Director, Us & Canada Planning, Transformation And Communications

The Director, Planning & Transformation, is responsible for supporting executive communications as well as U.S. & Canada change management and communication efforts, and the creation, execution and ongoing cross-discipline expertise for U.S. & Canada strategic priorities, brand and discipline programs and initiatives, and discipline-specific operations needs of the continent (Managed & Franchise). The Director will lead the General Manager Advisory Council (GMAC) for the program office supporting both MSB and full-service hotels. They will lead the planning and execution to create compelling communication deliverables to influence decision making, maximize stakeholder engagement, drive faster adoption, and greater utilization of Marriott programs and processes. The Director, US + Canada Planning, Transformation, and Communications will report to the Vice President, Project Management, US + Canada.

Specifically, this resource will be responsible for:

1. Lead creative development of communications deliverables including strategic planning documents for senior leaders, executive presentations, video production, program collateral, and instructional materials
2. Lead program and project management of GMAC for full-service and MSB hotels. Includes overall planning and engagement, execution, and support aligned to the overall priorities of the U.S. and Canada. Lead the solicitation and review process with GMAC members to drive better outcomes for hotels and programs
3. Communications Design, Support, and Execution for U.S. & Canada operations and other discipline needs with communications execution to deliver upon the strategic priorities of the continent in partnership with other continent communicators
4. Support for the planning and execution of on-property activation of launches in the U.S. & Canada for all projects that are a) high-priority as determined by Continent leadership and b) require coordination of multiple disciplines (i.e. Global Operations Rooms, Guest Experience, Engineering, Food & Beverage, and Brand initiatives) 
5. Baseline Operations work to inform prioritization and enable execution of projects within U.S. & Canada (e.g., AVP/ADOP/Market Leader support, Operations execution performance, Operations deployment support, etc.)
6. Change Management support for the execution of all change management efforts for CLS / Global Ops across business Transformation and improvement efforts
7. Provide consultation to key senior leaders and business partners on the creation and execution of initiatives
8. Develop and maintain cross-discipline, scalable processes that support both Continent and project goals and objectives 

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience  

Required

• 4-year bachelor's degree in business administration, Hospitality, Project Management, Communications, or other relevant area
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, including at least 4 years of strategic planning, organizational analysis, communications, program/project management implementation experience 
• Online conferencing, graphic design, video or image editing software, PC and other relevant technology

competency (e.g., Microsoft applications)

• Effective knowledge of English usage, punctuation and grammar, with an emphasis on writing and

editorial skills and formats

• Exceptional communication skills; can develop clear, concise and logically written communications as

well as deliver recommendations effectively to demanding audiences; creates an atmosphere in which

timely information flows smoothly through the organization

• Expertise in planning, executing, and delivering projects on time and on budget
• Prior experience focused on diagnosis and development of recommendations to solve complex business problems
• Advance Facilitation Skills: Lead the design, development, and delivery of complex stakeholder experiences, using design thinking, creativity, and expert communication skills, to deliver powerful, results-oriented meetings and workshops.
• Exceptional strategic planning, initiative engagement, stakeholder management, project/program management competence and skills
• Ability to distribute, assign and ensure completion of work throughout various teams without direct authority
• Expertise using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Project
• Some travel required (up to 25%)

Preferred

• Strong interpersonal communications skills
• Deep design (graphic/visual) and Communications tools and processes expertise
• Excellent consensus-building, persuasion, and collaboration skills
• Solid organizational and analytical skills for planning, coordinating and monitoring implementations
• Effective presentation and public speaking skills
• Negotiate issues resolution with key stakeholders, including senior leaders
• Effective listening skills and ability to resolve issues in a positive manner
• MBA or relevant graduate degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable skills and knowledge can be acquired 
• Ability to deliver multiple options or communication vehicles addressing change management needs in the launching of new programs, products, and services
• Change and Ambiguity: Able to lead the organization and team in working through unclear situations, challenges and opportunities through strong situation analysis and framing, rapid stakeholder assessments, critical decision making, solution brainstorming, and making data-driven way forward recommendations
• Proven success in introducing major change to complex organizations
• Expertise and proven track record in managing complex, multifunctional initiatives
• Hotel or Market Operations experience or knowledge of operations across all departments strongly desired

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES 

Project Management & Leadership - GMAC:

• Leads cross-functional teams comprised of GMs from MxM and Franchise hotels in U.S. & Canada to act as an advisory and testing platform to help address key needs, provide feedback on key initiatives, develop new programs, and understand impact to hotels and on-property Associates for programs critical to the U.S. and Canada strategy
• Collect, synthesize, and distribute feedback as a matter of course for GMAC to ensure new initiatives can be implemented and sustained in the Market, and completed within the parameters of agreed upon project scope 
• Partner with key GMAC and CLS / Global Ops leadership to ensure delivery upon market needs and support tracking performance and accountability for results
• Establish and lead processes that are standardized, integrated, and reflect change management methodologies (with the goal of supporting needs of market teams and the broader CLS organization to achieve priorities)

Project Management - U.S. & Canada Support:

