Director of Sales & Marketing

Job Description

As Director of Sales & Marketing, you will be instrumental in shaping the commercial success of Mercure Melbourne La Trobe Street from the ground up. This pivotal pre-opening role requires a strategic leader with keen commercial insight to ensure the hotel achieves and exceeds its revenue goals from day one. You will establish the hotel's market presence, build strong relationships, and drive comprehensive sales and marketing strategies that align with Accor's values and the Mercure brand promise. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Strategic Sales Leadership: Develop, implement, and lead comprehensive sales and marketing strategies to maximise revenue, market share, and profitability across a range of segments including Corporate, Leisure and Group. 

• Pre-Opening Market Penetration: Drive aggressive pre-opening sales activities to secure and establish key accounts and build strong pipeline ahead of launch. 

• Revenue & Yield Optimisation: Work closely with the Hotel’s Revenue Manager and Regional teams to optimise pricing, manage business mix, and achieve optimum RevPAR and yield results. 

• Team Leadership & Development: Recruit, lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing Sales & Marketing team, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability. 

• Marketing & Brand Building: Spearhead the hotel's online, e-commerce, and direct marketing initiatives, ensuring strong brand integrity and awareness in the market. 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Foster robust relationships with key internal stakeholders and external partners (tourism offices, convention bureaus, owners, key accounts). 

• Commercial Acumen: Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and sales performance, adapting strategies to ensure competitive positioning and identify new business opportunities. 

• Reporting & Analysis: Provide insightful reports on sales activities, market intelligence, and ROI for marketing initiatives, contributing to strategic decision-making. 

Qualifications

A tertiary qualification in Marketing, Business, or Hospitality preferred. 

About You

To thrive in this exciting pre-opening opportunity, you will bring a proactive, entrepreneurial spirit and a deep understanding of hotel sales and marketing dynamics. You are a strategic thinker with exceptional commercial acumen and a proven track record of delivering results. 

You will also have: 

• Minimum 5+ years of proven Sales & Marketing leadership experience within the hotel industry, ideally including pre-opening.  

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute comprehensive sales and marketing strategies, with a strong understanding of online distribution, e-commerce, and digital marketing. 

• Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of building, motivating, and developing high-performing teams. 

• Advanced negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills, combined with a strong knowledge of the local Melbourne market and industry trends. 

• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to thrive under pressure, a passion for delivering memorable guest experiences, and a commitment to the Mercure brand promise. 

• Full Australian working rights. 

This is a rare opportunity to play a foundational role in the launch of a brand-new hotel, shaping its commercial success and market identity from day one. If you’re ready to leverage your expertise to build a strong sales and marketing presence for one of Melbourne’s newest hotels, we welcome your application.