Leisure Business Development Manager

About the Role

The Leisure Business Development Manager is responsible for driving sales growth for a leading global hotel company's portfolio by strengthening relationships with leisure travel agencies, luxury agencies, and key wholesalers within a designated region. This role focuses on influencing travel advisors and building strong industry relationships to position the company's resort and all-inclusive properties as the preferred choice for their clients. The position combines strategic business development, partner engagement, commercial analysis, and execution of impactful sales activities across virtual, in-person, and event-based channels.

This role is ideal for a highly motivated commercial professional with strong relationship-building skills and a passion for the leisure travel segment.

This is a remote position based in the New York City metropolitan area. Candidates must reside in New York or New Jersey, and be within convenient proximity to a major airport. The role requires frequent travel (approximately 30-50%) throughout the territory, with occasional international travel, to support agency visits, industry events, partner engagements, and business development activities.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Agency Relationship Management

• Manage and grow relationships with assigned leisure agencies and wholesalers within a designated region to achieve room night and market share growth.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with wholesale partner BDMs through joint sales calls, trainings, webinars, and regional events.
• Conduct regular virtual and in-person sales calls, webinars, and advisor visits to promote awareness of company’s resort and all-inclusive portfolio.
• Deliver polished and relevant sales presentations and materials to maximize booking potential.
• Attend and host travel advisor engagement events across leisure, wholesale, resort, and all-inclusive segments.

Strategic Commercial Planning & Account Prioritization

• Analyze market indicators, room night data, partner performance, and industry metrics to categorize and prioritize accounts.
• Develop tailored sales strategies for each agency using data-driven insights.
• Customize content and presentation materials to align with performance trends and agency needs.
• Monitor account performance to identify drivers of growth or decline and proactively pursue new business opportunities.
• Strategically manage call frequency and engagement cadence to maximize ROI across the agency and wholesaler portfolio.

Sales Execution, Events & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with company teams to organize and execute territory events, activations, and joint initiatives.
• Engage with the maximum number of advisors during each activity to broaden commercial impact.
• Maintain positive, professional participation in all team meetings and conference calls.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders.

Administration, Reporting & CRM Management

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all activities and interactions in Salesforce.
• Keep Outlook calendar updated with planned travel, appointments, and agency activity.
• Use Salesforce to track performance and measure progress toward objectives.
• Demonstrate strong attention to detail in tracking, documenting, and following through on tasks.
• Manage expenses and submit reports weekly.

Professional Standards & Operational Requirements

• Maintain a high standard of professional business appearance in all meetings and sales calls, consistent with company brand expectations.
• Store collateral and equipment securely in an accessible, weatherproof location.
• Follow company guidelines regarding the use of company equipment.
• Ensure vehicles (when used with colleagues or leadership) are clean and presentable.
• Flexibility to support occasional additional hours or ad hoc tasks depending on business needs.

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in leisure, luxury, or wholesale travel sales; hospitality or hotel sales experience preferred.
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze commercial data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Proficiency in Salesforce, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfortable traveling approximately 30-50% within the designated region, with occasional international trips.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional appearance and adherence to company brand standards.
• Flexibility to support occasional additional hours or ad hoc activities when needed.
• Candidates must be based in the specified location and live within reasonable proximity to major airports to support required travel.

Benefits & Compensation

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Eligible for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity of up to 10% of base salary.
• 401(k) with 3% employer match (after probationary period)
• Fully employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee
• Mobile phone allowance