Senior Director, Group Sales

Choice Hotels International, Inc.; North Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Stock awards

Hotel discounts

Job summary

Choice Hotels International, Inc. is seeking a Senior Director of Group, Meetings & Events to lead strategy, growth, and performance of the company’s group sales.

You will manage a team of Directors, Managers, and Inside Sales, and partner cross-functionally to drive revenue through group, meetings, and event channels. The role requires 10+ years in sales and 7+ years in leadership, with expertise in CRM tools (Salesforce), BI (Tableau), and data-driven strategies.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in sales, business development, or related commercial roles.
• 7+ years in people leadership coaching and managing sales teams.
• Experience creating and executing sales strategies that drive revenue growth and market share.
• Experience managing strategic partnerships, vendor relationships, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience with budget ownership, forecasting, and operational management.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and coach a team driving group, meetings, and events revenue growth.
• Develop and execute sales and marketing strategies to increase revenue and market share.
• Identify and cultivate new business opportunities while strengthening key accounts.
• Drive data-driven selling using CRM, Tableau, Salesforce, and BI tools.
• Build executive relationships with third-party providers and strategic partners.
• Oversee channel plans, education of hotel operators, and revenue optimization strategies.
• Manage budgets, resources, and operational plans for assigned initiatives.
• Analyze market trends and translate insights into actions that boost performance.

Skills

Strategic sales leadership

Team leadership

Data-driven decision making

Relationship management

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, Marketing, Sales, Communications

MBA or related discipline preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Tableau

CRM platforms

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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. The 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. The role functions as part of the leadership team of a sales organization and has significant impact on departmental performance and business outcomes.

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. 7+ years of people leadership experience, including coaching, developing, and managing high-performing sales teams. Demonstrated experience creating and executing sales strategies that drive revenue growth and market share. Experience managing strategic partnerships, vendor relationships, and cross-functional business initiatives. Experience with budget ownership, business planning, forecasting, and operational management. Hospitality, lodging, travel, meetings, or events industry experience preferred. Experience leading managers or senior-level sales professionals preferred. Technical Skills Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Experience utilizing Salesforce.com or comparable CRM platforms. Experience with Tableau or other business intelligence and reporting tools. Strong analytical and data interpretation capabilities. Experience with sales pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting systems. Familiarity with marketing technology and digital communication platforms preferred. Additional Skills & Competencies Strategic thinking and business acumen. Exceptional leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities. Strong communication, presentation, and executive influencing skills. Ability to define and lead organizational change initiatives. Proven relationship-building and stakeholder management skills. Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Ability to evaluate market trends and translate insights into business results. 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.

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $185,000 annually, plus variable, performance-based sales commission. In addition to the annual salary and commission, this role is eligible for annual awards of Choice Hotels International common stock through Choice’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTI Plan).

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. Our corporate office locations: North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail. Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail. Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown. Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.

CHOICE’S CULTURAL VALUES

Choice’s Cultural Values Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity Choice’s Leadership Principles Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver CONNECT THE WORLD THROUGH THE POWER OF HOSPITALITY We bring together the people, brand and technology that enable the success of others – welcoming every guest, every partner, everywhere their journey takes them. Visit http://careers.choicehotels.com to learn more.