Account Director- Western Canada and Western US Corporate & BC Associations

Recognized as the #1 Best Canadian Hotel in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC, overlooking the city's sparkling Inner Harbour. A Forbes recommended and MICHELIN key hotel that offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa with signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, an award-winning wine list, and regionally focused cocktail culture. World-famous Tea at the Empress is served in the Lobby Lounge with stunning harbour views.

The magnificent property completed a $60+ million restoration in 2017 that celebrated its proud history while moving the hotel into a new era of modern luxury and transforming the iconic property into a must-visit destination. In 2023, the property introduced a revamped Fairmont Gold Experience, including a major renovation to the Fairmont Gold floor. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms and a newly renovated lounge are ready to accommodate guests. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada's Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia's stunning natural and expansive beauty. Historic Hotels Worldwide recognizes the property's prestigious grounds as the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World.

Job Description

Selling a memorable experience in an authentic location is the essence of an Account Director’s role at Fairmont Empress. Your professionalism and knowledge of the Hotel and the Victoria Conference Center will reflect positively in how you present the property. Building strong relationships in the Western Canadian and Western US market and in particular in Vancouver will create a bond, ensuring your clients will always stay with Accor Hotels. This position can be based in Victoria or remote, based in Vancouver.

What is in it for you:

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates in Accor worldwide
• Discounted food & beverage offerings at our Vancouver sister properties
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world! 
• Complimentary meals through our colleague dining program (taxes apply)
• Complimentary dry cleaning of business attire
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision, and complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through GreenShield
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Competitive Salary range of $83,200. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, relevant experience, and alignment with the role’s core and advanced competencies. Candidates with deeper expertise or specialized knowledge may be placed toward the upper portion of the range

What you will be doing:

Reporting to the Director of Sales, responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:

• Accountable for prospecting, nurturing, developing and booking group business (all segments) within a defined territory
• Build, maintain and report on a sales pipeline through various sales activities
• Exceed personal sales goals, monthly, quarterly, and annually
• Collect market and competitive intelligence to maximize group sales opportunities
• Develop monthly sales strategy and action plans
• Build relationships with all relevant stakeholders: Accor Global Sales Office(s), The Victoria Conference Centre, Tourism Victoria, DMC’s, Attractions and Offsite Venues
• Partner with regional and national sister hotels to optimize Fairmont Empress’s exposure and build incremental business
• Budget for, plan and organize site inspection, FAMS, sales trips and industry trade shows
• Planned business travel to assigned territories including Vancouver, Calgary, California and Texas (subject to change)
• Utilize Opera Sales System to track, solicit, book and follow up on accounts
• Quote and negotiate rates within established parameters
• Upon closing, coordinate and follow up with convention services, catering and/or other hotel departments to ensure delivery of hotel's promised services
• Jointly manage the training and development of a Sales Representative / Coordinator
• Support group sales team and handle special projects as assigned
• Participate in active training and development
• Support the goals, objectives and philosophies of Fairmont Empress
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Your experience and skills include:

• Minimum of 5 years hotel Sales experience is required ideally in the BC Corporate and Association market
• Proven ability to build relationships and find new business: prospecting, networking, site inspections and sales calls
• Skilled negotiator with excellent verbal and written communications skills and strong attention to detail
• Bachelor’s degree and/or Hotel Management Degree an asset
• Computer literacy (Opera, Microsoft Office)
• Financial aptitude an asset
• Excellent time management skills
• Bilingual (French/English) an asset

Additional Information

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment:  Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit 

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS