Development Director - Hospitality

Ascentis Group; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance incentive up to 30%

EPF

Job summary

Ascentis Group seeks a seasoned Project Leader for a large hospitality program in Bengaluru. You will partner with client executives to define goals, lead cross-functional teams, and translate a client vision into actionable briefs, ensuring brand standards and guest experience are at the forefront.

You will drive project execution planning, scheduling, budgeting, and procurement while maintaining quality and regulatory compliance across international standards.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of international project management experience in hospitality assets.
• Strong hotel development lifecycle knowledge from design to construction.
• Experience with operator-led design and technical standards (Marriott, IHG, Hyatt).
• Expertise in procurement, cost control, and construction logistics.
• Executive communication and leadership across multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery from concept through procurement and construction.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards, regulatory and sustainability goals.
• Manage timelines and budgets end-to-end with risk oversight.
• Mentor and lead a multi-disciplinary team of project managers and designers.
• Align client expectations with internal delivery standards.

Skills

Executive leadership

Hospitality development

Brand standards

Budgeting

Procurement

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Job description

• Serve as the primary Ascentis lead for a large client hospitality program (greenfield projects only).
• Partner directly with client leadership (CEO, CFO) to define development goals, brand alignment, and performance benchmarks.
• Lead internal cross-functional teams and external partners, including designers, contractors, and vendors.
• Translate client vision into actionable project and design briefs, ensuring clear articulation of brand standards and guest experience strategy.
• Lead preparation of Project Execution Plans, including scheduling, budgeting, phasing strategy, and procurement planning.
• Advise client on hotel operator brand standards and ensure alignment with brand technical guidelines.
• Drive value engineering and design optimization efforts in collaboration with in-house and third-party experts.
• Provide hands-on leadership during feasibility, concept design, and consultant selection stages.

Timeline and Budget Control

• Ensure tight control of project timelines through rigorous program management, proactive risk analysis, and timely decision-making.
• Own the project budgeting process end-to-end — from initial feasibility assessments to final reconciliation — with clear cost control mechanisms at every phase.
• Drive accountability on cost and schedule across consultants, contractors, and internal teams.
• Champion disciplined execution to deliver projects on time and within agreed budgets, without compromising design integrity or operational performance.

Delivery Oversight

• Lead project delivery from concept design through procurement and construction.
• Ensure compliance with international quality standards, regulatory requirements, safety standards, and sustainability objectives.
• Lead project review meetings, site inspections, and high-level reporting.
• Steer the change management process, cost reviews, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Mentor and lead a multi-disciplinary team of project managers, design managers, planners, commercial managers, and construction professionals.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and excellence across all levels of the project team.
• Ensure continuous alignment between client's expectations and internal delivery standards.

Requirements

• 20+ years of international experience in project management, including proven track record of delivering complex hospitality assets on schedule and within budget.
• Strong background in hotel development lifecycle: from design through procurement and construction.
• Demonstrated experience with operator-led design and technical standards (e.g., Marriott, IHG, Hyatt).
• Deep understanding of procurement, cost control, construction logistics, and design coordination.
• Confident communicator with executive presence and high emotional intelligence.
• Prior experience leading multi-asset hospitality portfolios preferred.
• Experience managing projects in developing countries is preferred.

Job open to both expatriates and Indian nationals:

If Indian national:

• - Monthly gross salary- Annual performance incentive up to 30% of gross salary
• - EPF

If expatriate:

• - Monthly salary, net of local income tax
• - Annual performance incentive up to 30% of gross salary