Summary
Accor is seeking a Director of Commercial for Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah, an upcoming luxury hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Reporting to the General Manager, the role leads commercial strategy across sales, revenue management, marketing, digital, distribution, reservations and business development. Responsibilities include commercial planning, revenue and market-share growth, performance analysis, and leading and developing the commercial team. Applicants need a relevant bachelor’s degree, at least 10 years of commercial leadership experience in luxury hospitality, and fluency in English and Arabic.
The posting
As published on accor.com. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
Company Description
"Why work for Accor?
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By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit https://careers.accor.com/
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Job Description
Reporting to the General Manager, the Director of Commercial is responsible for leading the overall commercial strategy of Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah, driving sustainable revenue growth, market share, profitability and brand positioning across all business segments.
As a key member of the Executive Committee, this role provides strategic leadership across Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing, Digital & Communications, Distribution, Reservations and Business Development, ensuring all commercial disciplines operate under one integrated strategy.
Working closely with Operations, Finance and Regional Commercial teams, the Director of Commercial develops and executes revenue-generating initiatives that maximize performance across Rooms, Restaurants, Wellness, Meetings & Events and ancillary revenue streams, while strengthening the hotel's position as one of the leading luxury hospitality destinations in Makkah.
Acting as both a commercial strategist and brand ambassador, the Director ensures that every commercial initiative reflects the elegance of the Sofitel brand while respecting the cultural and religious significance of the destination.
Key Responsibilities, among others;
Commercial Strategy & Business Planning:
- Develop and execute the hotel's overall commercial strategy aligned with business objectives, market conditions and brand standards.
- Lead the annual commercial planning process including budgeting, forecasting and business plans.
- Identify new revenue opportunities across all business segments and distribution channels.
- Establish short, medium and long-term commercial priorities to maximise profitability and market share.
- Collaborate closely with Operations and Finance to align commercial initiatives with operational capabilities and financial objectives.
- Monitor market dynamics, competitor activity, demand patterns and industry trends to identify strategic opportunities.
Sales Leadership:
- Lead the Sales function across all market segments including Corporate, Leisure, Wholesale, Government, Luxury Travel, Groups and MICE.
- Develop strategic sales plans to maximise business from domestic, regional and international markets.
- Strengthen relationships with key corporate accounts, travel partners, luxury consortia, government entities and tourism stakeholders.
- Drive proactive business development and account acquisition strategies.
- Ensure effective sales activities including prospecting, account management, sales missions and client events.
- Monitor sales performance through defined KPIs and ensure achievement of revenue targets.
Revenue Management & Distribution:
- Provide strategic oversight of Revenue Management to maximise RevPAR, ADR and occupancy.
- Ensure pricing strategies remain dynamic, competitive and aligned with market demand.
- Lead weekly commercial and revenue strategy meetings.
- Optimise channel mix across direct and indirect distribution.
- Oversee inventory management, segmentation strategies and demand forecasting.
- Ensure effective management of distribution channels including Brand.com, GDS, OTAs, wholesalers and strategic partners.
- Continuously identify opportunities to improve profitability through pricing optimisation and revenue management practices.
Marketing, Digital & Brand Positioning:
- Oversee the integrated Marketing, Digital and Communications strategy to strengthen brand awareness, market positioning and commercial performance.
- Ensure marketing initiatives support revenue objectives across Rooms, F&B, Wellness and ancillary outlets.
- Champion the hotel's Cultural Link and brand storytelling across all guest touchpoints.
- Support strategic partnerships, PR initiatives, digital campaigns and luxury brand collaborations.
- Ensure digital marketing investments generate measurable commercial returns.
E-Commerce & Distribution Performance:
- Drive growth across all digital channels, ensuring strong direct booking performance.
- Oversee website performance, booking engine optimisation and digital conversion strategies.
- Support CRM initiatives and guest lifecycle marketing.
- Monitor digital analytics, campaign performance and customer acquisition costs.
- Ensure effective collaboration between Revenue, Marketing and Distribution teams.
Commercial Performance & Analytics:
- Monitor commercial performance through key metrics including Revenue, RevPAR, ADR, Occupancy, Market Share, GOP contribution and channel profitability.
- Analyse market intelligence and competitor performance to support strategic decision-making.
- Prepare regular commercial performance reports for the General Manager, Executive Committee and Regional Commercial teams.
- Develop action plans to address business gaps and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
- Ensure data-driven decision making across all commercial disciplines.
Cross-Functional Leadership:
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the General Manager on all commercial matters.
- Foster strong collaboration between Commercial, Operations, Finance and Talent & Culture.
- Ensure seamless communication between Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing and Reservations.
- Drive a culture of accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.
- Lead commercial projects supporting hotel openings, renovations and strategic initiatives where applicable.
Leadership & Talent Development:
- Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Commercial team.
- Create an environment that promotes collaboration, innovation and performance excellence.
- Identify and develop future commercial talent through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.
- Establish clear objectives and performance expectations across all commercial disciplines.
- Champion Sofitel's culture, values and luxury service philosophy.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, Business Administration, Marketing or a related field.
- Minimum 10 years' experience in commercial leadership within luxury hospitality.
- Proven experience leading integrated commercial functions including Sales, Revenue Management and Marketing.
- Strong understanding of luxury hospitality, distribution, pricing strategy and revenue optimisation.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver sustainable revenue growth and market share improvements.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen.
- Excellent analytical and strategic planning skills.
- Strong leadership, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
- Experience working within an international luxury hotel brand.
- Fluent in English and Arabic.
Additional Information
Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.