Director, Franchise Operations, Midscale, Japan

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Franchise Operations Midscale Japan (the Director) serves as a strategic leader for Marriott Internationals Midscale franchised hotels in Japan. This role provides expertise strategic guidance and operational oversight to meet key milestones and operational disciplines during the pre-opening phase.

Working closely with disciple experts the Director organizes develops and implements processes for hotels delivering essential support to key stakeholders. They provide the expertise needed to successfully implement brand service strategies and initiatives ensuring successful full operations post-opening.

With a focus on overall operational excellence across various hotel disciplinessuch as Room Operations Housekeeping Laundry Loss Prevention Maintenance Food & Beverage and Culinary Events. The position is vital for building and maintaining strong relationships with franchisees. Additionally the Director acts as a key liaison with the Area Team and discipline teams above the property level during the preopening and post opening phases.

This role serves as the initial primary point of contact for questions about Operations Brand Standards Loyalty Programs Brand Audits Guest Voice Brand Initiatives and Quality Assurance.

Core Responsibilities

• Owner & Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain strong relationships with hotel owners franchisees and other key stakeholders serving as the main point of contact for the operational leadership team.
• Operational Leadership: Guide the collective operational performance across the portfolio ensuring compliance with brand standards and supporting the leadership teams in operational excellence.
• Training & Development: Support training recommendations and conduct customized workshops as needed to ensure operational teams meet performance standards and brand expectations.
• Resource Sharing & Collaboration: Engage in resource development and sharing to support the franchise teams in roll-out initiatives brand programs and processes.
• Compliance & Quality Assurance: Ensure compliance with MI programs and assist in the roll-out of brand initiatives audits and quality assurance measures to guarantee operational excellence across the portfolio.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee and support all areas of operations including Rooms Operations Food & Beverage Event Management and related services ensuring seamless execution in alignment with brand standards.
• Expansion & Scalability: Assist in the development of tools resources programs and processes to support the growth of the franchise division with a focus on scalability and sustainability.

SCOPE

• Location requirements: Japan
• Language Requirements: High proficiency (speaking reading and writing) in Japanese is required. Proficiency in English is preferred.
• Travel Requirements: There is up to 60-70% business travel required.

EXPECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

Pre-Opening Leadership & Support:

• Serve as the central point of contact for all pre-opening activities acting as a liaison between Owners Area Teams Hotel Teams and Corporate/Continent support teams.
• Partner with stakeholdersincluding Owners Property Teams and Area Leadershipin the planning and execution of all pre-opening tasks.
• Guide General Managers and their teams through the pre-opening process including onboarding critical path planning sign-ups and training coordination.
• Provide support tools and templates for pre-opening budgets manning guides operating supply estimates (5SU/OS&E) and other essential resources in alignment with brand standards.
• Coordinate and support Owner Kick-Off and Pre-Opening Countdown meetings including content preparation and stakeholder engagement.
• Monitor progress of pre-opening milestones escalate issues as necessary and support resolution of any conflicts between stakeholders.
• Ensure operational readiness by overseeing compliance with local regulatory requirements licenses insurance financial set-up and statutory obligations.
• Align with stakeholders on confirmed opening dates and ensure all financial and operational requirements are met prior to launch.
• Support knowledge transfer and best practices through post-opening reviews and ongoing communication with hotel teams.

Franchise Operations Oversight:

• Act as the primary contact for on-property Franchise operations teams fostering strong consistent working relationships with General Managers and leadership teams.
• Drive operational performance across all property departments using key metrics such as GuestVoice loyalty program engagement mobile services usage and quality assurance scores.
• Provide guidance and daily support to franchise property teams on applying Marriotts operational standards tools and brand initiatives effectively.
• Promote adoption of brand initiatives and ensure mandatory programs are executed successfully. Communicate optional initiatives and encourage engagement where appropriate.
• Conduct on-property diagnostics performance reviews and customized training workshops. Deliver actionable insights and follow-up support to close performance gaps.
• Analyze performance trends and business risks and work with stakeholders to implement corrective or growth strategies.
• Collaborate with Brand and Continental teams to pilot new programs and concepts providing feedback from the field and ensuring franchisee perspectives are represented.

Training Development & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Coordinate and support discipline-specific training sessions in partnership with CLS Discipline Leads L&D teams and Brand teams.
• Ensure operational and brand strategy alignment between franchise properties and broader organizational goals especially considering structural differences from managed properties.
• Support the development and execution of programs tools and strategies that enhance service delivery operational performance and brand consistency.
• Provide input on innovation and system enhancements across disciplines such as F&B Rooms Events Spa and other key services.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of all brand philosophies standards service concepts and operating systems to provide accurate and relevant guidance.

Performance Management & Reporting:

• Track and analyze hotel performance using internal tools and systems; report regularly to senior leadership on progress against KPIs.
• Partner with senior operations and franchise leaders to align franchise property performance with broader strategic targets and operational benchmarks.
• Establish and manage a consultancy-style support model (pay-to-play) to deliver value-added services to franchise properties on demand.
• Participate in regular meetings and maintain active communication across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders.
• Ensure full compliance with all corporate policies procedures and training requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned to meet business needs.

CANDIDATE PROFILE - KEY TALENTS AND EXPERIENCED DESIRED

Successful candidates should possess knowledge and experience as follows:

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the hotel industry with a strong background across key operational disciplines such as Rooms Operations Food & Beverage Event Management and Quality Assurance.
• Recent on-property managerial experience in Rooms Division is required; Food & Beverage experience is strongly recommended.
• Previous pre-opening experience and experience within a franchise operation are preferred.
• Demonstrated success in evaluating business trends and implementing strategies that drive performance and mitigate risks.
• Strong financial acumen with proven skills in analysis strategic planning budgeting negotiation and interpreting contracts.
• Solid understanding of hotel systems and tools including OPERA (required) Oracle MICROS (preferred) and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint Excel Word); experience with Tableau is a plus.
• Prior experience in a chain environment is preferred; familiarity with Marriott/Starwood systems and standards is a distinct advantage.
• International experience and the ability to work effectively within a matrix organization are highly valued.
• Proven ability to manage owner relations and navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to independently lead multiple projects under pressure while delivering results.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills to support cross-functional teams and property leadership.

Education or Certification

A qualified Hospitality Management or Business/Operations Management degree is preferred.

Marriott International is an equal opportunity believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive people-first are committed to non-discrimination onanyprotectedbasis such as disability and veteran status or any other basis covered under applicable law.