Key Account Manager

About Us

The Hotel Association of Canada is the leading voice of the Canadian Hotel & Lodging industry, bringing legislative solutions to industry challenges. Our mission is to enhance the prosperity of the Canadian Hotel and Lodging industry through strong member engagement, effective advocacy, and the provision of valued programs and services.

Operated by the Hotel Association of Canada, Green Key Global is a leading environmental certification in the USA & Canada that offers standardized programs and resources, designed specifically for the hotel and meetings industries. Green Key’s mission is to be positioned in the lodging industry as a leader in corporate social responsibility certification, through education, collaboration, and promotion.

About the Role:

The Hotel Association of Canada is currently seeking a Key Account Manager for Major Hotel Brands to support its Green Key Global Sustainability Certification Sales efforts in USA & Canada.

Reporting to the Director of Business Development & Marketing, the Key Account manager will drive the growth of Green Key Global Sustainability Certification within the major hotel brand market in the USA and Canada.

In this role, The Key Account Manager will play a pivotal role in developing and maintaining relationships within assigned hotel brand accounts leading to the successful adoption of our certification across the portfolio in the USA and Canada.

An exciting time for the program, it is positioned for rapid expansion and has undergone significant investment. In this role, you will promote these investments in communicating member benefits and ensure a best-in-class certification journey for brand hotel members.

This role will work cross-functionally with Communications and member services to ensure alignment in all sales and marketing efforts to the key values and criteria of the Green Key Global programs.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of the hospitality industry, particularly within the major hotel brand market in the USA and Canada, with a good understanding of Sustainability and Sustainability Certification.

Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills with the ability to effectively engage and influence key stakeholders at all levels, are critical in this role.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Account Development:

• Develop and execute a strategic sales activity plan to achieve and exceed revenue targets within the assigned major hotel brand accounts in the USA & Canada.
• Apply account mapping skills to understand and document the infrastructure and hierarchy of assigned accounts to Facilitate the Certification Process.
• Become an expert on Internal Hotel Brand Sustainability programs identifying alignment opportunities with Green Key Global programming.
• Lead contract re-negotiations for assigned accounts.
• Provide regular reporting and analysis of sales activities, market trends, and market activities to inform strategic decision-making.
• Regularly monitor and evaluate the sustainability performance of hotel brands to ensure ongoing compliance with certification standards and uncover promotional opportunities.
• Guide hotel brands through the certification process with white glove service, providing resources, and answering questions related to the sustainability certification process and practices.
• Compliance and Audits - Ensure that hotel brands are aware of all relevant certification processes and undergo necessary audits for sustainability certification.

Client Relationship Management:

• Build and maintain strong collaborative brand relationships with key stakeholders at the Corporate, National & Regional hotel brand levels, including VPs and Senior Executives, Sustainability Directors, Regional Directors, General Managers, and other decision-makers.
• Act as the primary point of contact and spokesperson for the sustainability certification program, representing the organization at account-specific industry events, tradeshows and conferences.
• Be the primary point of account contact for all sustainability-related matters and serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to clients.
• Drive Continuous Improvement by collaborating with hotel brands to identify opportunities for improvement in sustainability efforts, marketing, and promotion of initiatives.
• Educate hotel brand stakeholders and representatives on the importance of sustainability certification, promoting best practices and innovative ideas from sustainability leaders' preferred suppliers.
• Organize educational sessions and workshops for hotel brand stakeholders to promote awareness and understanding of sustainability practices.
• Database Management - Ongoing management and maintenance of portfolio data and account contact information.
• Communication of portfolio assessment and audit data analysis to provide value-add reporting and insights to the brands on a regular basis.
• Sales & marketing support - Work collaboratively with the sales, communications, and marketing team to build, execute, and track targeted account communications and member marketing that strengthens the GKG brand, positions the organization as a thought leader, and ensures timely relevant information is available through our communication-channels.

Knowledge & Skills Required:

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills (oral & written) with the ability to effectively engage and influence key stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with a high degree of self-motivation and initiative.
• Strong understanding of the hospitality industry, particularly within the major hotel brand market in the USA and Canada.
• Self-directed, self-starter with the ability to manage time, prioritize and work independently.
• Able to balance multiple priorities and work to meet tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Proficient with MS Teams, Zoom, and other collaboration platforms.
• Previous experience in sustainability, hotels, or similar roles would considered be an asset.
• Previous experience with certification programs would be considered an asset.
• Willingness to travel as necessary to meet with clients and attend industry events and conferences.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in business, hospitality, communications, environmental science, or a related field; equivalent experience also considered.
• Prior experience with certification/accreditation programs OR hospitality sales at the brand level is necessary.
• Knowledge of environmental sustainability practices and standards would be a benefit.
• Minimum 5+ years of successful sales experience, with a focus on selling sustainability, environmental, or related services to major hotel brands or similar B2B sales experience.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders.
• Bilingualism (English & French) would be an asset but is not required.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in driving sustainability initiatives within the hospitality industry and making a meaningful impact on environmental conservation and corporate social responsibility.

Location:

Hybrid – Ontario based.

The candidate must have a suitable home-based workspace and reliable high-speed internet.

HAC is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities and provide accommodation and support to persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process.