Director, Customer Experience and Innovation - Luxury and Lifestyle - Full-time / Part-time

Job Summary

The Hilton portfolio of hotels is comprised of 14 industry leading and world-class brands. A dedicated team of industry experts in the domains of hospitality, brand management, innovation, food and beverage, wellness, owner relations, and more, lead our Brands organization with the steadfast goal of strengthening and growing the Hilton portfolio. In addition to our flagship brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the family of brands includes Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Canopy, DoubleTree, Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations.

What will I be doing?

As the Director of Customer Experience and Innovation, you will be a product owner for the luxury and lifestyle portfolio. You will require to deliver a steady flow of pragmatic innovation by examining the on-property and off-property guest experiences and leveraging deep knowledge of our customers, data and analytics, property operations, and the hotel industry. Success in this role will come through understanding of what drives Return of Investment (ROI) for Hilton and its owners, concentrating on customers' needs and pain points, proposing creative solutions to those needs, and testing, iterating and implementing solutions through an agile approach. Business savvy, technology sophistication, analytical prowess, and a deep passion for products and inspiring cross-functional teams are key to success.

You will collaborate within the Hilton matrix by leading activities that prioritize an agile approach and elevate the guest experience. You will serve as a connection point and liaise among internal partner groups including, but not limited to: Technology, Digital, Operations (all regions), Hilton Honors, Hilton Supply Management (HSM), Marketing, and Commercial Services.

More specifically, you will be responsible for:

Customer Experience and New Product Innovation (approx. 70% of time) -

• Obsess over the customer experience at every turn, using human centered design, focus groups, analytics, and customer observations
• Conduct primary research or analyze existing qualitative or quantities data sources to understand and define the complex needs of our guests
• Determine problems to focus on based on business drivers and practical implications
• Lead cross-functional teams on ideation of prototypes and utilize an agile test and iterate approach to inform solutions (digital, service, and physical) and any backend requirements
• Evaluate internal capabilities and external opportunities (build, partner, invest) based on qualitative, quantitative and financial measures
• Provide business specifications and prioritize features for execution of a minimum viable product (MVP) ensuring that anticipated MVP cost meets ROI expectations
• Direct development/execution teams (technology, digital, training, operations, supply management) and implementation teams (training, operations)

Cross-Category Band Initiatives (approx. 20% of time) -

• Regularly evaluate existing category wide programs prioritizing focus based on use and impact
• Provide ongoing operational leadership on category wide technology or guest facing programs
• Act as evangelist for the human centered design approach and assist brand heads with tools to evaluate new or existing programs

Alternative Strategy Work (approx. 10% of time) -

• Support planning, development, and execution of the Luxury and Lifestyle (L&L) group's priorities
• Identify emerging consumer macro trends and incorporate them into category or brand program reviews

What are we looking for?

We are looking for visionaries who are passionate about hospitality and who love to have the chance to create customer experience improvements.

The success in this role will demonstrate itself through the following attributes and skills:

• Passionate advocate for the customer and a champion for change, willing to challenge the status quo
• Comfortable with ambiguity and working in a fast-paced, newly established environment
• Strategic and execution oriented – ability to start with a blank slate, operationalize the final solution, and lead all the steps in between
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle competing priorities with limited resources
• Leadership and influencing skills that lend to leading teams, building positive relationships, and collaborating with internal and external partners
• Strong communication skills, including finding opportunities for improvement, and sharing those messages across groups
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to influence
• Strong financial, analytical and modeling skills and aptitude in using data to inform decisions
• Self-starter with extraordinary attention to detail
• Problem solver who demonstrates flexibility and who is creative in finding solutions for hard problems
• Ambition to drive toward continuous innovation and improvements
• A roll up your sleeves attitude that is excited to work on anything and everything all at once

To fulfill this role successfully, you must possess the following minimum qualifications and experience:

• BA/BS Bachelor's Degree
• Seven (7) years of professional work experience
• Seven (7) years of relevant experience
• Five (5) years of hospitality entrepreneurship, product management, human centered design, corporate strategy, or innovation experience
• Two (2) years of management experience
• Travel as required

It would be advantageous in this position for you to demonstrate the following capabilities and distinctions:

• MA/MS Master's Degree
• Four (4) years of management experience
• Hospitality or travel industry experience
• Luxury or international experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of ideation and concept development processes and proficiency with human centered design to solve complex problems
• Experience working closely with engineering teams in agile environments

What will it be like to work for Hilton?

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!

EOE/AA/Disabled/Veterans