Opening Services Manager

Choice Hotels International • North Bethesda, MD

7d

About The Position

The Opening Services Manager serves as the project lead for new construction, conversion, and rebranding hotel opening projects. This individual directly supports net unit growth and revenue goals by executing monthly, quarterly, and annual opening targets. This role maintains full visibility into a portfolio of not‑yet‑open properties across all brands and works cross‑functionally with franchisees, internal project teams, and vendors to ensure timely openings and ramp-up success.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 5–8 years of project management experience required; hospitality industry experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the complexities of hotel openings (construction timelines, FF&E, procurement, design submittals).
• Experience operating in fast‑paced, shifting environments and managing multiple projects independently.
• Advanced customer service orientation, strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, and ability to adapt and innovate.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to independently interpret complex situations and apply specialized knowledge to deliver solutions.
• Strong decision‑making, business rationale, analytical capability, and organizational awareness.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive project outcomes across multiple teams.
• Commitment to Choice’s Values & Performance Principles: collaboration, performance excellence, urgency, innovation, inclusion and diversity, integrity, customer focus, and respect.

Responsibilities

• Project Management & Portfolio Leadership (90%) Conduct initial project analysis to determine tailored opening strategies based on scope, contractual deadlines, franchisee experience, and organizational objectives.
• Partner with Onboarding Project Directors and Franchise Development on initial franchisee outreach to establish timelines and expectations.
• Manage franchisee access to Choice systems (Rules & Regulations, vendor networks, Performance Zone, Choice University, Okta).
• Provide project management guidance to franchisees, appointees, and management companies through consistent and proactive communication.
• Coordinate franchisee engagement with vendors and internal partners, including SkyTouch, Franchise Lifecycle, Operations & Portfolio Strategy, Procurement, Franchise Performance, Billing, Legal, Risk, and Design.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in identifying and resolving complex or unique obstacles to opening, leveraging historical data and prior experience.
• Independently manage a portfolio of 40–50 projects, maintaining schedules for consultations and inspections and delivering regular status updates to franchisees and leadership.
• Negotiate and leverage opening incentives and adjust levers to accelerate opening timelines.
• Manage online presell and commencement date activation processes.
• Facilitate revised PIP items and timelines; prepare post‑executed addenda for Opening Day and coordinate third-party inspections and Performance Zone Scorecards.
• Direct the Franchise Lifecycle Team to activate, rebrand, or suspend not‑yet‑open properties as needed.
• Lead rebrand openings in partnership with Area Directors, ensuring alignment on key markets and high-visibility clients.
• Report opening status and risks to the Compliance Committee for all not‑yet‑open properties.
• Systems, Documentation & Data Integrity (10%) Ensure data accuracy across Choice systems to reflect pipeline and forecasted openings.
• Manage opening projects within Salesforce, ensuring current project statuses and required legal documentation are maintained.
• Request and process legal addenda (room count, address, entity, assumption changes).
• Travel 3–6 times per year for project visits, team meetings, and corporate events.

Benefits

• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager