Director, Strategy & Planning

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JOB SUMMARY

The Director Strategy & Planning South Asia is a senior leader responsible for shaping and executing the strategic agenda of the South Asia Sales & Distribution Organization. Reporting to the Vice President Sales & Distribution South Asia this role drives high-impact initiatives that advance Marriott Internationals commercial priorities in the region. The Director combines strategic foresight structured problem-solving and strong project leadership with performance analytics to ensure clear planning disciplined execution and measurable business outcomes. By aligning regional priorities with APAC and Global objectives the role serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and a catalyst for sustainable growth operational excellence and continuous improvement across South Asia.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategy and Planning

• Lead the development and execution of the strategic planning process for South Asia ensuring alignment with APAC and Global priorities.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to identify scope and prioritize initiatives critical to the South Asia market.
• Translate strategic objectives into actionable plans and operating models that drive execution and accountability.
• Develop business cases scenario analyses and recommendations to support executive decision-making.
• Stay at the forefront of AI and digital innovation guiding the adoption of AI-driven solutions to strengthen commercial strategy and execution.
• Delivering end-to-end project management analytics and communication support for South Asia initiatives.
• Provides recommendations to improve effectiveness of performance management processes
• Assists with the development and implementation of LSOP/resources and framework both internal and external
• Helps establish long-range objectives specifying the strategies and driving the execution of the strategy
• Analyzing information identifying current and potential problems and proposing solutions
• Coordinate with Hotel teams to develop and conduct Market Assessments for key impact markets
• Provides critical input to market leaders for development of deployment strategy

Project Management & Execution

• Provide end-to-end leadership for key initiatives ensuring timely and successful execution.
• Oversee project governance including timelines milestones stakeholder engagement risk management and reporting.
• Drive the deployment of major commercial initiatives in South Asia including Marriott Bonvoy MICE Offers Destination Selling and Leisure Series business.
• Champion change management strategies to ensure effective adoption and long-term business impact.

Performance Enablement & Analytics

• Partner with centralized Reporting & Analytics Global Performance Services (GPS) and APAC teams to ensure consistency in measurement and reporting.
• Develop dashboards adapt reports and analyze KPIs to provide leadership with clear actionable insights.
• Identify business trends gaps and opportunities through analysis and recommend optimization strategies.
• Support performance reviews and goal-setting processes to keep the South Asia Sales & Distribution Organization on track against objectives.
• Equip sales teams and support functions with tools processes and training that enhance efficiency and accountability.

Leadership & Influence

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Vice President Sales & Distribution South Asia offering strategic guidance backed by data-driven insights.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with APAC and Global teams to ensure alignment and share best practices.
• Foster a culture of strategic thinking analytical rigor and continuous improvement within the South Asia Sales & Distribution Organization.

Focus Areas of Work

• Strategic Projects: Market-specific problem solving research and business case development.
• Deployment Projects: Large-scale rollouts and commercial program launch with integrated change management.
• Performance Projects: Business analytics dashboards and optimization initiatives to enhance sales and distribution effectiveness.
• Process Efficiency: Streamlining systems programs and account deployment models to maximize productivity.

Analyzing & Reporting on Sales and Financial Data

• Analyzes hotel /market/Above property productivity information by using sales systems and reports on a monthly basis achievement of numbers to the goals
• Generates and delivers accurate and timely results in the form of reports presentations etc ensuring delivery deadlines
• Analyzes information and evaluate results to choose the best solution and solve problems

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• Education: Minimum 3-year bachelors degree in business administration Hotel Management or related field.
• Experience: 10 years of experience in analytics project management or planning.
  Experience in hospitality or consulting is helpful. Preferred prior consulting or project management experience.

COMPETENCIES

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong strategic planning and structured problem-solving expertise.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear actionable insights.
• Proven project management skills with a track record of execution excellence.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• High business acumen with a balance of strategic vision and execution discipline.
• Agile resourceful and effective in navigating a fast-paced matrixed environment.
• Job Specific Computer Skills Strong skills in Excel PowerPoint Tableau MINT SQL and Snowflake. Ability to leverageAI tools.

Success in this Role Means

• Delivering high-impact strategic initiatives that strengthen Marriotts commercial presence in South Asia.
• Providing leadership with actionable insights to drive business performance.
• Embedding performance measurement and optimization into everyday operations.
• Ensuring alignment between South Asia APAC and Global priorities.

• Being recognized as a strategic leader who combines vision execution and data-driven decision-making to deliver results.