Strategic Account Manager - Lodging Services

Strategic Account Manager - Lodging ServicesAwayTeam Travel, LLCLOCATION: Clearwater, FLDEPARTMENT: AWAYTEAM TRAVELREPORTS TO: DIRECTOR OF LODGINGSTATUS: FULL TIME (EXEMPT)ABOUT THE COMPANY:AwayTeam Travel ("AwayTeam") is a technology company specializing in booking hotel rooms for families and teams traveling to youth and amateur sports events.Founded by The Sports Facilities Companies ("SFC"), a market leader in the management of youth and amateur sports venues, AwayTeam was designed as a fully customizable travel solution for SFC's network of sports destinations. Our technology simplifies group travel arrangements, helping families and teams focus on what matters, most-game time.SFC is the nation's leading resource for managing and developing sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. We provide a highly collaborative and supportive culture that raises our team members to new levels of career growth. Together, we will carve a path in a hyper-growing industry where you will enjoy the journey and learn from the industry's best while having some fun.SFC has been awarded national recognition as a Top Workplace year over year and is considered a workplace of choice. Our mission-focused company is highly entrepreneurial, team-oriented with a culture centered on collaboration, accountability, excellence, and service. We are growing rapidly and looking for high performers at every level to grow with us.POSITION SUMMARY:The Account Manager, Lodging Services will report to the Director of Lodging and will serve the primary point of contact for a portfolio of accounts. The Account Manager will be responsible for developing long term relationships with hoteliers and event owners operating at the venues we serve. Success will be achieved through client engagement, event management, and proactive and reactive communication with hoteliers, event owners, event attendees, and venue teams.In collaboration with the Director of Lodging, and with input from venue leaders and other internal departments, the Account Manager will work to continuously improve and develop the AwayTeam product and services and work closely with venue teams, hoteliers, and event owners to meet financial and service goals.PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:Serve as the primary point of contact for key event owners, venues, and hotel partners, ensuring alignment with strategic goalsLead onboarding and relationship management for new clients and partnersDevelop and maintain strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with hotels, CVBs, and other vendorsConduct strategic planning meetings with venue teams and event organizers to fully understand event needs and deliver tailored lodging solutionsOversee and optimize hotel performance for contracted events, including pick-up monitoring, reporting, and communicationPresent AwayTeam services and value propositions in B2B and B2C settings, including sales meetings and client strategy sessionsCoordinate RFP creation and management for event housing, negotiating hotel contracts to maximize value for all stakeholdersCollaborate with team members on promotion strategies to ensure successful event promotion and maximize booking conversionManage pre- and post-event communications, reporting, and wrap-up reviews with partners to assess KPIs and review improvement opportunitiesProvide on-site representation at select events, conferences, and meetings to ensure excellence and relationship growthPresent senior-level reporting on client performance, booking pace, and partner satisfactionChampion a continuous improvement mindset, identifying opportunities to elevate service delivery and operational efficiencyAct as a strategic advisor to clients, offering proactive solutions and fostering a high standard of excellence across all engagementsServe as point of escalation for customer service issuesAssist with customer support including answering customer phone calls, emails, chat messages and being on-call during weekends for select eventsEvaluate and negotiate hotel contracts as necessaryPrioritize product qualityProvide leadership, mentorship, and guidance to support the development and growth of team members, promoting collaboration and performance excellenceAll other duties as assigned by managementMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Hotel/Travel industry experience is necessaryExperience in customer service-oriented industryExperience in sales operationsMust have excellent interpersonal, problem solving, and negotiating skillsMust be a team playerMust have excellent verbal and written communication skillsMust have expert level command of MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and have demonstrated the ability to learn multiple new software platforms quicklyMust possess a strong ability to document and communicate with all levels of the organizationAbility to manage multiple software programs, deliver prompt and accurate responses to email and phone communications and provide a simple, rapid, competent support experience.Ability to develop lasting professional relationships with clientsAppropriate business acumen while participating/interacting in office meetings.Exceptional communication and presentation skillsProfessional writing skills when representing the company, whether in documents, email, or other written methodsBudgeting experience and financial proficiency requiredMarketing and promotional experience a plusStrong attention to detail, organizational skills and ability to work well under deadlinesWORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:May be required to sit or stand for extended periods of time whether indoors or outdoorsMust be able to lift 30 poundsWill be required to operate a computerOffice has intermittent noiseTravel up to 50% will be required