Director Strategic Development EMEA

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is now seeking a Director Strategic Development EMEA to join our team in London, United Kingdom.

Ready to 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

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is one of the largest hotel franchise companies in the world by number of properties with approximately 8,400 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through our network of approximately 869,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the hospitality industry. Headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. with offices around the world in London, Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Dubai and more, Wyndham employs more than 2,000 corporate team members worldwide who are dedicated to the Company’s mission of making hotel travel possible for all. Supporting thousands of franchisees and a growing global portfolio of 25 hotel brands—think household names like Wyndham, La Quinta, Ramada, Days Inn and Super 8—Wyndham team members are a widespread group of individuals with diverse interests and backgrounds. Our unique Count on Me culture, commitment to flexibility and core values of Integrity, Accountability, Inclusivity, Caring and Fun are just part of what continues to make Wyndham an award-winning best place to work.

Job Location: London, United Kingdom
Employment Status: Full-time

Employment Disclaimer

In some locations around the world, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts manages hotel properties on behalf of a third party owner. At many of those properties, the Hotel owner is the actual employer, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts performs recruiting and hiring functions on behalf of the owner. I understand and agree that, by applying through this site, I may be applying for a position with a company other than Wyndham Hotels & Resorts where Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is serving only as the recruiter and will not be my actual employer.