Vice President of Business Development

HMSHost; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Holidays

Life insurance

Employee discounts

Employee Assistance Program

Career development

Job summary

HMSHost, a leader in dining for travel venues, seeks a strategic Vice President of Business Development to drive contract wins, retain existing agreements, and grow airport business across North America.

Based at the North America Support Center in Bethesda, MD, this role requires extensive stakeholder engagement, 50% travel to airport locations, and collaboration with legal, design, and operations to deliver contracts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree focusing on financial planning/analysis; MBA or related master’s degree adds years eligible.
• Extensive experience in business development or finance related to contract management.
• Airport F&B and/or Retail industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements contract win and extension strategies with local support.
• Builds and maintains client relationships to influence deal terms.
• Partners with proposal, design and construction teams to develop project plans and proposals.
• Negotiates and finalizes ACDBE, subtenant, and client agreements with internal approval.
• Engages with prospective clients, airport staff, boards, and authorities to influence rents and guarantees.
• Executes project work plans and manages budgets across contracts.
• Oversees business case, design, construction, and post audits for programs.
• Coordinates project change orders and partner with operations to fulfill contracts.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder influence

Relationship management

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance/financial planning

MBA or related master's degree

Job description

HMSHost, a subsidiary of Avolta, is a leader in creating dining for travel venues. With our unmatched portfolio, we operate over 1,000 locations in nearly 80 airports across North America, including proprietary concepts, local, regional, and national brands, and partnerships with award-winning chefs. For decades, HMSHost has curated food and beverage programs that make a traveler’s journey as exciting as the destination.

About the Role

The purpose of the Vice President of Business Development is to execute on the development strategy through client relationships and implementation of plans to retain existing contracts, expand current airport business opportunities, and acquire new airport contracts.

Essential Functions

• Develops and implements contract win and extension strategies, including proper positioning, local support, and identification of key success criteria
• Builds, manages, and maintains client relationships to influence deal structure, win contracts, and improve deal terms
• Partners with head of program management, proposal development, and creative services to develop project plans and proposals, presentations, and other external documents for RFQs, RFPs, lease extensions, and other competitive opportunities including deals for new and existing spaces
• Negotiates and finalizes ACDBE, subtenant, and client agreements including internal approval of terms
• Engages with and presents to prospective clients, airport staff, boards, and political representatives; influences acceptances of rent and minimum annual guarantees
• Executes the project work plan and manages budgets
• Oversees business case, design and construction, and process post audits
• Participates in the approval and negotiation of project change orders
• Partners with Operations Leadership to successfully deliver and fulfill all contracts

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Senior Vice President of Business Development

• Departments: Financial Planning and Analysis, Design and Construction, Legal, Strategic Alliances, Operations, Company Senior Leadership
• Customers: Landlords, brands, airport/city/port authorities, industry affinity organizations, competitors

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment

Education and Experience

• Total professional experience must exceed 12 years
• In leadership role: 7 years leading business development or business development finance programs and/or influencing stakeholders and deal outcomes
• In technical role: 10 years in a senior level business development or business development finance role
• A bachelor’s degree concentrating on financial planning and analysis can count for 3 of the ten-year requirement
• An MBA or a master’s level degree in a program related to the functional area can count for an additional 2 years of the ten-year requirement
• In industry: 3-5 years of Airport F&B and/or Retail experience

Specialized Training

• Must have significant experiential learning of the business development and contracting process at an organization that is dependent on contract acquisition for overall success
• Completion of or future participation in Facility Development Process (FDP) training
• Highly advanced financial analysis and business acumen, but also has a strategic vision to understand the long-term implications of each development deal
• Knowledge of and participation in industry affinity groups i.e., ACI, AAAE, AMAC, ARRA
• Demonstrated history of coaching/counseling/leading subordinate employees from junior through senior level roles into functional areas outside of the Development function
• Demonstrated history of anticipating and balancing the needs of the business with the needs of complex stakeholders, the employee population, and individual circumstances
• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading teams to achieve common goals
• Demonstrated experience exhibiting a continuous improvement mindset with the ability to optimize work processes and achieve positive results

Travel/Location

• This position is based at the North America Support Center in Bethesda, MD
• Requires 50% travel to airport locations
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (vacation, sick time, and flex days)
• Paid holidays
• Company-paid life insurance
• Employee discounts across company brands
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Career development and advancement opportunities

Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates (“the Company”), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as “protected characteristics”).