Berlin

We are seeking a commercially minded Head of Digital Operations to lead Design Hotels’ digital commercial agenda across Designhotels.com, performance marketing, CRM and email marketing, with a focus on strategy, performance, customer experience and commercial growth on our brand website as well as the support on hotels individual websites. 

You will own Designhotels.com as a value and revenue generating channel, you will oversee performance marketing and CRM, and you lead the growth of Design Hotels The Studio into a scalable digital services for member hotels through, from websites and booking engines to online demand generating activities and campaigns. As a strategic partner you are working closely with Distribution Technology and Revenue Operations, Senior Leadership, Account Management and Marriott Digital Marketing. You will turn performance insight into clear commercial decisions and drive the adoption of AI and automation across the digital function. 

The role combines strategy, commercial ownership and execution oversight, including developing new services that grow the department’s revenue. You will lead senior managers, managers, coordinators and interns, both directly and indirectly. 

• Develop the global commercial digital strategy for Designhotels.com and drive its execution through clear planning, prioritization and regular performance review. 

• Partner closely with Distribution Technology and Commercial Strategy & Analytics to align digital demand generation, promotions, pricing visibility and channel mix, ensuring Designhotels.com and member hotel campaigns support the overall distribution and revenue strategy. 

• Build relationships with Marriott Digital Marketing leads to align Design Hotels’ business objectives with Marriott International, including the integration of promotions across all relevant distribution channels. 

• Work with data analytics and insight teams to develop business intelligence that feeds strategic plans and recommendations. 

• Lead digital business and technology innovation projects that grow existing and new revenue streams. 

• Drive the active adoption of AI across the digital function, including AI-driven personalization, content creation, marketing automation and workflow efficiency, and ensure Design Hotels and its member hotels are visible in AI search and LLM platforms. 

• Monitor technology and marketing trends, benchmark against the market and challenge the status quo. 

• Track technology, AI (including AI search and LLM visibility) and marketing trends, benchmark against the market and challenge the status quo. 

• Build relationships and negotiate partnerships and contracts across multiple lines of the business. 

• Own Designhotels.com as a commercial channel, with full accountability for its value, revenue, direct bookings, conversion and cost of acquisition. Set annual targets and report on performance against budget. 

• Develop the Design Hotels web strategy with senior management and external partners, and translate the Design Hotels™ digital marketing and Community strategy online. 

• Own production and development resources, including the in-house designers and the development agency. Jointly with the Senior Product Manager, own the agency relationship, budget and capacity. 

• Define the testing and web analytics strategy and agree on measurable actions based on test outcomes. 

• Own paid acquisition for Designhotels.com, including Google Search and metasearch, measuring performance against budget and member hotel value and translating ROI into clear KPIs.

• Own and evolve the CRM and email marketing strategy, including a 2–5 year CRM roadmap aligned with business and customer objectives. 

• Provide strategic direction to the CRM team member, ensuring CRM and email initiatives and campaigns deliver on the agreed priorities. 

• Own the customer segmentation framework, continuously refining segments based on booking behavior, preferences, engagement, frequency and customer value. 

• Lead the strategy for customer data collection and enrichment, including web registration, and work cross-functionally to ensure the data quality needed for CRM, personalization and segmentation. 

• Define CRM and email KPIs and measurement frameworks, using performance insights to guide future priorities and investment.

• 7+ years in commercial leadership roles (Distribution, Digital, Revenue) in hospitality or travel, including leading managers. 

• Proven P&L or revenue ownership of a digital channel or a commercial services business. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management or a related field. 

• Proven experience developing and delivering a CRM or lifecycle marketing strategy. 

• Strong background in performance marketing (paid search, metasearch) and e-commerce optimization. 

• Hands-on experience applying AI and automation in marketing, CRM or e-commerce. 

• Experience managing agencies, budgets and external partners. 

• Proven track record of delivering results in complex, ambiguous environments. 

• Experienced in leading teams and influencing without formal authority across a matrixed, global organization. 

• Strong project and stakeholder management skills, with a history of delivering strategic initiatives cross-functionally. 

• Strong analytical skills in digital analytics, attribution and reporting tools (such as GA4), and solid knowledge of the digital hospitality landscape, including CMS platforms, websites and digital customer journeys. 

• Excellent written and spoken English, with confident client-facing communication and presentation skills and the ability to give clear, commercially relevant advice. 

• Global mindset: supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations and cultural perspectives, and uses those differences to drive innovation, engagement and business results. 

• Adaptability: maintains performance under pressure and through change. 

• Problem solving and decision making: identifies issues and opportunities, compares information from different sources, evaluates alternatives and leads the course of action.