Senior Director, Group Sales

Job Summary

Choice Hotels is seeking a results-driven Senior Director, Group, Meetings & Events to lead the strategy, growth, and performance of the company’s group sales business. This role leads a team of Group Sales Directors, Managers, and the Inside Sales function and is responsible for developing and executing sales and marketing strategies that increase revenue through group, meetings, and event channels.

About the Role

This position serves as a strategic leader within Global Sales, managing key third-party partnerships, evaluating market opportunities, driving adoption of data-driven sales practices, and supporting hotel engagement across the portfolio. This leader partners cross-functionally to deliver strategic business results, influence organizational priorities, and drive incremental revenue for Choice Hotels.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and coach a team responsible for driving group, meetings, and events revenue growth.
• Establish performance expectations, revenue objectives, pipeline goals, and accountability measures to ensure consistent achievement of business targets.
• Develop and execute comprehensive sales and marketing strategies that increase revenue and market share across group channels and vertical markets.
• Identify and cultivate new business opportunities while strengthening existing customer relationships and strategic accounts.
• Drive adoption of insights-based selling practices leveraging data, analytics, CRM platforms, Tableau, Salesforce, and other business intelligence tools.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key third-party providers and strategic partners that support group and meeting business growth.
• Lead meeting technology integration initiatives and support connectivity with external group and meeting platforms.
• Partner closely with Distribution, Marketing, Revenue Management, Sales Enablement, and other internal stakeholders to optimize channel performance and customer engagement.
• Develop channel-specific business plans and marketing programs designed to increase customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty.
• Deliver communication, education, and training to hotel operators regarding group channel opportunities, platform utilization, and revenue optimization strategies.
• Manage budgets, resource allocation, and operational plans supporting assigned channels and strategic initiatives.
• Analyze business trends, market dynamics, customer insights, and competitive activity to identify opportunities and implement solutions that improve business performance.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and contribute to the strategic direction of the Global Sales organization.

Qualifications

• Employment Experience: 10+ years of progressive sales, business development, account management, hospitality, travel, meetings, events, or related commercial experience.
• People Leadership Experience: 7+ years of people leadership experience, including coaching, developing, and managing high-performing sales teams.
• Strategic Selling: Demonstrated experience creating and executing sales strategies that drive revenue growth and market share.
• Strategic Partnerships: Experience managing strategic partnerships, vendor relationships, and cross-functional business initiatives.
• Budget Ownership: Experience with budget ownership, business planning, forecasting, and operational management.
• Hospitality Industry: Hospitality, lodging, travel, meetings, or events industry experience preferred.
• Sales Leadership: Experience leading managers or senior-level sales professionals preferred.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office Suite: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• CRM Platforms: Experience utilizing Salesforce.com or comparable CRM platforms.
• Data Tools: Experience with Tableau or other business intelligence and reporting tools.
• Analytics: Strong analytical and data interpretation capabilities.
• Pipeline Management: Experience with sales pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting systems.
• Digital Communication: Familiarity with marketing technology and digital communication platforms preferred.

Additional Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Thinking: Exceptional leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities.
• Communication: Strong communication, presentation, and executive influencing skills.
• Change Initiatives: Ability to define and lead organizational change initiatives.
• Stakeholder Management: Proven relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Problem Solving: Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Market Insights: Ability to evaluate market trends and translate insights into business results.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional partnerships and strategic initiatives.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality Management, Marketing, Sales, Communications, or a related field or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Marketing, or a related discipline preferred or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Relevant industry certifications are a plus but not required.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance.
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings.
• Employee recognition programs.
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide.

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too. At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

Company Culture

• Welcome and Respect Everyone
• Be Bold
• Be Quick
• Listen
• Be Curious
• Show Integrity

Leadership Principles

• Act with Intention
• Lead with Authenticity
• Grow & Deliver