Director, Workgroup Operations

Position Summary:

HTNG is AHLA’s technology arm, and workgroups are an important driver of member value. Workgroups are formed to solve a specific problem or adapt new technologies to the hospitality industry. Workgroup deliverables include - technical specifications, best practices, white papers, buyer’s guides, and webinars.

This position is key to workgroup development, management, coordination, and facilitation, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and effective project execution across diverse teams. Key responsibilities include providing leadership and guidance to workgroup leaders and members, managing multiple projects concurrently, and promoting a culture of collaboration and excellence. The Director leverages advanced project management skills, strong leadership capabilities, and effective communication to drive successful outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Workgroup and Project Management: Oversee the operation of multiple workgroups, ensuring that they are properly resourced, organized, and functioning effectively. Provide guidance and support to workgroup leaders and members to help them achieve their goals and deliverables in a timely manner and in accordance with quality standards. Monitor project milestones, risks, and dependencies to mitigate issues and drive successful outcomes.
• Documentation and Technical Standards: Lead the development and maintenance of documentation for workgroup initiatives, including technical standards, guidelines, and best practices. Ensure documentation is clear, accessible, and regularly updated to support consistent application across teams. Establish and promote technical standards to guide workgroup activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and industry best practices. Encourage knowledge sharing and transparency within and across workgroups to foster continuous learning.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Provide strong leadership and mentorship to workgroup leaders, helping them develop their skills, build cohesive teams, and drive successful outcomes. Foster a culture of accountability, excellence, and continuous improvement within the workgroups.
• Facilitation and Collaboration: Facilitate virtual and in-person meetings and collaborative sessions among workgroup members to drive progress on key initiatives, resolve conflicts, and make informed decisions. Promote open communication, active participation, and consensus-building across diverse teams. To ensure inclusion of global members, solicit feedback from interested parties offline if they are unable to join calls due to time zone differences.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with internal and external stakeholders to understand their needs, priorities, and expectations related to workgroup initiatives. Build strong relationships, manage expectations, and ensure alignment between workgroup activities and organizational objectives.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Establish performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the effectiveness and impact of workgroup activities. Prepare regular updates and presentations to communicate progress, achievements, and challenges to senior leadership and other stakeholders.
• Conference Programming and Execution: Assist the VP HTNG Operations and colleagues with the planning, programming, and execution of AHLA events, particularly the HTNG international conferences. Participate as a speaker and panel moderator as needed.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive a culture of continuous improvement within the workgroups, encouraging innovation, experimentation, and learning from both successes and failures. Identify opportunities to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and optimize outcomes.

Requirements

Skills and Attributes:

• Strong understanding of hotel operations and technology stack that enables it.
• Proficiency in hotel network infrastructure, Wi-Fi, telecommunications, device management or software and integrations, including XML/JSON, object modeling, online documentation is a plus.
• Experience with technical aspects of projects, updating best practices, and facilitating communication with technical teams. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex issues, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships, influence others, and facilitate productive discussions and decision-making.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire teams to achieve excellence.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on driving innovation and continuous improvement.
• Adaptability to navigate complex challenges and comfort with ambiguity
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Other:

• Hybrid / In-office position based in Washington, D.C.
• Moderate domestic and international travel is required.
• Target salary range for this position is between $110,000 - $130,000 annually

Benefits

AHLA is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position. We are looking for someone with relevant skills and experience, not a checklist that exactly matches the job description. We want to help you grow and in return, you help us grow into a stronger, more inclusive organization. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.