Director of Strategic Initiatives

Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 143,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual free hotel stays globally

Flexible work schedule

Headspace subscription for wellbeing

Wellbeing initiatives and family/pet/…

PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K

Job summary

Hyatt Hotels Corporation seeks a Director, Strategic Initiatives to join Growth Strategy & Analytics. You will translate Hyatt's growth strategy into measurable initiatives, coordinate cross-functional workstreams, and provide executive-ready updates to Growth leadership.

You will lead AI-enabled use cases to improve planning, forecasting, and productivity while driving alignment and execution discipline across Development, Brand, Finance, and Operations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in corporate strategy, finance, or strategic initiatives.
• Proven success leading large-scale strategic programs from design to execution.
• Strong analytics, planning, and executive storytelling abilities.

Responsibilities

• Translate growth strategy into actionable roadmaps and initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional workstreams and monitor milestones and KPIs.
• Provide executive-ready updates and insights to Growth leadership.
• Identify AI use cases to improve planning, analytics, and productivity.
• Collaborate with Finance, Development, Operations, and Digital teams.

Skills

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Office 365

BI tools

Job description

The Opportunity

Hyatt Hotels Corporation seeks an enthusiastic Director, Strategic Initiatives to join our Growth Strategy & Analytics department. In this role, you will collaborate closely with Growth leadership and cross-functional partners across Development, Brand, Finance, Operations, Commercial, and other teams to translate Hyatt's growth strategy into tangible initiatives and measurable outcomes. You will be instrumental in helping bring Hyatt's strategy to life across the organization by driving alignment, monitoring progress, strengthening execution discipline, and advancing practical AI-enabled capabilities that improve decision-making and operational efficiency. You will be part of a team that is passionate about our purpose, committed to nurturing curiosity and new skills, and building connections across the organization with colleagues, customers, and guests.

Who We Are

At Hyatt, we believe in the power of belonging and creating a culture of care, where our colleagues become family. Since 1957, our colleagues and our guests have been at the heart of our business and helped Hyatt become one of the best and fastest-growing hospitality brands in the world. Our transformative growth and the addition of new hotels, brands, and business lines can open the door for exciting career and growth opportunities for our colleagues.

As we continue to grow, we never lose sight of what's most important: People. We turn trips into journeys, encounters into experiences, and jobs into careers.

Why Now?

This is an exciting time to be at Hyatt. We are growing rapidly and are looking for passionate changemakers to be a part of our journey. The hospitality industry is resilient and continues to offer dynamic opportunities for upward mobility, and Hyatt is no exception.

How We Care for Our People

What sets us apart is our purpose-to care for people so they can be their best. Every business decision is made through the lens of our purpose, and it informs how we have and will continue to support each other as members of the Hyatt family. Our care for our colleagues is the key to our success. We're proud to have earned a place on Fortune's prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For® list since 2013. This recognition is a testament to the tremendous way our Hyatt family continues to come together to care for one another, our commitment to a culture of inclusivity, empathy, and respect, and making sure everyone feels like they belong.

We're proud to offer exceptional corporate benefits which include:

• Annual allotment of free hotel stays at Hyatt hotels globally
• Flexible work schedule
• Work-life benefits including wellbeing initiatives such as a complimentary Headspace subscription, and a discount at the on-site fitness center
• A global family assistance policy with paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child as well as financial assistance for adoption
• Paid Time Off, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K with company match

Who You Are

As our ideal candidate, you understand the power and purpose of our culture of care, and embody our core values of Empathy, Inclusion, Integrity, Experimentation, Respect, and Wellbeing. You enjoy working with others, are results-driven, and are looking for a variety of opportunities to develop personally and professionally.

The Role

The Director, Strategic Initiatives will help operationalize Hyatt's growth strategy by leading strategic programs from planning through execution. This role will create actionable roadmaps, coordinate cross-functional workstreams, track progress against key milestones and KPIs, and provide executive-ready updates and insights to Growth leadership and senior stakeholders. The Director will also support the Growth organization's AI transformation agenda by identifying, piloting, and helping scale AI-enabled use cases that improve planning, analytics, forecasting, reporting, and productivity.

• Translate Hyatt's long-term growth strategy into actionable roadmaps, workstreams, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead the Growth team's long-range planning process, translating strategic priorities into goals, milestones, tracking mechanisms and identifying resource needs.
• Lead the implementation, execution, and monitoring of programs that accelerate growth outcomes and deliver key milestones.
• Lead high priority initiatives that advance Hyatt's growth strategy, including ongoing development, implementation and ongoing refinement of initiatives.
• Lead market-planning efforts to identify the optimal brand-market fit for Hyatt's brand portfolio, using market, demand, competitive, owner and development insights to inform growth priorities
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountability across teams to ensure organizational alignment and effective delivery.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners, including Finance, Development, Operations, Digital, and other teams, to support resource allocation and execution.
• Track, measure, and report initiative progress against KPIs; proactively identify risks and drive mitigation plans.
• Prepare executive-ready updates, reports, and insights for Growth leadership and senior stakeholders.
• Partner with teams to identify AI use cases that improve strategic planning, analytics, forecasting, reporting, and productivity, supporting the pilot-to-scale process for successful solutions.
• Champion practical AI adoption by helping Growth teams automate, simplify, and modernize processes through AI tools.
• Foster innovation and best practices in growth initiative execution, incorporating external market and competitive insights.

Qualifications

Experience Required:

• 10+ years of experience in corporate strategy, finance, business transformation, strategic initiatives, or an equivalent business or functional role.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale strategic initiatives from design through execution.
• Strong understanding of growth strategy, business planning, capital deployment, and enterprise value creation.
• Exceptional project and program management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally, influence stakeholders, and align diverse teams around shared outcomes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate strategy into executable plans and measurable progress.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills, with experience preparing insights and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Change management experience, with the ability to drive adoption and alignment across global teams.

Experience Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Strategy, Finance, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in hospitality, real estate, or consumer-facing industries.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Office 365; experience with business intelligence and visualization tools.
• Experience leveraging AI platforms such as ChatGPT Enterprise, Microsoft Copilot, or similar generative AI tools to improve business processes and decision-making.
• Passion for innovation and continuous improvement, with a practical approach to identifying opportunities to use AI and emerging technologies to improve business performance.

The position responsibilities outlined above are in no way to be construed as all-encompassing. Other duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required and/or assigned as necessary.

The salary range for this position is $142,500 - $180,000. This position is also eligible to earn an annual bonus. The final pay rate/salary offered to the successful candidate will depend on experience, skill level and other qualifications for the role, as well as the location of the performance of work. Pay for the successful candidate will meet local requirements, including the local minimum wage rate.

We value our relationships with recruitment partners and require that agencies contact us first before submitting any candidates. Hyatt will not be responsible for any fees and obligations associated with unsolicited submissions unless a formal agreement is in place.