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 analyze data or information and evaluate options or outcomes, to make decisions or solve problems.

• Ability to communicate effectively in many ways, settings, and to various audiences. Skilled at communicating clearly, concisely, and with confidence, based on audience, purpose of communication, and information obtained.

• Ability to engage and cooperate with cross-functional departments, productively and efficiently, to meet shared goals. Ability to establish clear definitions and agreement on the roles of partners in the collaborative process and reach consensus about goals and methods for completing projects or tasks. Ability to carefully identify obstacles and address problems cooperatively as they occur.

• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time

• Demonstrates a commitment to Choice Hotels' core values.

Your Team  

This is an individual contributor role that will report to the Director, Affinity Partnerships.  You will collaborate with cross-functional departments on a regular basis.

Your Work Location

As our Strategic Account Manager, Wholesale & Affinity Accounts​, you will be a remote-based associate, working from your home office. You will be required to connect virtually with Choice team members and leadership on video via Zoom, with possible periodic travel in-person to our beautiful, state-of-the-art worldwide offices in North Bethesda, MD, Scottsdale, AZ, or St. Louis Park, MN. Frequent nationwide travel will be required 20% of the time.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $85,294 to $100,220 annually. In addition to the annual salary, this role is eligible for an annual bonus based on the terms of Choice's Management Incentive Plan (MIP).

Choice prioritizes our associate wellbeing by offering a comprehensive benefits program that is both competitive and flexible to help you achieve your wellbeing goals - here are just a few:

• Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings
• Employee recognition programs
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too.

At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

Our corporate office locations:

North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.

Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.  

Choice’s Cultural Values

Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity

Choice’s Leadership Principles

Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver