Choice Hotels International hiring Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance (Remote) in United States | LinkedIn (2024)

Who are we looking for?Choice Hotels, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has an exciting new opportunity as our Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance in the Franchise Performance team of the Upscale Division. The Upscale Franchise Performance team is responsible for the oversight and driving performance results for the Upscale - Northeast region portfolio. As a key member of the team, you will drive continuous improvement and action planning within your assigned portfolio to maximize hotel results and achieve premium quality and service levels.

Are you a strategic thinker, with excellent influencing and relationship building experience? We invite you to apply today for our Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance role today and #MakeItYourChoice.

Your ResponsibilitiesUpscale Franchise Performance Management

• Cultivate and maintain effective franchisee relationships as the key Choice franchisee contact, focusing on owner engagement and retention strategies including delivering additional support and engagement tactics for prominent clients.
• Monitor hotel revenue and yield performance indices, GIS and related guest satisfaction scores, brand ranking, Performance Zones compliance, QAR scores, and other metrics to identify greatest opportunities.
• Drive top-line revenues at portfolio hotels through interactive pricing and demand management consultations. Support Rates Center, and choiceADVANTAGE® revenue management features and practices / iDeas G3, CRS and OTA strategies, proprietary revenue generation programs (i.e. Call Forwarding and Choice Privileges®), local sales planning, and participation in programs and resources from other Choice Hotels departments.
• Ensure high level of consumer (guest) satisfaction through interactive consultation to analyze GIS and related guest satisfaction metrics, third party site reviews, and prescription of appropriate resources for addressing guest satisfaction need areas.
• Support evolution of Tailored Service concept through introducing hotel ownership and designated stakeholders to hotel profitability analysis processes and resources and gaining their buy-in to program participation.
• Develop priority-focused consultation agendas in advance of consultations. Ensure that property ownership and/or designated owner representatives or management company representatives are given ample opportunity to schedule themselves to attend all consultations.
• Review Zone Compliance standing and Quality Assurance scores. Initiate franchisee ownership and/or GM contact as required to ensure understanding of the status and to facilitate necessary curative activities.
• Generate required post-consultation follow-up correspondence to ownership, designated property representatives, management company representatives, and/or on-site General Manager. Maintain effective property and ownership documentation notes within Choice’s proprietary contact management technology systems. Regularly update contact management records, including General Manager, department head, and/or ownership changes within required time frames.
• Remain currently informed of all Choice programs, franchise requirements, operating practices, market trends, and industry conditions to provide necessary information and support to franchisees.
• Demonstrate knowledge and expertise with all Choice proprietary systems and industry related support technologies including, but not limited to, Choice University online, ChoiceADVANTAGE/Opera, Rates Center/R&I, Medallia, Smith Travel Research, and company-supported price positioning software solutions (i.e., Rate Gain, Travel Click resources, etc.).
• Understand and utilize appropriate tools, checklists, and resources for applicable service delivery models to ensure effective and consistent On-Site and Virtual consultation services.
• Effectively interpret performance data through all internal and external sources.
• Leverage and implement skills as a hotel-level performance driver to convince hotel stakeholders to act on solid recommendations for incremental revenue, operations proficiency, and profitability at hotels.

Operationalization and Execution

• Support Choice Hotels franchise sales growth through engagement of franchise sales directors and ongoing interaction to ensure identification of franchise opportunities and development of leads.
• Actively participate in franchise association activities and communications, including current corporate initiatives, as directed by the RVP.
• Understand and support Choice Hotels training and educational programs and resources. Engage franchisees and GMs to support Choice University on-line, local, regional, and national training opportunities that address their needs. Ensure property level certifications are in place, including Choice’s requirement that General Managers be certified.
• Seek and share industry and market intelligence and best practices with peers, franchisees, and corporate staff; become the eyes and ears, recognizing trends, threats and opportunities that can be exploited by franchisees and Choice.
• Understand and successfully integrate Choice’s cultural values and performance principles into all facets of franchisee, peer, and internal stakeholder interaction.

Your Experience, Skills & Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university in Hotel Management, Business Management, Marketing, or a relevant field of study required.
• Minimum of 8 years’ progressive experience in a senior leadership role within the upscale hospitality industry, with a focus on franchise performance.
• Strong understanding of franchise business models, operations, and performance metrics.
• Strong track record of success in driving execution and delivering business results.
• Motivated self-starter that is highly results oriented.
• Excellent influencing skills with a proven ability to develop relationships with associates at all levels of the organization and drives results in a team-oriented environment.
• Excellent business-savvy with a consultative approach and holistic business view; ability to influence and collaborate with leaders across organizational lines.
• Excellent ability to manage ambiguity combined with an ability to leverage data and create a foundation of data-supported decision making.
• Excellent analytical and forecasting skills; previous experience with successful budget management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate across all stakeholder groups including small and large group settings, both internal and external.
• Flexibility in creating and making changes or re-directing initiatives to continuously improve the strategy and organization, showing comfort with change management, and working in a matrix-based organization.
• Advanced use of Microsoft suite including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Extensive travel is required to visit franchise locations and attend meetings.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license; and reside within OR be willing to relocate to the Northeast region.

Your Team This is an individual contributor role that will report to the Regional Vice President of Upscale Franchise Performance. You will collaborate with our team of Area Directors and cross-functional departments on a regular basis. You will work with Choice hotel owners daily.

Your Work LocationAs our Area Director, Upscale Franchise Performance, 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 to visit franchise locations and attend meetings.

About ChoiceChoice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With nearly 7,500 hotels, representing nearly 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories, with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upper upscale, upper mid-scale, midscale, extended-stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves – the underdog, 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, MD and St. Louis Park, MN as well as our technology center in Scottsdale, AZ, 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 more than 18,000 franchise owners, which propels us forward – giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

About Choice Hotels Financial PerformanceAdjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for first quarter 2024 grew to $124.3 million, a first quarter record and a 17% increase compared to the same period of 2023. Please click here to review highlights of our first quarter 2024 results.

• PLEASE NOTE: This role is not eligible for sponsorship ***

Ability to model Choice’s Cultural Values: Welcome and Respect Everyone, Be Bold, Be Quick, Listen, Be Curious and Show Integrity.