JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Director, US/Canada Client Partner (MDS) will serve as the lead MDS point of contact across North American market. This role will provide connectivity across the US/Canada CSMO leadership functional areas for all MDS products. This position will ensure the US/Canada strategy, goals and objectives are clear and integrated across MDS offerings and ensure growing adoption of hotel digital activation programs and MDS Studio digital products across hotels in the US/Canada market.

The Senior Director, US/Canada Client Partner (MDS) will represent all MDS Programs and Products and work closely across Field Marketing, FMCs, and Gaylord to ensure hotels, stakeholders are familiar with available MDS Products and services, are optimizing these products & services, and gather input and feedback to incorporate into future product/program enhancements. This individual will lead MDS Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) for Gaylord, US/Canada, and select FMCs to ensure awareness of performance, adoption, and satisfaction of MDS digital products. This role will support for MDS business development efforts focusing on Total Addressable Market (TAM) by MDS product and championing the Net Promoter Score (NPS). This position will work closely with the VP, MDS Platforms who manages the Client Services/Operations teams, the Sr. Director, MDS Studio who manages the Digital Studio products and the MDS Customer Success function that manages Business Developmen, SLAs, training, and centralized activation programs. This position reports to the Vice President, Marriott Digital Services + Hotel Products.

Marriott Digital Services (MDS) is an in-house digital marketing team focused on operating hotel-level digital activation programs, paid media, hotel-level enterprise services, and the MDS Studio. This team functions in an agency-like cost-recoverable model within the Global Digital organization.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

Required:

• 10+ years experience in a data-driven, technology-enabled performance marketing agency with experience presenting to and working with senior level client contacts.
• At least 5 years recent experience in growing and managing complex client relationships in an agency environment that may include both online and offline media and channel engagement.
• Unparalleled client relationship skills and business acumen - you must be able to earn Trusted Advisor status with all clients.
• Experience working in a matrix environment within a dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-changing environment
• 4-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related major or equivalent work experience is required

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Serves as the lead MDS relationship manager across key accounts in the North American market focused on ensuring adoption, performance, and satisfaction across MDS products and services

• Provide connectivity across CSMO leadership functional area representing all MDS functions.
• Ensure North American strategy, goals and objectives are clear and integrated across MDS offerings working in partnership with VP, MDS Platforms and Sr. Director, MDS Studio.
• Lead MDS North America Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to include regional, Gaylord and appropriate FMCs.
• Provide digital trends and insights, both internal and external, to key stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Lead regular sessions across key stakeholder audience groups focused on hotel feedback, support issues, deliverables, and escalations.
• Be passionate about forming and driving successful client relationships and can successfully interact with senior executive level clients.
• Focus on all aspects of client growth, relationship development, financial integrity, and quality delivery and execution of all engagements that drive organic growth and strong relationships.

Support MDS business development efforts of hotel digital activation programs and MDS Studio digital products across hotels in the US/Canada market focused on achieving Total Addressable Market (TAM) by MDS product

• Ensure hotels, stakeholders are familiar with available MDS Products and services, are optimizing these products & services, and gather input and feedback to incorporate into future product/program enhancements.
• Lead regular sessions focused on enrollment progress, FMC escalations, feedback, or questions.
• Lead educational webinars to prospective Hotels, Owners, FMCs, and Stakeholder groups.
• Understand stakeholder needs, identify new business opportunities and/or opportunities to customize products or services leading to new scalable solutions in partnership with MDS Customer Success teams.
• Support MDS Customer Success team's business development efforts including TAM identification, program rightsizing, solicitation and reengagement strategies focused on growing adoption of MDS products and services.
• Be a standing contributor to the Digital Franchise Council.

Promote exceptional client satisfaction focused on achieving Net Promoter Score (NPS) targets across MDS Programs and Products

• Champion MDS NPS targets by Product and build stakeholder awareness on how input is leveraged to make product enhancements.
• Regularly review NPS scores and client verbatims by Product.
• Work closely with MDS Customer Success and MDS program and product teams on mitigation/improvement plans to convert detractors and passives into promoters.
• Transform stakeholder feedback into user stories that power scheduled program sprints, which aim to address program deficiencies with immediate solutions.
• Participate in the MDS User Group (MDS power users) which collects input on current offerings, pilot, and tests new product ideas in partnership with MDS products teams.
• Partners with MDS product teams on identified opportunities for additional MDS products and services.
• Provide outstanding services and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Address customer concerns and queries in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure stakeholder satisfaction with field stakeholders at the hotel, area, and regional level to ensure a successful launch.
• Ensure cost recoverability through regular finance reviews in partnership with Business Support team.

Manage and conduct Human Resources activities

• Interviews and hires employees.
• Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably.
• Ensures that regular, ongoing communication is happening in department (e.g., pre-shift briefings, staff meetings).
• Fosters employee commitment to providing excellent service, participates in daily stand-up meetings and models desired service behaviors in all interactions with guests and employees.
• Incorporates customer satisfaction as a component of staff/operations meetings with an emphasis on generating innovative ways to continually improve results.
• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for performance goals.
• Solicits employee feedback.
• Utilizes an "open door policy" and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.
• Ensures policies are administered fairly and consistently, disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and supports the Peer Review Process.
• Conducts annual performance appraisal with direct reports according to Standard Operating Procedures.
• Champions change ensures brand and regional business initiatives are implemented and communicates follow-up actions to team as necessary.
• Identifies talents of direct reports and their teams and assists with their growth and development plans.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Leadership

• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.

• Leading Through Vision and Values - Keeps the organization's vision and values at the forefront of employee decision making and action.

• Managing Change - Initiates and/or manages the change process and energizes it on an ongoing basis, taking steps to remove barriers or accelerate its pace; serves as role model for how to handle change by maintaining composure and performance level under pressure or when experiencing challenges.

• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develops and evaluates alternatives and solutions, solves problems, and chooses a course of action.

• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

• Strategy Development - Develops business plans by exploring and systematically evaluating opportunities with the greatest potential for producing positive results; ensures successful preparation and execution of business plans through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

Managing Execution

• Building a Successful Team - Uses an effective interpersonal style to build a cohesive team; inspires and sustains team cohesion and engagement by focusing the team on its mission and importance to the organization.

• Strategy Execution - Ensures successful execution across of business plans designed to maximize customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.

Building Relationships

• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer/stakeholder needs and actions consistent with the company's service standards.

• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

• Strategic Partnerships - Develops collaborative relationships with fellow employees and business partners by making them feel valued, appreciated, and included; explores partnership opportunities with other people in and outside the organization; influences and leverages corporate and continental shared services and/or discipline leaders (e.g., HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Revenue Management) to achieve objectives; maintains effective external relations with government, business and industry in respective countries; performs effectively as a liaison between locations, disciplines, and corporate to ensure needed resources are received and corporate strategies are understood and executed.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability

• Developing Others - Supports the development of other's skills and capabilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

• Continuous Learning - Actively identifies new areas for learning; regularly creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities; uses newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learns through their application.

• Technical Acumen - Understanding and utilizing professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenges

• • Business Process and Analysis - Knowledge of multiple processes within sponsor department; ability to document key process flows, recognize processes for redesign, identify opportunities and translate business processes into information system's needs. Ability to define quality measures and evaluate performance against standards and to identify issues, risks and possible paths of resolution or mitigation strategies.
  • IT Business Management - Ability to monitor and evaluate trends in technology, technology delivery mechanisms and IT organizational processes and tools. This includes the ability to redefine processes, make recommendations, and perfect process governance frameworks.

• Basic Competencies - Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities.

• • Basic Computer Skills - Using basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).

• • Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.

• • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.