Director of Sales & Marketing - Mercure La Trobe Street (Pre-Opening)

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.