Director of Marketing Communications

**Job Number** 22141726

**Job Category** Sales & Marketing

**Location** Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, 42 The High Street, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa VIEW ON MAP

**Schedule** Full-Time

**Located Remotely?** N

**Relocation?** N

**Position Type** Management
**JOB SUMMARY**

The Director of Marketing Communications is responsible for the planning, direction, control, and coordination of all communication activities, with an emphasis on public relations. Promotes and maintains good communications in order to enhance the prestigious image of the hotel and by doing so contributes to the revenues of the hotel.

**CANDIDATE PROFILE**

**Education and Experience**

**Required**:

- High school diploma or GED; 4 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional area.

OR
- 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing or related professional area.

**CORE WORK ACTIVITIES**

**Managing Marketing Communications Activities**
- Develops an annual communications plan with specific goals and budgets as outlined in the hotel's marketing plan/communications manual. Prepares working plans to achieve goals and ensures the communications team is fully briefed on goals and progress.
- Compares actual achievements against goals on a regular basis and takes corrective action.
- Assists the DOM in the planning of all mailing activities, and oversees their execution.
- Ensures that the corporate ID manual is kept up-to-date and implemented as appropriate.
- Prepares on a timely basis the monthly sales & marketing “communications” report.
- Supervises and directs photography for advertising, collateral and public relations purposes in liaison with the DOM, the advertising agency and the field marketing department at corporate office.
- Ensures the department has a comprehensive master slide/photo/CD library for all advertising, collateral and public relations activities, and regularly sends these to corporate office for the image library.
- Supervises operations of the in-house art department.
- Monitors activities of competitor hotels and trends within the industry.

**Managing Public Relations Activities**
- Acts as official spokesperson for the hotel when appropriate and responds to all media requests within 24 hours.
- Compiles and maintains a comprehensive list of media contacts and manages them as per the media account management system. Delegates assigned accounts to communications staff as appropriate but takes full responsibility for the key media by maintaining and developing close relationships
- Prepares press releases for appropriate targeted media, locally, regionally and internationally.
- Works closely with the corporate and international press offices on developing story angles.
- Plays a key role in community and government relations as well as VIP handling.
- Secures opportunities, directs and attends hotel sponsored events, and develops targeted partner relationships.
- Creates and organizes press promotional activities.
- Participates in the press events/trips organized by the regional PR offices as required.
- Conducts press blitzes when appropriate.
- Ensures press kit information is comprehensive and kept up-to-date.

**Managing Advertising Activities**
- Works with the DOM and advertising agency on the rooms and food & beverage tactical advertising campaigns' creative and media plans.
- Maximizes advertising budget by ensuring that the hotel's creative message and media activities are consistent with the advertising of sister hotels and the company group advertising.
- Ensures that the advertising creative is in synergy with the company, projecting a consistent and quality message.
- Reviews the hotel's market segmentation and other appropriate marketing reports to ensure that the media scheduling matches those segments.
- Monitors and maintains media schedules as well as prompt settlement of accounts.

**Managing Direct Marketing Activities**
- Takes an integrated approach to DM activities, ensuring a consistent and quality image is projected.
- Assists the DOM in the planning, implementation and tracking of electronic marketing activities.
- Maintains budget control.

**Manages Collateral**
- Coordinates and executes production of all printed materials, with assistance of advertising agencies, following the specifications stipulated in the corporate ID manual.
- Ensures hotel information is updated regularly on the internet/intranet.
- Supervises the production and quality of all displays and temporary signage in hotel public areas.
- Supervises and budgets for quality gift items as appropriate. Ensures correct usage of hotel logo on gift items as stipulated in corporate ID manual.
- Supervises the in-house graphic designer and/or print shop.

**MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES**

**Leadership**