Assistant Director of Sales – Government & Royal Affairs

Company Description

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Sofitel Riyadh Hotel & Convention Center: A Symphony of French Elegance and Saudi Arabian Warmth
The Sofitel Riyadh is dedicated to providing a five-star experience characterized by luxury, elegance, and impeccable service. The hotel's commitment to personalized attention ensures that each guest's stay is not just comfortable but memorable. Blending urban sophistication with refined opulence, the Sofitel Riyadh creates an atmosphere where every detail is thoughtfully curated to offer a unique and unforgettable experience.

Job Description

The Assistant Director of Sales – Government & Royal Affairs supports the Director of Sales in driving the hotel’s commercial strategy and revenue performance, with a primary focus on Government, Royal Affairs, Diplomatic, and strategic institutional accounts across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The role is responsible for developing and maintaining strong relationships with key government entities, royal offices, ministries, authorities, embassies, diplomatic missions, government-related organizations, and strategic decision-makers. The Assistant Director of Sales will identify and convert high-value business opportunities while ensuring the hotel is positioned as a preferred destination for government, royal, diplomatic, VIP, corporate, MICE, and high-profile events.

Working closely with the Director of Sales and the wider Commercial team, the role will lead day-to-day sales activities, account development, prospecting, relationship management, contract negotiations, and business conversion within the assigned market.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Director of Sales in developing and executing the hotel’s annual Government & Royal Affairs sales strategy, business plan, account plans, and revenue objectives.

• Take ownership of the day-to-day development and management of key government, royal, diplomatic, and strategic institutional accounts.

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with ministries, government authorities, royal offices, government entities, sovereign and strategic organizations, embassies, diplomatic missions, and government-related companies.

• Identify key decision-makers and influencers within target organizations and establish long-term commercial relationships at senior levels.

• Proactively identify new government and institutional business opportunities and develop strategies to convert them into long-term and recurring revenue.

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of government, royal, diplomatic, VIP, corporate, MICE, and strategic account opportunities.

• Manage and grow a portfolio of high-value accounts while ensuring regular account reviews, production tracking, action plans, and revenue development.

• Develop strategic account plans for key government and royal accounts, including business potential, production history, contacts, opportunities, competitor positioning, and future business forecasts.

• Identify opportunities for VIP stays, government delegations, official visits, diplomatic travel, executive accommodation, long stays, meetings, conferences, state-related events, private functions, and exclusive hotel buyouts.

• Lead and support negotiations for government rates, preferred agreements, corporate agreements, long-stay arrangements, accommodation contracts, event agreements, and strategic partnerships, ensuring commercial value and compliance with hotel policies.

• Maintain a thorough understanding of government procurement processes, tender opportunities, preferred supplier requirements, and relevant business practices within the Saudi market.

• Proactively monitor government calendars, major national initiatives, international delegations, conferences, exhibitions, summits, sporting events, entertainment programs, and other major events that may generate hotel demand.

• Develop strong relationships with protocol teams, executive assistants, procurement departments, travel coordinators, event organizers, government representatives, diplomatic personnel, and other key stakeholders.

• Conduct regular sales calls, executive meetings, presentations, client visits, site inspections, familiarization visits, client entertainment, and relationship-building activities.

• Coordinate and host high-profile government, royal, diplomatic, and VIP clients during hotel visits and ensure that their requirements are communicated effectively to all relevant departments.

• Work closely with Operations, Front Office, Guest Relations, Events, Security, Reservations, and other departments to ensure seamless delivery of VIP, government, royal, and diplomatic stays and events.

• Ensure all business generated through government and strategic accounts is accurately handed over to the relevant operational teams with clear requirements, expectations, and timelines.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date account information, contacts, activities, opportunities, pipelines, production, contracts, and account plans.

• Monitor account production and performance against agreed targets, identifying gaps and implementing corrective action where required.

• Support the Director of Sales in leading, coaching, and developing the Sales team, sharing government market knowledge and ensuring a disciplined and proactive approach to account management and business development.

• Work collaboratively with all Commercial and operational departments to ensure the hotel delivers a consistent, discreet, and exceptional experience for government, royal, diplomatic, and VIP guests.

• Maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, discretion, professionalism, integrity, and relationship management when dealing with government, royal, diplomatic, and high-profile clients.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive sales experience within luxury hospitality, with significant exposure to the Saudi market.

• Proven experience managing Government, Royal Affairs, Diplomatic, or strategic institutional accounts in Saudi Arabia.

• Established network and strong relationships with relevant Saudi government entities, ministries, authorities, royal offices, embassies, and strategic organizations.

• Strong understanding of the Saudi hospitality, government, corporate, and MICE landscape.

• Proven track record of generating and converting high-value business and achieving sales and revenue targets.

• Excellent negotiation, communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills.

• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior-level stakeholders and decision-makers.

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify opportunities and translate relationships into measurable revenue.

• Experience with CRM systems, account management, sales reporting, forecasting, and commercial planning.

• Strong understanding of luxury hospitality standards and the expectations of VIP and high-profile guests.

• Professional appearance, strong interpersonal skills, discretion, and the ability to represent an ultra-luxury hotel at the highest level.