Senior Manager, Business Development

Job Description

The Senior Manager, Business Development (Hotel) is a strategic and results-driven leader responsible for identifying right inventory suppliers, developing, and securing new business opportunities and partnerships that drive significant revenue growth and market share for the hotel/hotel group. This role requires an in-depth understanding of the hospitality and tourism industry, strong commercial acumen, and exceptional negotiation and relationship-building skills. The Senior Manager will lead key sales initiatives and work closely with cross-functional teams, including Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management, to achieve ambitious business targets.

Key Responsibilities

I. Strategic Planning & Execution

• Develop and implement comprehensive, multi-year business development strategies aligned with the hotel's long-term revenue and growth objectives.

• Conduct in-depth market research and analysis of industry trends, competitor activities, and economic forecasts to identify new business verticals, geographical expansion, and emerging customer segments (e.g., corporate, MICE, leisure groups, government).

• Formulate strategic sales plans and targets for the business development team and actively lead the execution to ensure consistent achievement or over-achievement of revenue goals.

• Collaborate with the Revenue Management team to optimize pricing strategies and contract terms for large-scale deals and partnerships to maximize profitability.

II. New Business & Partnership Acquisition

• Identify, prospect, and secure high-value new clients and strategic partnerships, including global and regional corporate accounts, travel management companies, online travel agencies (OTAs), and specialized tour operators.

• Lead the entire sales cycle, from initial contact and pitch presentation to complex contract negotiation and final closing of major deals.

• Develop compelling business proposals and presentations tailored to the specific needs of prospective partners and executive-level decision-makers.

• Act as the key relationship owner for high-profile accounts post-signing to ensure successful onboarding, sustained business, and long-term partnership health.

III. Leadership & Team Management

• Provide strong leadership, coaching, and mentorship to a team of Business Development Executives or Managers.

• Monitor individual and team performance against KPIs, sales forecasts, and operational metrics, implementing corrective actions as necessary.

• Foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and customer-centric service.

IV. Financial & Reporting

• Manage the departmental budget and provide accurate and timely sales forecasts and pipeline reports to senior leadership.

• Track, analyze, and report on the ROI of all business development initiatives and strategic partnerships.

• Maintain meticulous records of all sales activities, client data, and opportunities within the CRM system (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot).

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Hospitality Management, or a related field. An MBA is a plus.

• Minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in Business Development, Corporate Sales, or Key Account Management, with at least 3 years in a senior/leadership role within the hotel or wider hospitality/tourism industry.

• Proven track record of independently sourcing, negotiating, and closing significant, multi-year contracts that drive substantial revenue growth.

Core Competencies

• Exceptional Negotiation Skills: Ability to negotiate favorable terms and conditions for complex commercial agreements.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to analyze market data, identify opportunities, and develop long-term growth strategies.

• Leadership and Team Management: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and manage a high-performing sales team.

• Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of hotel revenue management, distribution channels (GDS, OTA, Direct), and financial metrics (P&L, RevPAR, ADR).

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to effectively pitch to and influence C-suite executives.

• Networking: An established network of contacts within the target market segments is highly desirable.

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