The Senior Director, Client Services, APEC, supervises the daily performance of the Digital Services Client Services staff for the Continent.  This position is responsible for the successful planning, localization and execution for 300+ programs regionally and reports to the Vice President, Digital Services, Client Services.

This leader functions as a strategic business leader of the Digital Services team, by continuously improving departmental processes, programs, team, job structures and ensures clear leadership accountabilities are in place. Proactively leads the Continent Digital Services team in ensuring the team provides high quality service and maintains high associate satisfaction. Works with direct reports and peers to develop and implement program and department strategies and goals.  Makes and executes the necessary decisions to keep team moving forward toward achievement of goals. Thinks creatively and practically to develop, execute and implement new plans and/or programs. Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for performance goals. Works closely with the Director of Program Management Operations to ensure tactics SLAs meet expectations. Works with Director of Program Development to ensure programs offered met local digital needs. Creates and owns all sales activities for the Continent Digital Service programs and works to grow and sustain program enrollment. Serves a point of escalation for all Continent clients and stakeholders.

Marriott’s Digital Service team provides digital solutions for all Marriott brand hotels, globally. This centralized in-house team provides individual hotels with a range of digital services, and functions as an agency-like model within the Global Digital organization.

• 8+ years experience in Digital Marketing experience, preferably with agency experience

• 2+ years in a supervisory capacity

• 4-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related major or equivalent experience is required

• Experience working and managing remote staff across multiple time zones

• Strong experience working in a global environment

• Experience managing multiple budgets over $4M

• Ability to travel 25%, including internationally

• Brightedge Certification

• Familiarity with the Advantage marketing workflow system

   

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Manage the Marriott Digital Services (MDS) Client Services function supporting the successful delivery of hotel-level digital activation across more than 300+ hotels within in APEC

• Oversees a team of Client Services staff who serve as the point of contact for the delivery of Marriott Digital Services hotel programs and strategy across all participating hotels within APEC. 

• Responsible for the successful client services activation of 5+ programs across the region. 

• Manages the relationship of 1 agency partner, located in India, providing client services support in partnership with MDS Operations team

• Investigates and manages discovery process for new agency partner relationships, as appropriate.

• Oversees the successful development, launch, execution, and coordination of Digital Services programs for APEC hotels with both managed and franchise stakeholders.  Tasks for all new and renewing hotels include:

  • Develops and maintains program contractual agreements, working with regional leadership in HR and Finance to get new contracts approved.

  • Ensures timely execution of client agreements 30-days prior to start date.

  • Develops and oversees client on-boarding process.

  • Works with directs to assist in defining program goals/objectives and track hotel performance.

  • Ensures client participation and retention goals are met across the team.

  • Supports directs in answering complex questions from clients and/or stakeholders.

  • Ensures directs provide only the services that are contracted, to avoid performing work that is out of scope.

• Owns the renewal process for all hotels and ensure managers are on track to meet defined yearly renewal goals.

• Responds to, solves and makes decisions on business requests that have broader department impact and/or moderate risk.  Presents alternative solutions to business issues by leveraging the broader organization.

• Ensures connectivity with Senior Director, China MDS to fully optimize Rest Of World (ROW) opportunitites for APEC hotels.

• Partners with Regional Leadership, Area Leadership, and Corporate Digital Leadership to understand the needs of the market and partners with VP, MDS Client Services and Sr. Director, Operations to surface new program opportunities

Deliver exceptional Client Services focused on achieving Digital roomnight share and client satisfaction targets.

• Develops specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work for self and direct reports in coordination with Vice President, Client Services.

• Determines Client Services team priorities, schedules, plans and necessary resources to ensure completion of any projects on schedule.

• Regularly monitor and analyze global performance and troubleshoot problem areas with the appropriate managers or directors.

• Ensures team members are proactively monitoring and evaluating developments in the digital landscape for implications to Marriott Digital Services strategies.

• Acts as top-level APEC point of escalation from clients and leadership for hotels, escalate further when needed.

• Thinks creatively and practically to develop, execute and implement new plans and/or programs. Generates and provides accurate and timely results in the form of reports, presentations, etc.

• Works with Director, Global Client Services, to identify process improvements for program training, vendor relationships, KPI tracking, and other opportunities to maximize global effectiveness for all MDS programs.

• Supports achievement of performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.

• Owns the communication activities for the team, attending and speaking at appropriate meetings/conferences to promote all MDS programs.

