Director of Strategic Partnerships

About the role

The Director of Strategic Partnerships will work alongside the VP of Strategic Partnerships to drive revenue growth, expand national hotel partnerships, strengthen industry relationships, and identify strategic business opportunities for Access.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with hotel brands, ownership groups, convention centers, CVBs, tourism organizations, and industry associations nationwide.
• Identify and cultivate new hotel partnership opportunities that align with Access' growth strategy and geographic expansion goals.
• Support the development, activation, and ongoing management of preferred partner agreements, strategic alliances, and partnership initiatives.
• Represent Access at hospitality industry events, conferences, client functions, and networking opportunities to strengthen brand awareness and industry influence.
• Cultivate relationships with hotel sales leaders, regional executives, ownership groups, and key decision-makers at both the corporate and property levels.
• Partner closely with National Sales Directors, Directors of Sales, and local market teams to support new business development efforts tied to hotel and strategic partnerships.
• Support the development, activation, and ongoing management of preferred partner agreements, strategic alliances, and partnership initiatives.
• Collaborate with local market teams to maximize visibility and engagement with hotel partners through presentations, curated outings, site inspections, and relationship-building initiatives.
• Lead and support client engagement programs, FAM trips, strategic events, sponsorship activations, and industry initiatives designed to drive revenue opportunities.
• Participate in partnership presentations, strategic proposals, and pitch development efforts that support company growth objectives.
• Maintain awareness of competitive DMC partnerships and evolving market dynamics.
• Provide recommendations and strategic insights to leadership regarding partnership growth opportunities, emerging markets, and industry trends.
• Support evaluation of expansion opportunities and onboarding initiatives for new markets and offices.
• Create, manage, and report partnership engagement metrics, including executive meetings, field visits, relationship activity, and partnership performance indicators.
• Track partnership performance metrics, lead generation activity, and ROI through Salesforce dashboards and reporting tools.
• Aid in forecasting, pipeline management, and partnership reporting.
• Support development of dashboards, executive summaries, quarterly business reviews, and performance reports related to strategic partnerships and business development efforts.

Requirements

This role requires a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable building executive-level relationships, supporting sales initiatives, representing Access at industry events, and collaborating across departments to bring partnership opportunities to life.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of experience in hospitality business development, strategic partnerships, DMC sales, hotel sales, or related industries.
• Existing relationships within hotel brands, ownership groups, CVBs, convention centers, and hospitality organizations.
• Demonstrated success developing partnerships that generate measurable revenue opportunities.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, networking, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to think strategically while executing tactically.
• Experience working within fast-paced, growth-oriented organizations.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly for client meetings, industry events, conferences, and partnership development activities.
• Experience using CRM systems, reporting tools, and performance dashboards to manage partnership pipelines and opportunities.

Skills

• Strategic thinking and execution.
• Relationship management and building.
• Business development and partnership creation.
• Industry knowledge and trend analysis.
• Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.
• Performance tracking and reporting.

Benefits

Access offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Highly competitive total compensation, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses.
• Very strong performance-based quarterly commission plans.
• 401(k) with company match (up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately).
• Monthly cell phone stipend.
• Work from home opportunities and flexible schedule.
• PTO, sick days, and holidays.
• Annual all-company retreat, qualifier-based incentive trip, and regional team outings.
• Professional development opportunities, including mentorship and “masterclasses”.
• Extensive menu of health plans, paid parental leave, pet insurance, EAP, and state-of-the-art technology platforms.

Pay

Compensation details are provided in the "About Access" section.

Schedule

Details about the work schedule are provided in the "About Access" section.