• Partner with U.S. & Canada stakeholders (including CLS/GO and OFS leaders) to determine project priorities and implementation timelines for all projects that impact properties in the U.S. & Canada
  • Develop recognition program + strategy, change strategy + assets, and other tools to be used by the broader CLS / Global Ops team
  • Influences to implement efforts that minimize employee resistance and maximize employee engagement to drive faster adoption, and higher proficiency on the changes impacting associates in the organization and ensure consistent market implementation

Communications Creative Design, Development, and Execution:

• Set overall creative direction strategy and design components for U.S. and Canada communications
• Provide content owners with appropriate strategic direction to maximize the effectiveness of their presentations, newsletters and other communication vehicles supporting the launch and post-implementation of programs, products, and services for operations.
• Design and deliver communications that support the overarching U.S. and Canada strategy
• Partner to work collaboratively and productively with other communication teams to proactively consult on messaging and design.
• Construct new communications, based on content provided by stakeholders, information architects and designers.
• Assess and synthesize data from various sources to formulate informed viewpoints on organizational challenges in scope, relative to the operational experience in the hotels for key initiatives.
• Conduct research and provide calculated recommendations to improve understanding, responsiveness and clarity of communications.
• Manage content to keep communication information accurate and current across various communications channels.
• Work collaboratively and productively with other communication teams to proactively consult on messaging and design.
• Work to improve processes; actively seek user and customer feedback; ensure all communication projects and programs reflect U.S. & Canada strategy, and support company culture. 
• Apply U.S. & Canada Communications standards in drafting communication deliverables to ensure that they are grammatically correct, meet audience needs, and reinforce messaging, ensuring appropriate language level and visual attractiveness. 
• Recognize and recommend continuous process improvement for Marriott operations communications.

Managing Execution/Building Relationships:

• Assess implementation needs for each project and consult with stakeholders to determine and assign appropriate plan, execution, budget, and results
• Work collaboratively with Global Operations resources to deliver upon U.S. & Canada priorities, including management of GO resources for initiatives as needed, and supporting GO initiative development and delivery
• Collaborate and consult with hotel stakeholders to capture feedback, resolve issues, and facilitate cross-group discussions and incorporate that information into pilots and implementations
• Identify trends, gaps or patterns in business processes and lead strategies to improve implementation tools and processes and team performance
• Coordinate U.S. & Canada deliverables across multiple disciplines, such as stakeholder assessments, communication plans (including for Owner and Franchisees, above-property, and GM/Change Network stakeholders), and business performance results alignment
• Serve as GMAC advocate by helping team resources understand target consumer needs in the market 
  • Serves as escalation point-of-contact for GMAC stakeholders and Implementation team members

Business Functional Goals:

• Provide creative design and content direction for communications deliverables
• Participate in review cycles at key milestones & provide go/no-go decision
• Provide consultation and, when necessary, hands-on support for stakeholders, including senior management; CLS / Global Ops; and OFS on project goals and status to ensure milestones are met 
• Ensure consistent tools + resources are deployed to U.S. & Canada hotels 

Performs other duties as assigned.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Create Belonging-Build relationships by promoting an environment of collaboration, trust, respect, opportunity, and inclusion.

• Models and empowers others to monitor partner/customer feedback, satisfaction, and relevant metrics to deliver enhanced services.
• Applies existing data and resources to create innovative service strategies.
• Seeks out, builds, and maintains diverse partnerships/relationships across the company and industry.
• Models and coaches team on building and maintaining diverse partnerships & relationships.

Develop Others-Develop diverse, inclusive, and high-performing talent and teams.

• Fosters and environment that supports feedback and ongoing development by putting systems and processes into place to manage program performance and associate development.
• Participates in talent reviews and succession planning discussions, as needed for select direct reports, while providing relevant data (i.e., Talent Ratings, key strengths and opportunity areas, potential successors, etc.).
• Champions the attraction, development, and retention of a diverse workforce to drive innovation and engagement.
• Develops others by identifying needs, providing resources, ongoing feedback, and customized coaching, and setting appropriate shared department, team, and individual goals.

Lead Change-Courageously lead change, innovation, inspire others through optimism, and adapt to changing business needs.

• Engages in effective change management processes such as presenting the need for change in a way that encourages commitment and action, developing strategies and providing resources to implement desired changes, while managing stakeholders' expectations.
• Keeps leaders informed about key issues, communicates effectively, and courageously influencing others to support a point-of-view, gain alignment, or take action.
• Models, coaches, and holds others accountable for displaying a leadership style that conveys confidence, optimism, gains respect from others, and is dedicated to leading ethically and with a high degree of integrity.
• Uses data to evaluate opportunities and adapt global strategies, where needed (e.g., brand, team, programs, etc.), into actionable plans to maximize external partner/customer commitment, satisfaction, and profitability.

Learn & Excel-Apply professional expertise while seeking out and integrating diverse perspectives and learning opportunities.

• Secures resources and creates opportunities for self and others to improve performance through stretch assignments and other professional development activities.
• Creates an environment where continuous learning is valued and encouraged and holds others accountable for maintaining and sharing current knowledge on industry and discipline trends, competitors, and advanced technical knowledge in area of expertise.
• Models and coaches others on making sound business decis...