Director of Sales and Marketing

SkyBeach Resort is seeking a driven, hands-on Director of Sales & Marketing to lead the resort’s sales and catering efforts, with primary responsibility for generating group rooms, meetings, corporate, social, wedding, catering and event revenue . This is a highly visible, sales-focused leadership role for someone who knows how to prospect, build relationships, close business and develop a strong base of repeat accounts. The Director of Sales & Marketing will lead the property-level commercial strategy while partnering closely with Corporate Marketing on brand initiatives, promotions, public relations, advertising and resort marketing needs. The ideal candidate is a seller and relationship builder first —someone who understands the local market, gets out from behind the desk, creates opportunities and holds themselves and their team accountable for measurable revenue production. KEY RESPONSIBILITIESSALES LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT POSITION OVERVIEW SkyBeach Resort is seeking a driven, hands-on Director of Sales & Marketing to lead the resort’s sales and catering efforts, with primary responsibility for generating group rooms, meetings, corporate, social, wedding, catering and event revenue . This is a highly visible, sales-focused leadership role for someone who knows how to prospect, build relationships, close business and develop a strong base of repeat accounts. The Director of Sales & Marketing will lead the property-level commercial strategy while partnering closely with Corporate Marketing on brand initiatives, promotions, public relations, advertising and resort marketing needs. The ideal candidate is a seller and relationship builder first —someone who understands the local market, gets out from behind the desk, creates opportunities and holds themselves and their team accountable for measurable revenue production. KEY RESPONSIBILITIESSALES LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Develop and execute the resort’s annual sales strategy across group rooms, meetings, corporate, association, leisure groups, weddings, social events, catering and special events . Own and achieve monthly, quarterly and annual sales and catering revenue goals. Maintain a strong emphasis on new business development and outbound prospecting . Identify, solicit and secure new accounts through sales calls, appointments, networking, industry events and community involvement. Build and maintain a qualified sales pipeline with clear production goals and consistent follow-up. Develop relationships with corporate accounts, meeting planners, associations, wedding planners, travel professionals, DMCs, local organizations and event producers. Conduct property tours, client presentations, entertainment and familiarization visits. Negotiate group agreements and contracts while protecting rate, profitability and resort positioning. Identify opportunities to generate business during need periods and shoulder seasons. Develop account strategies for top-producing and high-potential clients. Maintain relationships with existing accounts while continuously developing new sources of business. Represent SkyBeach at appropriate trade shows, networking events, sales missions and community events. Monitor competitive hotels and venues and stay informed on market activity and new business opportunities. CATERING, WEDDINGS & EVENTS Lead the resort’s strategy for catering, weddings, social events, corporate events, meetings and celebrations . Actively prospect for new catering and event business throughout the Tampa Bay market. Develop relationships with wedding planners, event planners, corporations, nonprofits, associations and local businesses. Drive utilization of SkyBeach's event spaces through creative selling and strategic packaging. Partner with Food & Beverage and Operations to develop compelling menus, packages and event experiences. Maximize revenue through food and beverage minimums, enhancements, upgrades, audiovisual, room rentals and other ancillary opportunities. Review catering pace, definite business, tentative business, lost business and need dates regularly. Ensure leads are responded to quickly and followed through from inquiry to contract. Maintain strong communication between Sales, Catering, Banquets, Food & Beverage and Operations. Participate in event planning and pre-convention meetings as appropriate to ensure a seamless transition from sales to execution. Build repeat catering and social business by maintaining relationships after each event. GROUP ROOMS & MEETINGS Develop group room business across corporate, association, SMERF, sports, entertainment, weddings and social segments. Identify opportunities to combine guest rooms, meeting space, catering and resort experiences into higher-value programs. Partner with Revenue Management on group pricing, displacement, need dates and overall business mix. Monitor group pace, pickup, conversion and lost business. Ensure group opportunities are evaluated based on total account value, including rooms, catering and ancillary spend. Develop strategies to increase midweek and shoulder-season group demand. SALES TEAM LEADERSHIP Lead, coach and develop the Sales and Catering team. Establish clear individual and departmental revenue goals. Set expectations for prospecting, appointments, site tours, proposals and conversions. Conduct regular sales meetings and pipeline reviews. Hold the team accountable for measurable sales activity and revenue production. Provide coaching on negotiation, closing, account development and relationship management. Maintain accurate sales forecasts and reporting. Create a proactive sales culture centered on activity, accountability and results . MARKETING & CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP Serve as the primary property liaison with Corporate Marketing . Partner with Corporate Marketing to communicate property priorities, need periods, packages, events and revenue opportunities. Provide property-level insight and content needs to support resort marketing initiatives. Collaborate on seasonal promotions, packages, resort programming and special events. Ensure sales collateral, presentations, menus and other client-facing materials accurately represent the SkyBeach experience. Identify market opportunities and communicate them to Corporate Marketing for campaign development and support. Coordinate with Corporate Marketing and PR partners on property announcements, partnerships and key resort initiatives. Ensure Sales and Marketing strategies remain aligned with the overall SkyBeach brand and commercial objectives. FORECASTING & COMMERCIAL STRATEGY Prepare accurate weekly, monthly and annual sales and catering forecasts. Develop the annual Sales & Catering budget and production goals. Analyze pace, production, conversion, account performance and market trends. Participate in revenue strategy meetings and provide insight into group and catering demand. Develop action plans when pace or production falls behind established goals. Track sales performance by segment, salesperson and account. Maintain awareness of citywide events, compression dates, competitor activity and market opportunities. LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATION Serve as an active member of the resort’s executive leadership team. Partner closely with the General Manager, Revenue Management, Food & Beverage, Operations, Events and Corporate Marketing. Maintain a highly visible presence throughout the resort and local community. Develop partnerships that strengthen SkyBeach’s position within St. Petersburg and the greater Tampa Bay market. Support major resort events, concerts, programming and other revenue-generating initiatives. Foster a collaborative culture between Sales, Catering, Operations and Food & Beverage. QUALIFICATIONS 5+ years of progressive hotel or resort sales experience. Previous Director of Sales, Director of Sales & Marketing, Associate Director of Sales or senior sales leadership experience preferred. Strong track record of generating new group and catering business. Demonstrated experience selling guest rooms, meetings, weddings, catering and special events . Resort, lifestyle, boutique or independent hotel experience strongly preferred. Strong existing relationships within the Tampa Bay market are highly desirable. Proven ability to prospect, negotiate and close business. Experience leading and holding a sales team accountable to production goals. Strong understanding of hotel revenue management, group pricing, forecasting and market segmentation. Excellent communication, presentation and relationship-building skills. Strong financial and commercial acumen. Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Ability and willingness to attend networking events, client functions and resort events outside traditional business hours when appropriate. THE IDEAL CANDIDATE You are a seller first . You know that great sales leadership happens in the market—not just behind a desk. You are comfortable making calls, visiting clients, attending events, conducting site tours and asking for the business. You understand how to sell the entire resort , not simply a room block: guest rooms, meetings, catering, weddings, celebrations, food and beverage, waterfront experiences and special events. You build relationships that turn into repeat business. You know your numbers, understand your pace and pipeline, and hold yourself and your team accountable for results. Most importantly, you see the commercial potential of SkyBeach and are excited by the opportunity to establish it as a leading destination for meetings, events, celebrations and group experiences in Tampa Bay. #J-18808-Ljbffr