Director of Sales & Marketing

The Steward, Santa Barbara | A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The Steward is looking for an accomplished Director of Sales & Marketing to lead the commercial vision for one of Santa Barbara's most distinctive boutique hotels.

Set within a lush, historic estate, The Steward offers something different, a relaxed, design-forward experience rooted in the spirit of Santa Barbara, with Terra at the heart of its food, beverage, and social experience.

We're looking for a seasoned commercial leader who can create demand, uncover new business, build meaningful partnerships, and turn great ideas into measurable revenue.

And when you deliver? Our uncapped incentive plan means your earning potential grows with your success.

This is equal parts strategist, seller, storyteller, connector, and brand champion.

Why The Steward?

This isn't about inheriting a sales plan. It's about shaping what comes next.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Be rewarded for your performance through an UNCAPPED incentive plan designed to recognize the results you deliver.
• Own the commercial vision across sales, marketing, revenue strategy, partnerships, and positioning.
• Create demand, not just capture it through smart selling, compelling experiences, programming, partnerships, and events.
• Sell the entire destination - rooms, groups, celebrations, experiences, and Terra.
• Make your mark in Santa Barbara, building relationships and creating opportunities that elevate The Steward in the market.

What you'll own

• Drive top-line revenue and market share across group, corporate, leisure, catering, meetings, and events.
• Be a seller at heart:prospect, open doors, build relationships, and personally develop key accounts.
• Partner with the General Manager and revenue leadership on pricing, pace, segmentation, business mix, and opportunities to outperform.
• Lead marketing, social, partnerships, and programming that turn attention into demand.
• Make Terra an integral part of the commercial story through dining, events, celebrations, experiences, and local engagement.
• Build strategic partnerships that authentically connect The Steward to Santa Barbara.
• Know the market, competition, customer, and numbers - and act quickly when opportunity appears.
• Build and inspire a sales culture that is ambitious, creative, connected, and accountable.

What you bring

• Proven hotel sales leadership experience with a track record of driving revenue and market share.
• Lifestyle, boutique, luxury, resort, or distinctive full-service hotel experience strongly preferred.
• Strong expertise across group, transient, catering, events, account development, and revenue strategy.
• A hunter mentality and genuine passion for creating new business.
• Creative instincts paired with strong commercial and financial acumen.
• An understanding of how storytelling, partnerships, digital, social, PR, and experiences build a lifestyle hotel.
• The ability to think strategically while staying close enough to the business to make things happen.
• Marriott/Tribute Portfolio experience and Santa Barbara/Southern California market knowledge are a plus.

The opportunity

Success here isn't simply hitting a sales goal.

It's gaining share. Creating demand. Winning new accounts. Building partnerships. Filling need dates. Growing group and event business. Making Terra part of the local conversation.

It's putting your commercial and creative fingerprint on a hotel with tremendous potential—and being rewarded for the results you create.

Your success should have upside. Ours does.

The Steward offers an UNCAPPED incentive plan—giving high-performing commercial leaders the opportunity to increase their earnings as they grow the business.

And that's just the beginning:

• Insurance enrollment available from DAY 1!
• Paid time off available from DAY 1!
• Holiday pay available from DAY 1!
• 401(k) enrollment after 30 days!
• Hotel and travel discounts at worldwide destinations!
• Professional development and promotion opportunities!

About First Hospitality

Founded in 1985 and based in Chicago, First Hospitality is a hotel development, investment, and management company built on creating value through excellence and a willingness to do things differently. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace where people can grow, contribute, and thrive.

First Hospitality is an Equal Opportunity Employer.