Senior Director, Growth Initiative

JOB SUMMARY: 

 

Provides leadership for the development, implementation, and operations of software/technology integrations to support all current and future growth initiatives including but not limited to mergers, acquisitions, and Marriott Growth Platform (MGP). This role will be responsible for engineering strategy, planning, software quality, and management of new integration initiatives. This role will also be responsible for driving collaboration with and supporting technology teams across the Core Platforms and CTO organizations.

 

This position manages day-to-day relationships with executive leadership, stakeholders, providers, and information technology teams to drive seamless integration of new software products and platforms into Marriott’s technology ecosystem. Key responsibilities include developing a strategy for replicable integration, defining integration patterns, guiding orchestration, ensuring scalability and alignment with strategic goals laid out for Marriott Growth Platform and Travel Innovation Platform (TIP). It also entails continuous optimization of system integration processes by promoting pluggability and future-proofing Marriott’s technology ecosystem. Implementing and managing continuous improvement programs to drive operational excellence and safeguard business continuity. Ensuring steady improvement of application and technology platform quality, consistency, and security. Establishing and leading a Quality Engineering Center of Excellence catering to all engineering teams across the CTO organization. Developing and maintaining run standards through management of day-to-day application/platform performance through SLAs and other metrics. Working with service providers to address day-to-day issues and priorities.

 

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

 

Education and Experience 

Required:

• 10+ years of software technology leadership experience, executing various approaches of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) (e.g., Agile and Waterfall)
• Five years recent experience as a primary point of accountability for one or more business functions catering to multiple customer groups
• Demonstrated expertise of industry application platforms, trends, and best practices
• Direct management of cross functional, sourced, or matrixed teams
• Experience with and knowledge of IT outsourcing activities in a managed services environment
• Seasoned technology leader well versed in IT strategy, with a good grasp of customer experience
• Product development and integration
• Best practices in technology standards and processes
• Direct management of complex budgets in direct and indirect costs

 

Preferred:

• Experience in travel and hospitality software technology systems/products
• Hands-on experience in innovation initiatives
• Proven executive experience in strategic planning and budgeting within one or more business groups
• Experience with and knowledge of IT outsourcing activities in a managed services environment
• Strong process management, negotiating, influencing and problem resolution skills 
• Proven ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
• Experience in business systems and process planning
• Knowledge of business environment, service requirements and hospitality culture
• Demonstrated ability to assess customer/client needs, creatively approach solutions, and decide/influence appropriate courses of action
• Ability to understand and communicate the lifecycle of technologies and applications and to translate into business strategies for the client organizations
• Solid understanding of IT financial structures and ability to manage to corporate financial processes and standards - including drivers of process costs
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical ideas in easy-to-understand business terms
• Ability to accomplish results through others, particularly by establishing relationships, effective controls and leading in a managed service environment

 

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES        

 

Managing Day-To-Day Relationships with IT Teams, Discipline Partners and Service Providers 

• Manages application d