JOB SUMMARY
The Owner Engagement Manager leads the development and execution of strategic engagement programs designed to strengthen owner satisfaction, advocacy, retention, and growth across Choice Hotels' franchise portfolio. This individual contributor serves as a key strategic resource within Owner Relations, translating owner insights, competitive intelligence, and engagement data into innovative strategies and recommendations that influence departmental and business unit priorities. The role partners across Brands, Franchise Performance, Portfolio Operations, Legal, Corporate Communications, and other teams to create consistent, scalable, and differentiated owner experiences. Working with minimal supervision, the Manager addresses complex issues with limited precedent, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and influences stakeholders across a matrixed environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Owner Engagement Strategy and Execution
- Lead the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of owner engagement strategies, playbooks, and tier-specific frameworks that strengthen Choice's owner value proposition and advance departmental and business unit objectives.
- Lead complex, multi-stakeholder owner outreach initiatives from strategy through execution, establishing clear objectives and measuring program effectiveness and owner impact.
- Serve as a strategic resource within Owner Relations, developing recommendations for the Senior Director that help shape engagement priorities, programs, and investments.
- Translate owner sentiment, competitive intelligence, industry trends, and best practices into innovative engagement approaches, including solutions to complex issues for which established models or precedent may be limited.
- Manage the owner engagement calendar across visits, town halls, councils, committees, events, sponsorships, and key communications, ensuring activities support broader owner engagement and retention priorities.
- Coordinate activities across a matrixed organization, partnering with regional and brand leadership, Franchise Performance, Portfolio Management, Legal, Corporate Communications, and other stakeholders to deliver a consistent owner experience.
- Serve as an escalation resource on complex or high-impact owner engagement matters, assessing issues and recommending appropriate actions to senior leadership.
Council, Association, and Program Support
- Lead Choice's engagement with CHOC, ELFA, ROA, and other owner associations, developing strategic agendas and materials, coordinating logistics, and driving timely resolution of action items.
- Develop and continuously improve association programs, member engagement models, and sponsorship strategies to increase the effectiveness and visibility of Choice's owner-facing activities.
- Partner with association leadership and Choice Legal on bylaws, governance revisions, and other structural matters, providing recommendations informed by owner needs, industry knowledge, and business priorities.
- Oversee recurring program activities, including expense administration, membership and roster management, nomination processes, and executive briefing materials.
- Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve operational effectiveness, and scale owner programs across the franchise portfolio.
Insights, Analytics, and Owner Intelligence
- Lead the development and interpretation of owner dashboards, quarterly scorecards, key performance indicators, and executive reporting that measure engagement effectiveness and inform business decisions.
- Analyze owner surveys, sentiment, trends, segmentation data, and other intelligence to identify retention risks, growth opportunities, and emerging owner needs.
- Translate owner intelligence into prioritized recommendations for engagement strategies, resource allocation, communications, and program investment.
- Develop executive dossiers and pre-meeting intelligence that prepare senior leaders for owner meetings, visits, councils, and events.
- Monitor competitive owner relations practices and industry developments, identifying forward-looking insights that can strengthen Choice's owner programs, benefits, communications, and franchisee value proposition.
QUALIFICATIONS
Employment Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in owner relations, franchise relations, hospitality operations, account management, stakeholder engagement, or a related field.
- Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
- Demonstrated experience managing owner, franchisee, client, or other strategic stakeholder communications and relationships.
- Experience supporting governance, councils, associations, committees, or similar stakeholder programs preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to independently develop solutions to complex, non-routine challenges and drive high-priority initiatives through completion.
- Hotel, hospitality, franchising, or related industry experience preferred.
Technical Skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze engagement, survey, sentiment, and performance data and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.
- Experience developing dashboards, scorecards, KPI reporting, executive presentations, and briefing materials.
- CRM platform experience preferred.
Additional Skills & Competencies
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to address complex issues with limited precedent.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with franchise owners and senior leaders.
- Strong influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder-management capabilities, including effectiveness in a matrixed environment.
- Strong analytical and business acumen, with the ability to translate qualitative and quantitative insights into clear recommendations.
- Ability to balance strategic planning with disciplined execution while managing multiple high-priority initiatives.
- Knowledge of hotel industry trends, competitive brands, franchising, and Choice Hotels' offerings preferred.
- Ability to travel up to 30%.
- Demonstrated commitment to Choice's CORE values.
Education Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience preferred.
- Relevant study in hospitality, business administration, communications, marketing, or a related field is preferred.
SALARY RANGE
The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $135,000. In addition to the annual salary, this role is eligible for an annual bonus based on the terms of Choice's Management Incentive Plan (MIP).
Choice prioritizes our associate wellbeing by offering a comprehensive benefits program that is both competitive and flexible to help you achieve your wellbeing goals - here are just a few:
- Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance
- Financial benefits for retirement and health savings
- Employee recognition programs
- Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide
About Choice
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too.
At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.
Our corporate office locations:
North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.
Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.
Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.
Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.
Choice’s Cultural Values
Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity
Choice’s Leadership Principles
Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver
