whilst maximising the performance across all the other non-financial balanced scorecard metrics.
• Coordinate as appropriate with the broader EMEA Owner and Partner Relations team, Regional teams, Legal, LPO, and the hotel commercial performance team to maximise the overall performance and ensure a collaborative and unified approach for the Luxury portfolio in Europe.

SCOPE

This position is a member of the EMEA Owner & Partner Relations Team dedicated to building long lasting successful partnership with our owner community based on trust and transparency. While focused on achieving exceptional results for owners, this role should remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of Marriott's brands and contracts.

Location: Flexible

EXPECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

Provide strategic leadership to his/her portfolio of Owner & Partner and their hotels:

• Collaborates with the wider Regional Vice Presidents and regional teams to ensure that:
  • Processes and systems are in place to provide effective support of a portfolio of Owner and Partners and their hotels
  • Support resources are effectively deployed across his/her portfolio of Owner & Partners and their hotels
  • Pay to play services are made available, and marketed to, Owner & Partners
  • Regional financial and non financial annual goals are met and exceeded

Account Management of luxury franchise owners partners:

• Serve as a single point of contact for a selected portfolio of franchise luxury owners & partners. Answer their questions and/or identify necessary resources to enable franchisees to leverage the Marriott system and achieve optimal results.
• Work with line manager and broader Luxury team to design and deliver forums that allow Luxury Owners & Partners to engage with the brands, continent leadership, commercial resources, operational resources etc... to further benefit from their franchise arrangements with the company.
• Ensure that Luxury Franchise Owner & Partners are successfully account managed to drive owner / franchisee preference:
  • Form deep partnerships and strong relationships with Owners and Partners
  • Offer regular, two-way interaction points with Partners / owners to provide performance updates
  • Act as brand / company advocate to Owners & Partners
• Ensures that Owners & Partners are successfully account managed to drive unit growth:
  • Work closely with line manger to partner with Development to strategically expand the luxury portfolio
• Ensures that Owners & Partners are successfully account managed to drive fee growth:
  • Provide guidance to Owners & Partners on getting the most from company systems and infrastructure
  • Advocate the use of a la carte services to help franchisees generate improved customer loyalty and revenues

Development support, new prospective operators screening and operational input into relicensing, and contract amendments as required:

• Development support:
  • Engage with the development team on an ongoing basis to ensure that the Marriott Franchise Value Proposition is well articulated and shared with prospective owners
  • Participate in development pitches
  • Support negotiations on luxury franchise agreements as required to ensure clarity around value, cost and benefit of MI partnership
• Screen new prospective luxury operators:
  • Roll out a new Luxury Operator Screening process in collaboration with the VP Luxury brands and the VP of OPR
  • Ensure every new prospective brand franchise partner is assessed for operational competency
  • Present a summary of each prospective new operator to line manager & luxury brand lead for approval
• Partner with Asset Management to ensure:
  • Change of ownerships are recorded and processed as contractually required
  • Contract amendment and relicensing protocols are followed
  • Provide operational and technical input during renegotiation and relicensing

Coordination with internal stakeholders to ensure contractual obligations are met:

• Track and follow up on 'Authority To Open' requirements to ensure compliance
• Work with LPO and GD to ensure updates to the standards and renovation cycles are being adhered to
• Support efforts to ensure accounts receivables balances are kept to a minimum

Other Responsibilities

• Holds himself/herself, and the entire team, accountable to a high level of business ethics.
• Performs other related tasks as assigned by management.
• Complies with Marriott International policies and procedures.
• Ability to travel up to 60% of working time

CANDIDATE PROFILE - KEY TALENTS AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED

REQUIRED:

• Over five years progressive experience in a Finance, Asset Management, Operational or a Commercial discipline is essential.
• Operational experience in a Luxury role, preferably operational
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with; hotel operations, owner relations, sales/marketing/revenue, and a broad knowledge of the company's organization and resources is preferred.
• A working understanding of financial and development opportunities is preferred, must be able to evaluate potential new owners.
• Experience evaluating business trends and developing and successfully implementing new business programs and strategies that enhance multi-unit business performance.
• Demonstrated success in evaluating risks and developing proactive strategies and plans to mitigate business issues.
• Strong ability to operate in a matrix environment and can demonstrate exceptional ability to influence key stakeholders.
• Knowledge of managing owner/franchise relationship issues is preferred.
• Strong business acumen skills that include sound knowledge of the business economics and the ability to translate that knowledge into systematic and effective account management practices.
• Strong diplomacy skills to go beyond effective relationship management to also being adept at tactfully representing Marriott's interests with external partners in difficult situations.
• Must be able to gain commitment to get buy-in, participation and compliance with existing agreements or new initiatives, even when there is significant cost or effort involved (e.g., capital expenditures for renovations).
• Serve as a Marriott Culture Champion by acting as a role model and cultivating the Marriott culture within franchise companies that do business with Marriott.
• Strong project management skills and ability to independently manage multiple projects.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's Degree required; advanced degree in Business or equivalent related area preferred

Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.

Marriott International is the world's largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.