Director Strategic Development EMEA in City of London

Drive Strategic Growth Across EMEA. We are looking for a Director of Strategic Development to play a pivotal role at the heart of our EMEA growth strategy. This position sits at the intersection of deal evaluation and execution, driving high-impact hotel portfolio and partnership opportunities across the region.

You will be responsible for shaping, negotiating, and delivering complex deals—ensuring strong commercial outcomes aligned with long-term strategic objectives. A key part of the role is acting as a trusted advisor and deal leader, bringing together owners, operators, and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful execution.

What you’ll be doing

• Deal Strategy & Evaluation
  • Assess new opportunities for strategic fit, financial viability, and operational feasibility.
  • Develop and refine deal structures (franchise, management, hybrid, membership models).
  • Provide clear go / no-go / reshape recommendations to senior leaders.
  • Challenge assumptions and ensure robust decision-making.
• Negotiation & Execution
  • Lead negotiations with owners, investors, and partners.
  • Structure commercial and contractual terms to balance risk and maximise long-term value.
  • Work closely with Legal, Finance, and Operations to ensure smooth deal execution through to closure.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Align interests across brands, operator, and ownership groups.
  • Act as a key liaison across internal and external stakeholders.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with investors, franchisees, partners, brokers, and advisors.
• Development Process Oversight
  • Coordinate the end-to-end development process, including site inspections, feasibility studies and financial modelling, due diligence and approvals.
  • Ensure operational practicality of all proposals—not just theoretical performance.

Why this role is exciting

• Shape the future of growth in EMEA: You’ll be at the forefront of expanding the business across diverse markets—directly influencing the company’s pipeline, partnerships, and long-term success.
• Own high-impact, complex deals: From evaluation to execution, you will lead some of the most strategic and commercially significant transactions in the region.
• Work at the crossroads of strategy and execution: This is not a purely analytical or purely executional role—you’ll combine both, turning strategic insight into real-world deals.
• High visibility and influence: You will partner with senior leaders, investors, and owners, acting as a trusted advisor and key decision-maker on major opportunities.
• Diverse stakeholder exposure: Engage with a broad network of owners, operators, investors, and industry experts—building relationships that shape the hospitality landscape.
• Autonomy and ownership: You’ll have the freedom to manage your pipeline, drive negotiations, and influence outcomes with a high degree of independence.
• Challenge conventional thinking: The role actively encourages you to question assumptions, rethink deal structures, and bring fresh perspectives to complex situations.
• Be part of a fast-moving, growth-focused environment: Join a team where innovation, ambition, and commercial thinking are central to everything we do.

What we’re looking for

• 7–15+ years’ experience in hospitality, such as hotel development, asset management or operations, hospitality advisory or consulting.
• Proven experience negotiating franchise or hotel management agreements.
• Strong understanding of owner, operator, and brand perspectives.
• Experience in real estate or hospitality deal-making is highly advantageous.
• Fluency in English (additional European languages are a plus).
• Strong commercial judgement with a long-term mindset.
• Strong project management skills.
• Deep understanding of industry structures and stakeholder dynamics.
• Ability to break down complex deals into structured decision frameworks.
• Confident and independent thinker who is comfortable to challenge assumptions.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• Clear communicator, able to engage senior stakeholders effectively.

Living our Count On Me Service Culture

You’ll thrive here if you are:

• A personable and grounded individual who operates without ego and excels in a flat, collaborative environment.
• A strong relationship-builder with the ability to influence and engage multiple stakeholders.
• Commercially sharp and strategic, enjoying digging into the detail but always keeping the bigger picture in mind.
• A confident deal maker and negotiator.
• Naturally curious and questioning —you challenge, test, and refine ideas to get to the best outcome.
• Comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity to bring structure to multifaceted deals, stakeholders, and market dynamics.
• Independent and proactive with the ability to manage own priorities, and drive results.
• At your best in a fast-paced, evolving environment and stay focused even when deals become challenging.
• Passionate about hospitality and growth.