Development Director - Central America / Caribbean

Job Description:

Catenon is seeking an experienced, Development Director - Central America / Caribbean, for a global hospitality group.
Reporting to the Senior Vice President Development, the Development Director - Central America / Caribbean, a key member of the Development team, will be responsible for the development of the group’s portfolio in various geographies in Central America and The Caribbean Islands (with special focus on the asset light model, HMA and Franchise).
The position involves cross-departmental collaboration on a variety of matters including commercial, marketing, operations, finance, design and construction and legal, among others.
The position will be based in Mexico City with the possibility to consider a different location.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain fluent relationships with investors, developers, Third Party Operators and real estate / hospitality brokers, with the purpose of identifying new business opportunities as well as the analysis of hotel opportunities.
• Identify business opportunities in the real estate / hospitality market of Central America and Caribbean Islands. Opportunities include existing, currently operated hotels (vacant possession) as well as new construction projects.
• Analyze current and potential hotel performance of identified opportunities, with the purpose of assessing the viability of the operations and the potential interest for the company.
• Coordinate the process of due diligence and acquisition / leasing / management/ franchise of new business opportunities with the different departments of the company involved in the analysis of the opportunity (finance, operations, legal, operations, technical department, marketing, etc.).
• Generate business leads for potential projects through leverage of an ever-increasing network of industry contacts.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of proven successful experience in Development roles in the Caribbean and/or LATAM, with at least 3 of those years in senior positions within the hospitality industry.
• Advanced or bilingual proficiency both in English & Spanish. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Solid experience managing and negotiating hotel contract structures (HMAs, and franchise agreements), and effectively engaging with key stakeholders.
• Extensive knowledge of hotel real estate markets and financing structures, with proven experience in the upscale to luxury segments, essential.
• Strong knowledge of market feasibility analysis, investment structures, and capitalization models.
• In‑depth understanding of the different hotel contract types (HMAs and franchise agreements).
• Leadership skills: able to inspire teams, be a present and accessible leader, create cross‑functional synergy, and negotiate win‑win agreements with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation skills with complex stakeholders and proven effectiveness in navigating challenging, fast‑paced environments.
• Availability to travel on a frequent basis
• High levels of organizational understanding/influence and execution skills.
• Ability to think strategically and to creatively solve problems and anticipate issues before they arise.
• Ability to work across functions, across regions and globally.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint is required.
• Experience in hospitality consulting will be highly valued.
• Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Hotel School diploma or related discipline, MBA preferred.

Company Description:

A global hospitality group.

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