The Director of CRM and Email Marketing is responsible for directing the overall operations and strategy of the CRM team for HHM’s Luxury and Lifestyle Collection of independent hotels. Primary object of this position to generate revenue and incremental revenue through CRM and email marketing responsibilities. The director will oversee all aspects of customer facing communications including transactional (including reservation confirmations, cancellations, modifications), triggered and promotional emails (property direct and portfolio).

This position manages a comprehensive email marketing program in alignment with portfolio and property-specific goals and objectives to increase guest acquisition and engagement. The director is responsible for the portfolio’s email acquisition strategy by developing and implementing go-to-market plans for email address capturing across digital and on-property touchpoints. The Director of CRM and Email Marketing collaborates with both CRM Agency and the internal Marketing and Digital/eCommerce team on the optimization of the digital customer journey and independent portfolio-wide strategy.

The role is the CRM/email software platform owner and serves as the email vendor central point of contact. The individual is the subject matter expert on CRM/email marketing best practices and ensures adherence throughout the portfolio. The director ensures database/email hygiene, appends and deliverability and is a steward of CAN-SPAM, regulatory and GDPR compliance.

Essential job functions include:

• Leads the development, execution and management of the CRM strategy
• Responsible for directing overall operations, staff, agency of the CRM team
• Oversees strategic planning and creation of CRM Campaigns in real time communication through multiple channels
• Plans and owns email marketing strategy and portfolio calendar for B2C and B2B audiences within the Lifestyle and Luxury Collection
• Manage all customer facing digital ecommunications including transactional (confirmation, cancellation, modification, pre-arrival and post-trip, esurvey), promotional, editorial/newsletter and triggered emails
• Codes and implements email templates within email marketing platform
• Facilitates formal email approval process and collects feedback from internal and external stakeholders
• Implements A/B testing plan to continuously optimize and improve campaigns
• Responsible for supplementary revenue generation email programs including cart abandonment, upgrade program behavioral targeting
• Plans, configures and monitors automated email campaigns within email marketing platform
• Build audiences within customer database with smart segmentation that align with overall strategy; leverages dynamic content whenever possible for customer personalization
• Process ownership for email campaign planning, fulfillment and deployment; synchronizes efforts across CRM, Content, Creative, Marketing, eCommerce, and Revenue Management teams
• Ensures message consistency and alignment across non-HHM managed email solutions for soft-branded hotels
• Ensure email marketing aligns with current industry best practices; researches innovation and emerging trends in email marketing to continuously evolve HHM’s email marketing program
• Serves as email software subject matter expert and central point of contact for email software vendor; champions new and unused features within the tool to elevate platform usage
• Oversees email testing and inbox rendering; ensures viewability and performance across all major email clients and devices
• Analyze email marketing results and enacts measures for improvement
• Provides reporting on a property and portfolio-wide level via monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annual cadences
• Develops, executes and sustains email address acquisition program; identifies unique acquisition opportunities and provides regular reporting on acquisition efforts
• Oversees email hygiene: monitors deliverability KPIs; remediates mail blocks, hard and soft bounces, spam traps; ensures data duplication and list scrubs; monitors email points of collection to ensure clean data and best practices in email collection mechanisms
• Stewards CAN-SPAM and GDPR compliance and keeps up to date on any new email regulatory matters
• Assists Digital and eCommerce Team in special projects and other assignments as needed
• Assists with consumer insights analysis and reporting.
• Monitors competitor CRM programs and proactively implements positive changes into current CRM Strategy
• Administrative Responsibilities include:
• CRM software contracting, configuration and implementation
• Database management (reporting, health, compliance)
• Image and digital asset organization and distribution
• Scheduled and adhoc reporting and analysis
• Shared drive organization and file management
• Invoice processing
• Conference and meeting facilitation - scheduling, securing technology needs, agenda preparation and meeting minutes distribution
• Proofreading and editing of internal and external materials
• Team project management software superuser

Successful candidate will possess the following:

• 3+ years of experience in an email marketing and/or CRM role (preferably within hospitality)
• Associate’s Degree or higher in business, marketing, communications, hospitality or related field
• Experience with data analysis and reporting
• Experience with an enterprise-level CRM/email marketing software provider a plus (Cendyn, Salesforce, Marketo, Adobe Campaign, Silverpop, Pardot, etc)
• Experience with a project management tool such as Smartsheets, Basecamp, Trello, etc.
• Superb organizational and prioritization skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Unparalleled attention to detail; proofreading and editing skills required
• Analytical mindset; ability to draw insights and make recommendations based on semi-complex datasets
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities a must
• Novice level of technical acumen with digital technologies
• Basic working knowledge of HTML and Photoshop
• Ability to work and communicate cross-functionally with a myriad of teams and stakeholders from C-level to property level
• Knowledge of hospitality and travel industry and marketing technology solutions a plus
• Website analytics experience required (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, etc)
• Proficient in MS Office and MS Excel
• Diligent work habits and ability to meet deadlines
• Self-motivated, creative, confident and energetic personality

Work Environment and Context: 

• Work schedule varies and may include working on holidays, and weekends.
• Requires standing for extended periods, walking, pushing, lifting up to 25, bending and reaching.

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