Director of Marketing & Communications - North & Central America

$150,000 - $182,000/Yr

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts - New York, NY

Full-time - Senior

New York, NY

51-100 employees

About the position

Join a dynamic team and be part of the Fairmont family - with 90 spectacular properties, and 34 more in the pipeline, in 30 countries around the globe, stretching from the beaches of Hawaii, to the unspoiled national parks of Canada, to the heart of London, to the deserts of the United Arab Emirates. In the role of Director of Marketing & Communications, you will have a particularly special opportunity to serve as brand guardian in North & Central America, to play a critical role in celebrating this beloved brand's legacy and setting the stage for the next 100 years. Based out of the Group's New York City office, the Director of Marketing & Communications is responsible for facilitating and implementing the Brand, Marketing & PR Strategy for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in North & Central America, driving awareness and positive image for the brand and properties across the region. A strong specialist in optimizing marketing and communications outcomes, with the ability to comfortably manage campaigns and actively engage key stakeholders, including press, influencers, agencies, partners, internal collaborators, and hotel teams. Skills in prioritization, time management, multi-tasking and attention to detail are key criteria for this role. Must be equally comfortable independently driving projects as collaborating and working inter-departmentally.

Responsibilities

• Supervise all brand-driven marketing & PR activities in North & Central America.
• Execute regional marketing & communications campaigns to reinforce the brand's position as a leader and first choice in luxury travel.
• Plan and oversee regional advertising, promotional, influencer & PR activities, including integrated online and offline channels.
• Serve as primary brand ambassador, ensuring that brand guidelines and standards are in place and being followed across the hotels in scope and updated regularly as needed.
• Manage regional marketing, PR & influencer agencies, resources, partners, and suppliers for global, regional and hotel-specific projects and campaigns.
• Lead media relations activity in the North American market, regularly engaging, relationship-building and securing quality coverage with top press and influencer targets, and keeping apprised of changes in the media landscape.
• Plan and execute multiple in person activations per year, ranging from press events, media & influencer familiarization (FAM) trips, launch of new guest experiences and packages, etc.
• Represent the brand at key industry events, coordinating sponsor benefits, brand activation, executive presence, and press strategy.
• Leverage celebrities, brand ambassadors and influencers to engage on behalf of the brand.
• Oversee executive thought leadership program for the region, securing interviews, speaking opportunities, awards, etc. for key brand, regional and hotel executives.
• Responsible for the drafting and development of marketing & communications materials, including press releases, for regional news and initiatives.
• Provide key messaging support for media interviews, speaking opportunities, and for reputation management issues e.g. crisis communications; also take the lead on developing key messaging for in scope hotel- or region-specific issues, and sharing with brand communications leads across the organization.
• Work with digital marketing to develop compelling consumer and media content.
• Work closely with the head of global brand partnerships to produce consumer activations at the regional and property level.
• Responsible for optimizing individual hotel performance, working with on property teams to augment hotel programs, in support of key KPI's on conversion, content, and reach.
• Provide day-to-day support for hotels under scope, including strategic counsel, resources, training and optimization of on-property talent, plus specialized attention and the deployment of tactical programs for the brand's flagships and focus hotels.
• First point of contact for hotels under scope for crisis communications, from training to real-time crisis response and management.
• Hotel pre-opening marketing & PR support including but not limited to hotel pre-opening plan & budget, positioning, branding, press materials, targeted media outreach, events & FAMs, agency selection, on-property resourcing, and more.
• Provide strategic counsel and advisement on communications issues to regional leadership, including the support of Operations on owner messaging, and Talent & Culture on internal communications.
• Develop and deliver insightful marketing & communications strategies and presentations to the Executive Committee and business departments where appropriate.
• Submit monthly reports outlining regional activity, notable results, and return on investment (ROI).
• Research, analyze and monitor financial, technological, and demographic factors and trends so that market opportunities may be capitalized on.
• Actively look for opportunities to further the brand presence and market share across North & Central America.

Requirements

• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in marketing and/or communications, preferably in a hotel, travel and/or luxury industry environment.
• Excellent English written and verbal communication skills required, across a variety of platforms and channels.
• Fulsome understanding of multi-channel marketing - including but not limited to PR, loyalty, digital, social, partnerships, customer relationship management - and the ability to champion and drive integrated programming in support of commercial objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage effective, impactful programs and projects from ideation and strategic planning through tactical execution and reporting.
• Well-connected in key cities across North America, with direct access to trending people, partners and events.
• Strong media and influencer relationships, with keen insight into the regional landscape, changes, opportunities, etc.
• Market research capabilities for competitor reviews.
• The successful candidate will be an extremely organized, detail-oriented, professional, self-motivated team-player with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Dynamic and confident individual with a positive attitude.
• Good time management and prioritizing capabilities.
• Must be able to work well under pressure and manage stakeholder expectations in a matrixed environment.
• Proven experience in anticipating and meeting the needs of various constituents (brand, hotel, owner, customer, media).
• Should display personal drive to succeed, achieve and produce high-quality work.
• University education preferred.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Database management software.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance