Revenue Manager (Cape Town) at Sun International

Job Purpose

• The Revenue Manager has responsibility and accountability for the optimization of hotel accommodation revenues, ancillary revenues and inventory management for hotel through the initiation, implementation and management of revenue plans, systems and resources for all market and customer segments, in line with Company procedures.

Key Performance Areas

Delivered Hotel Accommodation and Inventory Revenue Plans & Results

• Facilitate the management and achievement of revenue targets and deliverables with regards hotel accommodation and groups and events
• Understand the Business unit strategy and align the revenue objectives and targets
• Monitor, report and make recommendations ito optimal business mix via market segmentation analyses (actual forecast; revenue contribution by market segment ito occupancy volume and value (ADR).
• Build a sustainable RevPAR culture where decisions are driven by forecast demand and revenue management restrictions achieve optimal revenue mix vs budget
• Conduct risk analyses i.t.o impact on short term profit margins vs. long term sustainability
• Provide clear delegation of authority and accountability for deliverables at all levels
• Compile, review and report on internal benchmarks and statistics, ensuring metrics are up to date and accurate

Investigate external benchmarks and conduct competitor analyses including

• Time to market against competitors
• Competitors within the market segment (market fair share)
• Competitive positioning (MPI + ARI = RGI)
• Risk Management (contractual obligations) benchmarked to competitors in terms of cost benefit
• Identify and investigate new opportunities to streamline and optimise processes and boost revenues against forecasted targets
• Identify, develop and obtain buy-in on business development promotions and packaging concepts to meet business objectives, including Group inventory business

Hotel Revenue Optimisation 

• Complete reports and statistics with regards demand forecasting and yield management including short (1-3 months); medium (3-6 months) and long term (6 -12 month) initiatives to achieve targets.
• Monitor and make recommendations to adjust plans in line with statistics and current and forecasted bookings including overbooking statistics, hurdle values; length of stay values, etc.
• Monitor and review reservations bookings, analysing the data in terms of market segments and channels
• Check the room nights and revenue picked up or dropped off; as well as actuals against budget and forecasts
• Check for advance days, weeks and months and resolve any inventory imbalance issues, overselling of room types and sold out dates.
• Make value add recommendations and cost effective competitive solutions that address inefficiencies, opportunities or risks in order to achieve targets
• Oversee and provide support for the planning and events management of Group and conferencing business to the business unit to ensure enquiries are converted into events
• Drive the customer value proposition

Accommodation Data Quality Standards & Governance

• Oversee the development, updating and communication of standards and processes within the department
• Conduct quality assurance to ensure procedural compliance and data integrity for tracking and analysis purposes to enable accurate demand forecasting and reporting
• Implement and monitor the optimal use and application of the hospitality management system e.g. Opera suite within operations
• Develop and monitor that there are sufficient control measures (including systems and processes) & checks within each department to mitigate any risk to the business.
• Identify any training needs / gaps with regards implementation and ensure coaching / training happens to mitigate risks.
• Make recommendations to improve any system inefficiencies and improve performance
• Work with internal stakeholders and business partners (reservations, F&B, and G&E) to identify risk areas and address these making recommendations; changes and enhancements

Pricing Structure

• Conduct a pricing analysis and benchmark exercise against competitor performance
• For each market segment, create a "value proposition" and product-price positioning plan based on that segment's unique customer needs and characteristics
• Structure pricing and align to 
• demand for qualified & unqualified customers, vs. many different rates used for tracking
• existing BAR rate levels
• dynamic pricing for FIT (BAR): optimise use for quality of revenue
• dynamic pricing  for GRPS (GRP BAR): optimise use for quality of revenue & conversion tracking
• reputational pricing
• Communicate any new pricing decisions to relevant stakeholders both internally and externally within 24 hours

Distribution Management 

• Conduct an analysis of distribution channels with regards business and activations
• Analyse and understand market preferences and activity within business operations using Business Intelligence tools
• Implement a distribution plan to leverage new business
• Update and review distribution channels to ensure that hotel inventory is available across all channels and that there is consistency and parity of inventory and rates
• Identify and leverage any opportunities for affiliation and referrals (e.g. local government / tourism bodies)

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Liaise with PCO’s, Travel Agents, Guests, Tour Operators, Online Travel Agents to understand business requirements
• Communicate with competitors to understand Revenue Gains Index (RGI), competitive pricing, etc.
• Unit objectives, standards and operating procedures are communicated to internal and external service providers as per SLA
• Maintain regular communication with regards non-conformance; planned changes in pricing, procedures, standards; performance; etc.
• Manage interventions to optimise synergy, motivation and engagement of all parties to achieve revenue targets
• Present results, current revenue status and statistics, and influence the business with new innovative package ideas at an executive level

Budget management 

• Collaborate with Financial Manager to consolidate and report on the financials of the revenue department within the business units including:
• Set and review budgets
• Cost control
• Capex
• PIP and forecasting
• Collaborate with Rooms Division Managers / Hotel managers/Food & Beverage Operations Manager to compile revenue budgets / occupancy forecasts / etc. for various hotels
• Financial reporting on Revenue analysis, variances, revenue plans and forecasts.

People management 

• Provides direction and support to all functional management and employees with regard to operationalizing strategic deliverables
• Provides motivation and leadership to promote positive working relationships
• Track, measure and enhance employee engagement
• Drives a performance management culture
• Identify and manage training, coaching and development requirements in line with strategic plans, e.g. skills shortages, succession plans, talent management to build a solid talent pipeline
• Manage change processes and communication to ensure all employees and business partners are aligned on changes taking place across the business unit
• Manage internal communication and development interventions to ensure competence levels of staff meet operational level requirements (right fit for the job)
• Source and Select talent as per EE plan
• Drive the employee value proposition
• Performance Manage and coaching of reporting managers to ensure KPA’s are achieved
• Embed Values adopted by the Unit and Organization.   

Requirements

Education

• 3-Year Hotel School Diploma 
• Grade 12

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years front office, reservations or rooms and inventory management experience at a middle management level
• Strong understanding and experience in hospitality reservations, property management, revenue management, database and online distribution management systems
• Knowledge of food & beverage services and standards

Work conditions and special requirements

• Ability to work shifts that meet operational requirements
• Local Travel

Skills and Knowledge

• Industry knowledge
• Statistics
• Rooms Product knowledge
• Distribution channels
• Reservations
• Marketing segmentation
• Accommodation pricing structures
• Inventory Management (Rooms, conferencing & events)
• Business Acumen
• Proficient MS Office skills
• Working knowledge of Opera suite; Ideas (advantage); Qlikview or similar BI tool
• Presentation skills
• Financial Acumen
• Coaching