Job Details

Director of Penn Hotels; Business Services Division
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Position Number: 5735748
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Business and Financial Management

Director of Penn Hotels; Business Services Division

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Director of Penn Hotels; Business Services Division

Job Profile Title
Associate Director D, Business and Finance

Job Description Summary
The Director of Penn Hotels oversees the Hilton Inn at Penn and the Sheraton University City. This business portfolio includes approximately 600 rooms and generates more than $40 million in top-line revenue by providing upscale guest accommodations and event space to the University of Pennsylvania community, campus visitors, and Philadelphia area travelers
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The position serves as an asset manager who works with hotel operators to represent the University's interests by:

- Fostering collaborative relationships with hotel teams to ensure an exceptional guest experience.
- Driving strong financial returns through revenue growth and expense management.
- Market and promote the campus hotels as top-of-mind preferred destinations.
- Developing prudent capital plans to maintain the condition and enhance the aesthetics of the properties.
- Analyzing data to make informed decisions that advance strategic goals.

The successful candidate will have demonstrable leadership experience in each of these areas, preferably in roles involving upscale, full-service hotels that require adherence to well-established brand standards and property guidelines.

Job Description

Responsibilities Include:

1. Fostering collaborative relationships

- Build strong relationships and interact daily with the general managers and key staff of both properties, to ensure an exceptional guest experience.

- Advise on hotel business decisions.

- Liaise for Penn customers and service providers.

- Engage and negotiate with retail tenants, property managers, and service providers.

- Manage contractual agreements and oversee brand standards compliance.

- Cultivate relationships with key campus stakeholders and department leaders.

2. Driving strong financial returns through revenue growth and expense management

- Review financial performance with operators on a regular basis - comparing to budget and relevant industry benchmarks.

- Oversee the development of budgets, their approval, and adherence to reporting requirements.

- Monitor market conditions and industry trends to anticipate shifts and capitalize on opportunities for sustained growth and competitive advantage.

- Align booking pace and revenue forecasts with market data, optimizing revenue management strategies across the portfolio.

- Identify and evaluate opportunities for operating expense efficiencies and cost containment.

3. Promoting campus hotels as preferred destination.

- Engage in industry-relevant trade and local organization to keep abreast of business trends.

- Promote visibility of property for on-campus and external customers.

- Advise on annual sales and marketing plans and budgets.

- Monitoring of guest service scores and customer feedback and partner with operators to implement programs that ensure positive guest experiences.

- Align hotel brand-standards with University goals to incorporate Penn's brand identity, architectural/facilities standards, and campus aesthetics.

4. Developing capital plans.

- Oversee capital expenditures and lease extensions.

- Develop and manage the scope of multimillion-dollar renovations and property-improvement plans for brand compliance and guest-experience enhancement.

- Partner with renovation design/project teams, negotiate management and licensing agreements, and coordinate alignment with University objectives.

5. Advancing data-driven strategic goals.

- Analyze data to drive proactive risk management and strategic decision-making, optimizing operational and financial performance and capital allocation.

- Provide actionable recommendations to optimize financial performance and capitalize on emerging opportunities, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

- Develop and manage multi-year budgets informed by industry trends, competitive analysis, and other relevant industry benchmarks.

- Translate performance metrics and market data into well-developed narratives and reports suitable for executive audiences.

Qualifications:

A Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of related experience (10 years preferred), or equivalent combination of education and experience, is required.
Hospitality industry experience in chain brand hotels is required. Prior experience as general manager, asset manager, or owner's representative is preferred.
Prior experience managing and negotiating hotel franchise/property management agreements, property improvement plans, and managing capital projects is required.
Direct experience in hospitality marketing and business development is strongly preferred.
Prior experience in financial management including utilizing industry-specific KPIs (e.g RevPar, ADR, Occupancy Rate), oversight of the full P&L, and management of capital expenditures is required.
Ability to work in a collaborative environment and value and grow relationships across stakeholder groups.
Excellent interpersonal, customer-service, and communication (written and oral) skills including executive-level presentations.
Track record of sound financial stewardship of ownership resources and adherence to policies and best practices.

About the Division of Business Services:

The Business Service Division (BSD) supports the individual and collective needs of the Penn community by promoting a hospitable, customer-friendly campus environment and providing mission-critical services and essential operations. BSD's mission is to provide high-quality service in a fiscally responsible manner. Currently, the Division is focused on three major initiatives:

Revenue growth/retention through improved marketing efforts, extended services, and the development of new distribution channels.
Driving productivity for the Division and its customers through the better use of technology.
Enhancing service offerings through upgrades and expansions of facilities.

For more information on BSD, visit: https://www.business-services.upenn.edu/

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Business Services

Pay Range
$61,046.00 - $115,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/3401-Walnut-Street-A-Wing---4th-Floor/Director-of-Penn-Hotels--Business-Services-Division_JR00098738