Sr. Director, Hotels & Resorts

Sr. Director, Hotels & Resorts

Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 58 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with 2,500 of the world's best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Annual sales of (U.S.) $35 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry.

The Sr. Director, Hotels & Resorts is responsible for defining the long-term vision, strategy, and evolution of Virtuoso's global hotel portfolio. This role ensures the development of a high-quality, differentiated network of partners that delivers meaningful value to advisors and their clients worldwide. This position requires a strategic, data-driven leader with deep industry expertise, strong cross-functional influence, and the ability to translate insight into scalable, enterprise-level action.

Operating as the global Hotel & Resorts Subject Matter Expert (SME) within Virtuoso, this position functions as a strategic advisor and internal architect rather than a traditional partner owner. The role informs account strategy, shapes product and program design, and aligns hotel-related initiatives across Membership, Product, Marketing, and Account Management to drive cohesive, ecosystem-wide impact.

The Senior Director plays a critical role in ensuring Virtuoso's Hotels & Resorts portfolio remains differentiated, high-quality, and aligned with the evolving needs of advisors, travelers, and partners—ultimately maximizing value and return on investment across the network.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

1. Global Portfolio Strategy & Direction
2. Define and evolve a multi-year global strategy for Virtuoso's Hotels & Resorts portfolio, aligned with company priorities, regional market dynamics, and evolving traveler and advisor expectations.
3. Establish a clear strategic framework governing hotel programs, partner engagement models, and contractual structures across global regions.
4. Own the long-term direction of the Hotels & Resorts portfolio, identifying growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and strategic risks to maintain relevance and competitive advantage.
5. Ensure consistent quality, governance, and standards across the global hotel network while allowing for regional flexibility where appropriate.
6. Partner with Business Intelligence and senior vertical leaders to anticipate market opportunities and build a high-quality, strategically aligned hotel partner pipeline.
7. Lead and guide advisor-led Hotel Committee forums, translating stakeholder input into clear, strategic portfolio decisions.
8. Ensure consistent quality standards and governance across the global hotel partner network, with appropriate regional flexibility.
9. Partner Value Proposition & ROI
10. Define and steward a clear, differentiated partner value proposition that delivers measurable return on investment and supports long-term partnership sustainability.
11. Oversee the development of partner strategies and account plans that connect partner investment to meaningful business outcomes.
12. Guide the evolution of partner benefits, programs, and engagement models to remain relevant as advisor behavior, traveler preferences, and market conditions change.
13. Lead strategic partner procurement, including identification, evaluation, and selection of hotel partners.
14. Shape the overall composition of the hotel portfolio to optimize network value and differentiation.
15. Data-Driven Strategic Decision Making
16. Leverage performance data, market insights, and trend analysis to inform strategic direction and portfolio decisions.
17. Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
18. Establish success metrics and strategic KPIs that measure progress against long-term objectives, not solely short-term revenue.
19. Cross-Functional & Regional Alignment
20. Act as a strategic connector across Partnerships, Regions, Product, Marketing, Events, Finance, and Operations to ensure strategy is clearly understood and consistently executed.
21. Collaborate closely with regional leadership to ensure global strategy reflects local market realities while maintaining a unified vision and standards.
22. Provide strategic input and forward-looking perspective to enterprise planning cycles, leadership forums, and advisory committees.
23. Serve as a Subject Matter Expert to Account Directors and Account Managers, supporting complex partner scenarios and negotiations, account planning and investment strategies, portfolio positioning and opportunity development.
24. Serve as a Subject Matter Expert to Membership to inform advisor engagement strategies, support development of category-specific training and selling tools.
25. Collaborate with Product to define requirements for hotel-related platforms, programs, and services to develop strategies tailored to geographic markets, advisor segments and agency models, traveler psychographics and preferences.
26. Work with Marketing and Events to ensure accurate, differentiated category positioning and align messaging and programming with strategic priorities.
27. Future-Facing Growth & Innovation
28. Monitor industry trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging partnership models to proactively shape the company's strategic roadmap.
29. Identify opportunities for new partnership structures and engagement models that drive incremental value, differentiation, and growth.
30. Champion continuous improvement and strategic evolution across partner programs and portfolio design.
31. Leadership & Influence
32. Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to senior leaders responsible for partner execution, without direct ownership of day-to-day operations.
33. Influence outcomes through clarity of vision, executive communication, and cross-functional collaboration.
34. Represent Virtuoso's strategic direction internally and, when appropriate, with senior partner stakeholders externally.

Educational and Skills Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field required
• 10+ years of experience in travel, hospitality, or adjacent industries, with demonstrated success in strategy, portfolio management, or senior-level partner leadership
• Proven ability to develop and execute long-term strategies in complex, matrixed, global organizations
• Strong commercial acumen paired with the ability to think beyond revenue to ecosystem value
• Exceptional communication, synthesis, and executive-level presentation skills
• Deep understanding of partner evaluation, RFP/RFI processes, and governance frameworks
• Strong analytical capability with experience translating data into executive-level decisions
• Proven ability to influence across teams and geographies; people leadership experience preferred
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Proficiency in MS Office, SharePoint, and CRM/application systems

Travel Requirements:

• Travel required, including domestic and international, to support partner engagement and industry representation.

Type/Nature of Contacts:

• Internal: Key job contacts are primarily with director level staff and above outside of the job's immediate work unit/department.
• External: Daily contact with Virtuoso global executives at properties.

We offer a competitive salary and full benefits package, including medical/dental/vision/life, 401(k) savings plan, and more. Virtuoso is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to promoting a diverse workforce.

Pay ranges are intended to cover roles based across the United States. An individual's base pay depends on various factors including geographical location, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant.