distribution manager

Summary

At Hyatt, we believe in creating personalized experiences and fostering meaningful connections for our guests and colleagues. With a strong presence in South Africa, our properties uphold the highest standards of hospitality, innovation and service excellence. We are now seeking a dynamic and strategic Distribution Manager (Channels & Connectivity) to join our Commercial Strategy team.

Role Purpose:

Own the full digital and third-party distribution ecosystem for the South Africa portfolio. Ensure every room, rate and piece of content is accurately distributed across , GDS, metasearch, OTAs, wholesalers, and corporate channels with the optimal mix, cost of sale, and conversion. This role connects Revenue, Sales, Marketing, E-commerce, Finance and Operations - translating commercial strategy into flawless systems execution and measurable production.

Key Responsibilities

Channel strategy and mix management

• Build and execute a portfolio‑level channel strategy that maximizes share while optimizing third‑party contribution.
• Set channel targets by hotel for , GDS, OTA, wholesale, metasearch, mobile web, and app.
• Recommend when to open, close, or constrain channels or rate plans based on profitability, pace, and displacement.

Rate, inventory, and restriction governance

• Own the accuracy of ARI across CRS, channel manager, and all connected channels.
• Implement LOS, CTA, CTB, and other controls aligned with revenue strategy and demand calendars.
• Run rate‑plan hygiene reviews to remove cannibalizing or redundant rates and ensure logical fences.

Rate parity and leakage control

• Monitor parity daily using tools such as OTA Insight or similar solutions.
• Identify root causes of undercuts or onward‑distribution leaks, coordinate takedowns, and negotiate remedies with partners.
• Maintain a documented parity and leakage playbook with clear SLAs.

Wholesaler and B2B distribution

• Design the static vs dynamic wholesale strategy, including stop‑sell rules, blackout dates, and redistribution clauses.
• Audit mapping quality on bedbanks and switch partners to prevent mis‑categorization of room types and board bases.

OTA and marketplace performance

• Own OTA extranets end‑to‑end: content scores, room‑rate mapping, policy alignment, payments, promotions, and visibility tools.
• Evaluate participation in sales, coupons, and Sponsored Listings based on marginal ROAS and cannibalization risk.
• Track cancellation patterns, lead time, device mix, and post‑stay reviews to improve conversion.

GDS and corporate access

• Manage GDS connectivity and consortia participation, ensuring correct LRA/NRLA mapping, corporate rate loading, and policy accuracy.
• Partner with Sales on TMC and consortia RFPs, ensuring rate compliance and shelf presence for key accounts.

and metasearch

• Coordinate with E‑commerce on booking engine UX, merchandising, and A/B tests that drive conversion and direct share.
• Own Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, and Trivago settings with paid media teams, measuring CPC vs CPA efficiency and incrementality.

Content, taxonomy, and mapping

• Maintain best‑in‑class content: images, amenities, room names, descriptions, and policies matching brand standards and local law.
• Ensure consistent room and rate taxonomy across CRS, channel manager, extranets, and GDS to prevent dead links and mapping errors.

Systems, integrations, and data quality

• Act as the power user for PMS, CRS, channel manager, GDS, and rate‑shopping tools.
• Lead UAT for new interfaces, upgrades, and API changes.
• Create SOPs and run quarterly data‑hygiene audits with clear corrective actions.

Commercial analytics and reporting

• Publish weekly and monthly distribution dashboards by hotel and portfolio.
• Track contribution mix, net RevPAR, cost of sale by channel, conversion, cancellation ratio, mobile share, and parity incidents.
• Build root‑cause analyses for dips in direct share or spikes in cost and propose fixes.

Governance, risk, and compliance

• Ensure PCI compliance for VCC handling and payment flows on OTAs and
• Align all displayed taxes, fees, child policies, and cancellation terms with local law and brand policy.
• Maintain an approvals log for promotions, overrides, and channel changes.

Cross‑functional enablement

• Train Revenue, Sales, Reservations, and Front Office on distribution SOPs.
• Partner with Marketing on offers, packages, and content calendars linked to need periods.
• Work with Finance to validate commissions, VCC reconciliation, and chargeback disputes.

Success Metrics

• Growth in share and app share.
• Reduction in cost of distribution and uplift in net RevPAR.
• Channel mix accuracy versus target by hotel and segment.
• Parity health score and time‑to‑resolution on leakage cases.
• OTA content scores and room‑rate mapping error rate.
• Conversion rate on and metasearch ROAS.
• GDS and consortia production against plan.
• Cancellation rate, lead‑time health, and mobile mix.
• SLA adherence for rate loading and system change requests.
• Uptime and error‑free ARI pushes across channels.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, Analytics, or related field.
• Minimum five years in hotel distribution, e‑commerce, or revenue management with multi‑property exposure.
• Hands‑on experience with PMS, CRS, channel manager, and GDS; Hyatt ecosystem exposure is an advantage.
• Proficiency with rate‑shopping, parity, and market intelligence tools.
• Advanced Excel and comfort with dashboards and BI platforms.
• Strong analytical problem‑solving and stakeholder management.