Strategic Account Manager, Wholesale & Affinity Accounts

Who are we looking for?

Choice Hotels, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has an exciting new opportunity as our Strategic Account Manager, Wholesale & Affinity Accounts​ in the Affinity Partnerships Division. As a key member of our Affinity Partnerships team, you will be responsible for managing the business performance and operational aspects of Choice’s Wholesale / Affinity Accounts distribution partnerships. The primary focus of the role will be to lead day-to-day management and relationships with Top Distributors, such as HotelBeds, and smaller Affinity accounts, including developing a strategy for Choice Hotels with a focus on driving competitive advantage, incremental revenue, loyalty, and visibility of the brands. The right candidate will serve as a thought leader and driving force as an industry expert, by clearly articulating a compelling strategy that aligns viable options for execution. This position requires critical and strategic thinking, focus, and prioritization.

Your Responsibilities

• Utilizes data analysis to develop and champion the channel strategy, ensuring alignment with Choice Hotels' distribution strategy.

• Works cross-functionally to prioritize and build appropriate strategies and plans to grow Wholesale and Affinity revenue base and market shares, while strategically recommending and directing the department and company on alternative methods to increase sales and loyalty as well as ensure Choice Hotels' profitability.

• Independently finds opportunities, in line with channel strategy, along with associated risks and revenue, and develops detailed recommendations, road maps, action plans, and prioritization accordingly.

• Manages contractual relationships with partners and develops POV on negotiation points and negotiation strategic approach.

• Maintaining and developing strong partnerships with major partners, developing an approach for smaller affinity accounts, handling all aspects of partner interactions, including leading strategic QBRs and leading negotiations with partners

• Implementing a Wholesale pricing strategy that supports revenue and market share goals

• Coordinating and implementing potential marketing opportunities to increase the visibility of Choice Hotels

• Developing and maintaining a strong working relationship with the Choice Hotels Revenue Management team to ensure that the channel pricing structure meets the company's revenue goals

• Ensuring content is relevant and optimized

• Analyzing and recommending an approach to rate parity issues and static pricing; keeping abreast of the latest business models, mergers, trends, and technology

• Working closely with Manager Distribution Systems and Operations to identify, prioritize,e and develop new connectivity to new partners.

• Establishes and maintains strong, collaborative partnerships across Third Party Distribution, Revenue Management, Commercial Performance, Operations, Technology, and Legal

• Delivers monthly account updates and performance analysis to management & cross-functional stakeholders

• Develops and provides training and educational sessions/materials on Wholesales as it relates to account-specific strategies, best practices, and industry trends, to hotel-facing teams and hotels as needed.

Your Experience, Skills & Competencies   

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required

• At least 8-10+ years’ experience and strong knowledge of the hotel distribution landscape, its commercial & marketing strategies, and tactics to drive performance.

• Skilled at optimizing revenue performance of assigned accounts through clear strategies.

• Ability to take on new opportunities and manage multiple projects independently.

• Ability to prioritize and manage time across a variety of accounts of all sizes.

• Ability to develop a clearly defined and focused strategy. Skilled at thinking with a strategic purpose as well as executing upon detailed plans. Ability to adapt to various situations and shifting demands.

• Skilled at networking, building relationships, and using these to reach company goals.

• Ability to clearly define objectives and priorities as well as develop a strategic action plan with each objective broken down into tasks, and each task has a list of needed resources and a specific timeline.

• Understands the most important KPIs in distribution performance and how each interacts with the others. Ability to an