Senior Commercial Director📣 Job Ad

About the Role

The Senior Commercial Director for KSA, Bahrain, and Kuwait is a full-time position based in Riyadh, leading the commercial strategy for Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences. This role is central to shaping and executing a long-term (3–5 year) commercial strategy across these markets, with a significant focus on accelerating growth within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a key strategic market for Hilton.

Strategic Focus and Market Leadership

This position is responsible for developing the value proposition and investment cases required to unlock substantial growth, particularly as Hilton anticipates exceeding 100 hotels in KSA within five years. The Director will ensure robust commercial foundations are established across Sales, Marketing, Distribution, and Revenue functions. Key accountabilities include assessing organizational design, budget requirements, talent capabilities, and performance enablers to sustain market leadership and deliver top-tier commercial performance and market share growth across all three markets.

Core Responsibilities

• Partner with the VP Commercial Services and Commercial Director MEA to develop long-term regional strategy, business cases, and stakeholder alignment.
• Serve as the commercial business partner to the VP Operations for KSA, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Commercial Director, enabling near-term tactical execution.
• Support new hotel openings from a commercial perspective, leveraging Hilton’s full commercial engine.
• Translate organizational goals into clear performance standards for the Commercial Services team.
• Develop medium- and long-term commercial strategies to drive sustained, above-market revenue performance across all three markets.
• Communicate strategic priorities, progress, and results to internal and external stakeholders.
• Gain senior-level alignment and sponsorship for key initiatives.
• Lead strategic planning within the Commercial Services team to advance enterprise goals.
• Lead negotiations with third-party partners and suppliers as required.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Revenue, Sales, F&B, Marketing, eCommerce, Finance, and commercial leadership across MEA and EMEA.
• Ensure all commercial initiatives are effectively planned, resourced, and executed.
• Drive integrated commercial action across functions to maximize RevPAR and market share.

Leadership, Team Development, and Stakeholder Engagement

A critical aspect of this role involves building and maintaining strong, influential partnerships with senior commercial leaders, regional and brand teams, General Managers, ownership groups, and cross-functional stakeholders. The Senior Commercial Director will also focus on hiring, developing, and mentoring high-potential talent, fostering a culture aligned with Hilton’s values and strategic priorities. This includes ensuring Commercial Services teams provide robust support to on-property commercial teams and developing future leaders through succession plans.

• Develop strong relationships across senior leadership to enable alignment and collaboration.
• Strengthen partnerships with MEA and EMEA commercial teams to elevate commercial performance.
• Maintain effective coordination with global commercial functions, including Database Management, HRCC, Distribution, and Channel Management.
• Represent the commercial function at property visits, corporate meetings, owner meetings, and business reviews.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrated experience operating at a regional level with responsibility for a portfolio of no fewer than 20 hotels, including oversight of commercial performance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic execution across multiple countries.
• Proven track record in high-growth markets, ideally with exposure to environments experiencing 4x+ growth rates, where rapid scaling, agility, and commercial innovation are essential.
• Experience in working within a matrix organization.
• Previous experience in Revenue Management, Sales & Marketing.
• Prior experience in Change management and organizational design.

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Strong relationship building skills.
• Ability to effectively plan and proactively communicate and manage expectations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Presents clear and logical arguments and decisions based on factual data.
• Quick and accurate when evaluating complex written and numerical information.
• Develops constructive relationships at all levels within the organization.
• Demonstrates leadership and effectively motivates teams, providing support when needed.
• Maintains effectiveness in situations of disappointment or high pressure.
• Adapts willingly to change.
• Identifies priorities effectively, balancing importance, urgency, and resources.
• Manages personal time efficiently within tight schedules.
• Strategic thinker capable of translating financial goals into operational plans.
• Proficiency in storytelling and creating business cases and presentations to gain stakeholder buy-in.
• Dynamic, innovative, and creative in finding business solutions.
• Works effectively and accurately in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to challenge while maintaining strong relationships.
• High level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to provide and receive professional, constructive feedback.