Sales & Marketing Manager
Location: Waterford City
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Sales & Marketing Manager to lead the hotel’s sales and marketing activity.
This is a senior, hands-on role with responsibility for developing and delivering a clear commercial plan that grows revenue across corporate, meetings and events, leisure, group and food & beverage business.
Working closely with the General Manager, Revenue function and Heads of Department, the successful candidate will combine strategic planning with proactive sales activity. They will build strong client relationships, identify new revenue opportunities, manage marketing performance and ensure that commercial activity translates into measurable business for the hotel.
Key responsibilities — Commercial strategy & leadership
- Develop the annual sales and marketing strategy, activity calendar and budget for approval by the General Manager.
- Translate the strategy into clear monthly and quarterly priorities, revenue targets, account plans and campaign objectives.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity and emerging opportunities, recommending timely commercial responses.
- Work collaboratively with Revenue Management and the General Manager on need periods, market segmentation, pricing opportunities and channel strategy.
- Provide commercial direction to Heads of Department and coordinate hotel-wide activity to ensure offers, campaigns and sales initiatives are implemented consistently.
- Manage relevant external agencies, suppliers and commercial partners, ensuring clear briefs, agreed deliverables and value for money.
Proactive sales & account management
- Build and maintain a qualified sales pipeline across local, regional and national markets, with a strong focus on measurable conversion and revenue delivery.
- Identify, prospect and secure new corporate, conference, group, leisure and event accounts through appointments, sales calls, sales trips, networking and targeted outreach.
- Develop account plans for key clients, including agreed growth opportunities, contact strategy and review schedule.
- Retain and grow existing accounts through regular contact, client reviews, corporate hospitality and a strong understanding of changing business needs.
- Conduct professional site inspections, fam trips and hotel presentations that clearly communicate the Granville Hotel proposition.
- Represent the hotel at trade shows, tourism events, industry forums and relevant local business networks.
- Maintain an accurate CRM, recording contacts, opportunities, next actions, production and account performance.
Meetings, events & local business
- Lead the hotel’s meetings and events sales strategy, with particular emphasis on increasing enquiries, conversion, repeat business and revenue in identified need periods.
- Ensure enquiries, provisional bookings, lapsed business and past clients are followed up promptly and commercially.
- Develop targeted packages and proposals for meetings, conferences, private dining, family occasions, social events and local organisations.
- Build relationships with event organisers, professional conference organisers, destination management companies, corporate agents and local decision-makers.
- Review enquiry conversion, lost and turned-away business, lead times and booking patterns, using the findings to improve performance.
- Work closely with the Events and Operations teams to ensure the sales promise is realistic, clearly communicated and successfully delivered.
Leisure, groups & destination partnerships
- Develop leisure and group business through tour operators, travel agents, coach operators, online channels and selected third-party partners.
- Create compelling seasonal packages and campaigns that reflect the hotel’s heritage, city-centre location and the wider Waterford destination.
- Build productive relationships with tourism bodies, local attractions, cultural organisations and destination partners to create bookable reasons to visit.
- Identify opportunities in domestic and international markets and support relevant trade engagement, sales missions and familiarisation trips.
- Regularly review online listings, hotel content, imagery and partner information to ensure accuracy, consistency and strong conversion.
Marketing, digital & brand management
- Lead the annual marketing calendar across rooms, food and beverage, meetings and events, experiences and key seasonal campaigns.
- Manage the hotel’s website content, email marketing, organic and paid social media, search, display, remarketing and other agreed digital channels.
- Set clear objectives and budgets for campaigns; monitor reach, engagement, traffic, enquiries, bookings, revenue and return on investment.
- Protect and consistently apply the Granville Hotel brand, tone of voice and visual standards across all customer touchpoints and collateral.
- Coordinate photography, video, content production and promotional materials, ensuring the hotel maintains a strong and current content library.
- Manage media, influencer and public relations activity where appropriate, with clear objectives and realistic measures of success.
- Ensure marketing activity is compliant with data protection, consent, copyright and relevant advertising requirements.
Performance, reporting & commercial discipline
- Prepare concise weekly and monthly reports covering sales activity, pipeline, conversion, account production, campaign performance, budget and forecasted opportunities.
- Maintain clear records of the source, value, status and next action for every material sales opportunity.
- Use data and insight to prioritise activity, redirect resources and demonstrate the commercial return from sales and marketing investment.
- Contribute to hotel budgeting, forecasting, business reviews and management meetings, presenting clear recommendations and actions.
- Drive a sales culture across the hotel by supporting teams with product knowledge, lead generation, enquiry handling and appropriate upselling initiatives.
Person specification — Essential
- At least four years’ relevant sales and marketing experience, including a minimum of two years in a senior or management-level role; hotel or hospitality experience is strongly preferred.
- A proven record of winning new business, growing accounts and delivering against revenue targets.
- Experience developing and managing an annual sales and marketing plan and associated budgets.
- Strong understanding of digital marketing, campaign measurement, social media, website content and customer relationship management systems.
- Commercially confident, highly organised and comfortable balancing strategic planning with hands-on sales activity.
- Excellent written, presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills, with the credibility to engage senior decision-makers.
- Strong analytical ability and confidence using performance data to make recommendations and report results.
- A collaborative leadership style, high personal standards and the ability to influence and mobilise colleagues across departments.
- Full clean driving licence and access to own transport, with flexibility to attend client appointments, trade events and occasional evening or weekend activity.
Desirable
- Relevant qualification in sales, marketing, business, hospitality or a related discipline.
- Established corporate, tourism, conference or travel trade contacts in the South-East, Dublin or wider Irish market.
- Experience with hotel property-management, CRM, email marketing, analytics, paid media or revenue-management systems; knowledge of Guestline would be an advantage.
- Experience briefing and managing agencies, photographers, designers, media partners or other external suppliers.
How to Apply
If you are interested and meet the above criteria, please apply with your CV to Hannah at Hannah.sullivan@hartleypeople.com.
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