Sales Manager - Corporate at Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre

Role Overview

Sales Manager – Corporate at Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre, a Forbes Five-Star luxury hotel operated by Hilton, located in Dubai.

Company Overview

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts provides guests an exceptional environment and personalized attention through True Waldorf Service, creating singular experiences. The organization is committed to treating all guest experiences with rich, consistent customer service levels.

Role Purpose

Drive commercial success and revenue growth by developing key corporate market segments, cultivating new customer relationships, and strengthening existing partnerships with assigned accounts. Deliver exceptional service reflecting Waldorf Astoria's commitment to luxury and excellence across Rooms, Meetings & Events, Food & Drinks, and other hotel offerings.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales

• Manage the Corporate and Group segments.
• Identify new accounts and business opportunities to increase sales.
• Target key accounts with strong business potential for the hotel.
• Acquire and develop new business accounts and prepare sales proposals for clients.
• Conduct daily sales calls, arrange site inspections, and host client entertainment for the hotel's corporate clients.
• Participate in sales calls with members of the sales team to acquire new business and close business opportunities.
• Accompany the sales team on client visits to support account development and assess sales effectiveness and performance.
• Follow up on all business leads within the established 24-hour response timeline.

Revenue & Strategy

• Develop a clear understanding of the hotel's business strategies, set goals, and determine action plans to achieve those goals.
• Develop and implement strategic action plans designed to deliver measurable and incremental revenue growth across the hotel portfolio.
• Update action plans and financial objectives quarterly.
• Work closely with the Revenue team to ensure proposed rate negotiations meet the hotel's financial objectives.

Relationship Management

• Build and strengthen relationships with existing and prospective customers to generate future bookings through sales calls, client entertainment, familiarisation (FAM) trips, trade shows, and other sales activities.
• Develop strong relationships with the Front Office team to ensure alignment and achievement of shared goals.
• Manage and develop relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop relationships within the local community to strengthen and expand the customer base.

Marketing & Outreach

• Drive business growth by proactively generating revenue through direct sales activities, including marketing initiatives, telemarketing, direct mail campaigns, client appointments, and hotel tours.
• Represent the hotel at various events and exhibitions.

Team Development & Performance

• Identify performance gaps and opportunities, recommending effective tools and delivering targeted sales training to enhance the overall effectiveness of the sales team.
• Collaborate closely with individual hotel teams to assess skill development needs and ensure the optimal deployment of sales and marketing resources.
• Assess additional training needs based on data gathered and interactions with the sales team during property visits.

Service & Operations

• Provide the highest level of customer service at all times.
• Attend all departmental and hotel meetings as required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Previous experience in a luxury hotel in the UAE with strong knowledge of the corporate segment.
• Proven success in a Sales Manager role, with a consistent track record of achieving targets and closing high-value deals.
• Masters Degree in Hospitality Management (advantageous).

Skills & Competencies

• Positive attitude, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to work independently and under pressure.
• Excellent personal presentation and grooming standards.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional customer service with genuine care and attention to detail.
• Strong leadership skills (advantageous).
• Ability to budget and forecast (advantageous).
• Passion for hospitality, sales excellence, and exceeding guest expectations (advantageous).
• Multilingual capabilities (advantageous).
• Flexibility to adapt to changing business needs and priorities.

Additional Information

• Familiarity with Hilton systems and global sales processes is a plus.