• Works with direct reports and peers to develop and implement strategies and goals.  Communicates a clear and consistent message regarding goals to produce desired results.

• Leads Quarterly MDS Business Review (QBR) with regional and digital leadership.

   
  Ensures financial targets are achieved.

• Supports budget analysis, forecasting, reconciliation, contract negotiation and analysis of spend for all programs. Manages total program revenue of $4mm+ in a cost recoverable model. 

• Works closely with Sr. Director, Operations and Business Support team to track cost recoverability.

• Responsible for financial health of the APEC programs; reviews monthly P&L and recommends course-corrections to balance budget.

• Leverages the Advantage system to ensure proper team time tracking (including billable and non-billable hours), SLA measurement and overall tactics cost fit within program parameters.

Provide strategic input to improve, enhance and evolve hotel-level digital program offerings

• Coordinates with Director, Program Development, Operations to assess & prioritize new online needs and capabilities. 

• Works with Director, Program Management, Operation to ensure SLAs are achievable and achieved consistently.

• Works with the VP, Digital Services to define/customize the Marriott Digital Services Activation programs and strategy globally to ensure it is strategically and tactically aligned with both the corporate Global Digital Strategy and the unique needs of our regions and local markets.

• Works with Directors and subject matter experts (SMEs) to ensure deliverables are accurate and occur in a timely fashion.  Address & resolve issues directly with Director, Program Management, Operations.

Manage and conduct Human Resources activities

• Interviews and hires employees.

• Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably.

• Ensures that regular, ongoing communication is happening in department (e.g., pre-shift briefings, staff meetings).

• Fosters employee commitment to providing excellent service, participates in daily stand-up meetings and models desired service behaviors in all interactions with guests and employees.

• Incorporates customer satisfaction as a component of staff/operations meetings with an emphasis on generating innovative ways to continually improve results.

• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for performance goals.

• Solicits employee feedback.

• Utilizes an “open door policy” and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.

• Ensures policies are administered fairly and consistently, disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and supports the Peer Review Process.

• Conducts annual performance appraisal with direct reports according to Standard Operating Procedures.

• Champions change ensures brand and regional business initiatives are implemented and communicates follow-up actions to team as necessary.

• Identifies talents of direct reports and their teams and assists with their growth and development plans.

   

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.

• Leading Through Vision and Values - Keeps the organization's vision and values at the forefront of employee decision making and action.

• Managing Change - Initiates and/or manages the change process and energizes it on an ongoing basis, taking steps to remove barriers or accelerate its pace; serves as role model for how to handle change by maintaining composure and performance level under pressure or when experiencing challenges.

• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develops and evaluates alternatives and solutions, solves problems, and chooses a course of action.

• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

• Strategy Development - Develops business plans by exploring and systematically evaluating opportunities with the greatest potential for producing positive results; ensures successful preparation and execution of business plans through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

  Managing Execution

• Building a Successful Team - Uses an effective interpersonal style to build a cohesive team; inspires and sustains team cohesion and engagement by focusing the team on its mission and importance to the organization.

• Strategy Execution – Ensures successful execution across of business plans designed to maximize customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.

  Building Relationships

• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer/stakeholder needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards.

• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

• Strategic Partnerships - Develops collaborative relationships with fellow employees and business partners by making them feel valued, appreciated, and included; explores partnership opportunities with other people in and outside the organization; influences and leverages corporate and continental shared services and/or discipline leaders (e.g., HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Revenue Management) to achieve objectives; maintains effective external relations with government, business and industry in respective countries; performs effectively as a liaison between locations, disciplines, and corporate to ensure needed resources are received and corporate strategies are understood and executed.

  Generating Talent and Organizational Capability

• Developing Others - Supports the development of other’s skills and capabilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.

  Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

• Continuous Learning - Actively identifies new areas for learning; regularly creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities; uses newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learns through their application.

• Technical Acumen - Understanding and utilizing professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenges

• Business Process and Analysis – Knowledge of multiple processes within sponsor department; ability to document key process flows, recognize processes for redesign, identify opportunities and translate business processes into information system’s needs.  Ability to define quality measures and evaluate performance against standards and to identify issues, risks and possible paths of resolution or mitigation strategies. 

• IT Business Management – Ability to monitor and evaluate trends in technology, technology delivery mechanisms and IT organizational processes and tools.  This includes the ability to redefine processes, make recommendations, and perfect process governance frameworks. 

• Basic Competencies - Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities.

• Basic Computer Skills - Using basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).

• Mathematical Reasoning  - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.