Director, Development – India

Description

The Director, Development – India will work within the Development Team to:

1. Originate leads for new hotel projects; 
2. Evaluate opportunities for “fit” with the strategy and objectives of the enterprise.  
3. Negotiate and contract projects; and

As a consequence of the above, see the trading estate grow with the opening of contracted hotels and thus deliver on the strategic objective of “expanding the global footprint” of our enterprise.

What will I be doing? 

As the Director, Development – India, you will be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards:

• Lead generation:  To succeed, you must work effectively with colleagues, industry contacts, investment parties, consultants, lawyers, financiers, etc. to generate leads that conform to agreed strategies and standards to identify development opportunities for growth at the local and group levels. You will need to be a “self-starter” moving to act in this regard without constantly needing review, follow-up, and direction.
• Interpersonal skills:  You will require the Director to be a strong communicator (all mediums) and can interact effectively with an extremely diverse group of stakeholders (outside and inside the enterprise) to sell ideas and galvanize support.
• Development Strategy & Reporting: You will work with team members, industry contacts, and competitors to assist the Development Team in formulating (and thereafter appropriately refining/adapting) development strategy for India. The objective is to ensure our strategy remains fresh, powerful, and agile.  Further, support will be required in mapping the progress made in pursuit of the strategy.
• Market Intelligence: Through formulation and deployment of a diverse network of contacts, you will contribute to building our capability in assembling and evaluating quality market intelligence in all its forms to identify opportunities.  For example, this may entail reviewing markets to identify previously unknown opportunities, researching the activity of real estate developers with whom we currently have no point of relationship, or researching activities of our competitors (whilst adhering to Corporate Policy) to identify future opportunities that we may legitimately pursue.
• Opportunity evaluation & coordination: Draw upon market intelligence and existing commercial skills (including corporate finance analysis) to formulate a robust perspective on the relative merits of hotel opportunities to aid decision-making on whether we should pursue the opportunity. Further, you will help coordinate the prioritization of competing (or potentially conflicting) opportunities within a market and thus help direct activity within the Development Team.
• Deal Execution: Work with the owners, internal and external advisors (particularly legal advisors), and colleagues to execute deals in line with agreed priorities, Hilton standards, and in conformity with corporate approvals. Negotiations should be conducted to secure integrative gains rather than distributive (zero-sum) outcomes.  You will look beyond the signing of deals to recognize the real finishing line of any project is to see the hotel successfully open and trading.
• Development Administration: You will need to be adept and efficient at the following;
  1. management and retention of project documentation;
  2. maintaining accurate and up-to-date project information in the O2O database,
  3. coordinating effectively with the Feasibility & Investment Analysis Team;
  4. drafting concise, accurate, and balanced Development Authorities,
  5. ensuring a crisp and concise handover of projects to Technical Services and Operations,
  6. working effectively with Finance and Compliance to complete due diligence in line with policy and best practice.
• Enterprise and Brand knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the brand portfolio of Hilton, the attributes and strengths of our commercial engines, and the advantage in our Operations & Performance Management platforms.   Further, knowledge and understanding of our contract documentation are essential.
• Marketing & Event Management: Assist in the formulation, project management, and execution of a wide variety of marketing initiatives including conferences, road shows, and developing marketing collateral/programs. 
• Hilton Profile: You will work to sustain and grow the profile of Hilton in the wider marketplace, government, business, and social environs.

Requirements

What are we looking for?

A Director, Development – India serving Hilton Brands is always working on behalf of our Guests and working with other Team Members. To successfully fill this role, you should maintain the attitude, behaviors, skills, and values that follow:

• A relevant University Degree
• An independent individual who is also a team player with a result-orientated mindset 
• Able to work in a non-routine, fluid, and at times chaotic environment whilst making sure the work is delivered to the highest professional standard
• Contribute to the wider team culture of “esprit de corp” with a sense of fun, creativity, and innovation.
• A willingness to travel for work purposes within the Asia region
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Strong communication & interpersonal skills with the ability to use these across different management levels
• Strong initiative with the ability to anticipate, and not simply react to business needs
• Ability to manage a range of competing priorities and demands through strong time management skills
• Experience in working in a diverse set of cultural environments with a strong understanding of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal's business culture and morals
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written)

What will it be like to work for Hilton?

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!