Director of Sales - Hilton Americas-Houston
As the Director of Sales at , you’ll take the reins of an exceptional sales team, leading the charge in shaping commercial strategies for group and business transient markets at Houston's largest hotel. With 1,207 rooms and a reputation as a premier convention destination, this role is a unique opportunity to elevate topline revenues above market expectations while cultivating a world-class culture.
This is more than a leadership position—it’s your chance to implement innovative sales strategies, manage critical key accounts, and build lasting relationships that drive success. Hilton is seeking visionary leaders who seamlessly blend people, processes, and performance to craft a winning formula. Ready to make your mark at the heart of Houston? This is your moment.
Hilton’s Commercial Services organization is comprised of team members driving our sales, revenue, marketing, catering and events management, call centers, and analytics functions. These functions are the core of Hilton’s “commercial engine” and are essential to Hilton’s ability to drive profitable growth.
What will I be doing?
The primary responsibilities of this Executive Committee position are to lead the group and business transient sales team and deploy business strategies that are creative, dynamic and impactful towards achieving the hotel's annual budget and crossover targets.
As the Director of Sales, you will be responsible for overseeing commercial strategies for your sales team. Your goal is to improve the performance of the sales team by connecting strategy and business processes. Business processes should be designed to impact revenue streams, including Rooms, Banquets and Ancillary. Key deliverables for this role are to set deployment, team composition, and provide a cadence of activities that are a "predictive and prescriptive" approach to drive performance.
In this role, you should possess strong leadership, communication, and networking skills. You will facilitate the delivery of the Americas Commercial Operating Model pertaining to rooms (and banquets) sales.
Strategy:
- Contribute to the hotel’s Annual Multi-Year Commercial Strategy Plan, in partnership with the hotel commercial leadership team and regional sales, revenue and marketing support
- Directly accountable for setting the strategy and delivery of hotel’s sales targets including group rooms, banquets, business transient and airline crew
- Work with Hotel’s Commercial Leadership to ensure that Business Review Guidelines (current to + 5 years) and Group Pricing & Rate Quotation Strategies are in place in order to maximize all pricing components of sales and catering opportunities and achieve positive group market share
- Strategically align sales activities and outcomes with optimal mix, contribute to the accuracy of revenue forecasts, while executing strategies for different demand periods and the retail and group pricing targets established
- Collaborate on B2B marketing, digital marketing, social media, public relations and communications activities. Guide the e-Commerce teams to ensure online hotel content is accurate and effective
- Understand and contribute to the maximization of profits in line with GOP and EBITDA targets
- Develop and execute departmental expense budget and forecasts
- Conduct market research to identify new business opportunities and stay ahead of industry trends. Analyze competitor activities and adjust sales strategies accordingly
- Responsible for the execution of the Sales and Catering Sales annual SIP (Sales Incentive Program)
Leadership:
- Lead daily and weekly business review and sales strategy meetings
- Manage and execute monthly, quarterly, and annual APEX performance process with eligible sales team members
- In collaboration with the Commercial Director, contribute to the commercial strategy plan pertaining to sales, socialize and amend plan on a consistent basis
- Contribute to annual Commercial Cadence communication regarding current realities of performance and performance drivers on a monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual basis
- Development and oversight of hotel’s sales site visit strategies and approach
- Consistently conform to Hilton brand standards and corporate identity and utilize all communication tools
- Responsible for recruiting and retention of all sales roles
- Lead, motivate, mentor, engage, and develop sales team members, including ongoing performance discussions and Career Development Plans
- Conduct performance reviews for all direct reports and provide feedback for dotted line reports, including but not limited to:
-
- Group Sales
- Business Transient Sales
- Contract/PERM Sales
- Facilitate and lead in a culture that is aligned with Hilton’s DEI and ESG enterprise goals
Ownership, Customer, and Stakeholder Relations:
- Contribute to performance and commercial activity reporting for the hotel
- Liaise with Hilton Worldwide Sales towards demand and conversion generation
- Build strong relationships with Visit Houston and 3rd party travel partners
- High level of engagement with customers from all sales segments including:
-
- Support of team’s site visits and pre-convention meetings
- Support of sales managers sales travel into market
What are we looking for?
To fulfill this role successfully, you should demonstrate the following minimum qualifications:
- Minimum Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred
- Minimum Years of Experience: Three (3) or more years in hospitality sales & marketing leadership preferred
- Minimum Years of Experience: Three (3) years cross-functional experience in hotel management, or related industry experience preferred
It would be helpful in this position for you to demonstrate the following capabilities and distinctions:
- Additional/advanced degree coursework in business administration, marketing and communications
- Adaptable experience with business strategy, business planning, and business plan development
- Ability to speak multiple languages
- Multiple Brand experience
- Proficiency in Delphi FDC preferred
- Additional/advanced degree coursework in business administration, marketing and communications
- Adaptable experience with business strategy, business planning, and business plan development.
- Ability to speak multiple languages
- Multiple Brand experience
- Proficiency in Delphi FDC preferred
Since being founded in 1919, Hilton has been a leader in the hospitality industry. Today, Hilton remains a beacon of innovation, quality, and success. This continued leadership is the result of our Team Members staying true to our Vision, Mission, and Values. Specifically, we look for demonstration of these Values:
- Hospitality - We're passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences.
- Integrity - We do the right thing, all the time.
- Leadership - We're leaders in our industry and in our communities.
- Teamwork - We're team players in everything we do.
- Ownership - We're the owners of our actions and decisions.
- Now - We operate with a sense of urgency and discipline
In addition, we look for the demonstration of the following key attributes:
- Quality
- Productivity
- Dependability
- Customer Focus
- Adaptability
What will it be like to work for Hilton?
Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its . Our vision “to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality” unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!
The Benefits – Hilton is proud to have an award-winning workplace culture ranking
We support the mental and physical wellbeing of all Team Members so they can Thrive personally and professionally in a diverse and inclusive environment, thanks to innovative programs and benefits such as:
- Access to your pay when you need it through DailyPay
- Health insurance
- Career growth and development
- Team Member Resource Groups
- Recognition and rewards programs
- Go Hilton travel discount program
- Best-in-Class Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Supportive parental leave
- Employee stock purchase program (ESPP) - purchase Hilton shares at 15% discount
- : Access to a wide variety of educational credentials (ex. college degrees, high school completion, English-language learning, digital literacy, professional certificates and more)
