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Business Development Director (Pre-Opening) – Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins and Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street

One of Melbourne’s most iconic CBD arcades is fast transforming into a landmark retail and holiday destination. The redevelopment of "Melbourne Walk" Arcade will soon see IHGs first Australian dual-branded hotel project. Nestled in the heart of Melbourne's vibrant CBD, this project combines the boutique charm of Hotel Indigo with the modern comfort of Holiday Inn, offering a unique blend of hospitality experiences across 452 rooms.

Open the door into Hotel Indigo and guests can expect local character, modern design and warm, professional service with a vibrant and individual flavour, bringing the edgy laneway neighbourhood of Little Collins Street to life. Making the most of the retail haven, Holiday Inn will offer a modern, fresh and friendly stay for a wide variety of guests coming to enjoy the convenience and value they know and love from Holiday Inn, and all that Bourke Street Mall has to offer.

We’re looking for a dynamic Business Development Director with a strong "hunter" mentality and an extensive network to drive new business opportunities for our hotels. The ideal candidate will excel in a collaborative team environment, leveraging their leadership and organisational skills to manage multiple projects seamlessly. A friendly, approachable nature and a genuine passion for building lasting relationships are essential to success in this role.

A little taste of your day-to-day

Every day is different, but as part of the pre-opening team, you will play a key role in ensuring this new hotel is ready to welcome its first guests, including:

• Strategic planning and positioning – conducting market research and analysis to identify target markets and work on defining the hotel’s unique value proposition.
• Along with the Director of Sales & Marketing, develop and execute a comprehensive business development strategy.
• Active sales leadership, including client acquisition, sales team set up, and setting and achieving of pre-opening revenue targets. 
• Collaborate with the Director of Sales and Marketing on brand development, campaign planning and forging of strategic partnerships.
• Collaborate with key departments to ensure alignment on business goals and operational capabilities.
• Develop pricing models, room rate structures, and packages to attract guests.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing sales team, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Secure pre-bookings for rooms, events, and other facilities ahead of the hotel's opening.
• Plan and execute grand opening events or soft launches to attract media and client attention.
• Maintain strong relationships with owners, investors, and key stakeholders by providing regular updates on business development progress.

What we need from you

This role is pivotal to the success of our hotel opening and operation, in a highly competitive market, so to see this through we’re looking for a talented professional with the perfect blend of strategic vision, sales expertise, people leadership, and extensive market knowledge. 

In addition, you will possess:

• Ability to work autonomously, be proactive and take accountability for workload and key deliverables within a project opening timeline.
• High level communication and relationship management skills, collaborating with a wide variety of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Strong business acumen and commercially savvy with experience in setting sales targets, developing strategies and overseeing revenue management practices.
• Expertise in brand representation, willing to act as brand ambassador and flexibility and adaptability to embody and communicate the identity of a dual-branded property. 
• Capacity to build and lead a high-performing sales team and commitment to recruiting, training, developing and engaging your direct reports.
• Extensive experience within hotel operations in a senior commercial role.
• Prior experience supporting a pre-opening hotel (preferred), with demonstrated resilience and adaptability to remain focused, and solution-oriented within the dynamic environment of a pre-opening and evolving deadlines and priorities.
• Tertiary education within a Business, Marketing, Sales or Hospitality related field (preferred).

What you can expect from us

Not only will you benefit from a truly unique and career-defining opportunity as part of this exciting hotel opening, working with a talented and experienced General Manager, Director of Sales & Marketing and New Hotel Openings team, but you’ll receive a competitive salary that rewards all your hard work and a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life – including, impressive room discounts and some of the best training in the business.

Most importantly, your career journey will be supported through our lifelong development programs, IHG career milestone celebrations, and transfer of leave entitlements as you move and grow with IHG.

Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate differences and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance. Always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. 

So, join us and you’ll become part of our ever-growing global family. 

Don't quite meet every single requirement, but still believe you'd be a great fit for the job? We'll never know unless you hit the 'Apply' button. Start your journey with us today.