Director, Franchise Performance & Activation, Core Performance

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Franchise Performance & Activation, Core Performance leads teams responsible for improving hotel performance, strengthening franchisee support, driving operational execution, and activating commercial priorities across the Core portfolio. The role provides leadership and direction to Area Managers and the Hotel Efficiency, Resource & Operations team, ensuring consistent service delivery and effective execution of Core Performance priorities. The Director aligns operational support, franchisee engagement, and commercial activation while partnering across the organization to connect hotels with the resources and programs needed to improve performance. This leader also identifies performance trends, elevates franchisee feedback, influences cross-functional priorities, and contributes to the continued evolution of the Core Performance organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Lead, coach, and develop Area Managers and the HERO team to improve hotel performance, strengthen franchisee relationships, and deliver consistent service across the Core portfolio.
• Establish clear priorities, expectations, and ways of working that align team execution with Core Performance objectives.
• Provide performance feedback and development support to direct reports, strengthening leadership capability and accountability.
• Ensure the HERO Manager effectively leads and deploys the HERO team to address franchisee needs, operational follow-through, and program activation.
• Align team resources and workload to the highest-impact hotel and franchisee priorities.
• Build a collaborative, accountable, and performance-oriented team culture grounded in Choice’s values: Be Bold, Be Quick, Listen, Be Curious, and Show Integrity.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex hotel performance, franchisee support, and operational execution matters.

Operational Support and Franchisee Engagement

• Ensure Area Managers and HEROs deliver effective operational support to hotel owners, operators, and property-level management teams.
• Guide teams in identifying hotel performance opportunities and connecting franchisees with appropriate tools, programs, resources, and internal support.
• Establish consistent franchisee engagement practices that build trust, support accountability, and reinforce the value of Choice resources and services.
• Monitor trends in hotel performance, owner engagement, guest satisfaction, operational execution, and franchisee support needs.
• Coordinate hotel action plans, operational follow-up, and resolution of recurring property-level challenges.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex franchisee matters requiring cross-functional coordination or leadership involvement.
• Provide Core Performance leadership with updates on franchisee trends, operational challenges, support needs, and team execution.

Operational Initiatives and Brand Program Execution

• Lead execution of Core Performance operational initiatives, brand programs, service priorities, and business-critical activations.
• Ensure teams understand initiative objectives, communication expectations, required actions, and follow-through responsibilities.
• Partner with Brand Operations and cross-functional teams to support the rollout, adoption, and execution of new standards, programs, resources, and tools.
• Represent franchisee and field perspectives in operational initiative planning and implementation.
• Identify execution barriers and recurring hotel challenges, recommending opportunities to simplify and improve implementation.
• Ensure hotels receive support in understanding and activating relevant Choice systems, applications, brand programs, performance tools, and operational resources.
• Drive consistent communication and accountability across Area Managers, the HERO Manager, and HEROs.

Commercial Activation and Cross-Functional Alignment

• Lead field activation of commercial priorities that support hotel revenue, profitability, guest experience, and owner engagement.
• Partner with Revenue Management, Global Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Distribution, Reservation Services, Customer Care, ChoiceU, and other Centers of Excellence to connect hotels with relevant resources and support.
• Equip Area Managers and HEROs to help hotels activate commercial programs and resources designed to improve performance outcomes.
• Monitor hotel engagement with commercial initiatives and identify opportunities to improve adoption, utilization, and follow-through.
• Translate enterprise and Core Performance priorities into clear field-level actions for Area Managers, HEROs, hotel owners, and operators.
• Provide franchisee feedback, field insight, and operational perspectives to cross-functional partners.
• Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning, organizational priorities, performance discussions, and service-delivery improvements.

QUALIFICATIONS

Employment Experience

• Minimum of 7 to 10 years of experience in hotel operations, franchise performance, owner relations, revenue, commercial operations, or hospitality leadership preferred.
• Prior leadership experience managing people leaders or field-based teams strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, coaching performance, building accountability, and developing talent.
• Strong understanding of hotel operations, franchisee support, owner engagement, brand programs, and commercial performance drivers.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with Choice systems, brand programs, franchise performance tools, and hotel performance platforms preferred.

Additional Skills & Competencies

• Strong cross-functional influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear execution plans and field-level activation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communicating with senior leaders, franchise owners, operators, and internal partners.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, lead through change, and drive results in a complex matrixed environment.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Field-based leadership role requiring regular engagement with direct reports, franchisees, hotel owners, operators, and internal business partners.
• Ability to travel as business needs require to support team leadership, hotel engagement, business meetings, initiative activation, and organizational priorities.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment and influence outcomes through direct leadership, dotted-line alignment, and cross-functional partnership.
• Ability to model Choice’s values: Be Bold, Be Quick, Listen, Be Curious, and Show Integrity.

COMPENSATION & SALARY RANGE:

Salary Range: $163,544-$192,400 annually
 

This role is also eligible for an annual bonus under Choice’s Management Incentive Plan (MIP).

Pay ranges listed are what Choice Hotels reasonably expects to pay. Actual pay may be higher or lower and ranges may be adjusted in the future. Pay positioning within the range is influenced by factors including—but not limited to—education, experience, skills, certifications, performance, geographic location, business needs, seniority, and travel requirements.

Choice prioritizes our associate wellbeing by offering a comprehensive benefits program that is both competitive and flexible to help you achieve your wellbeing goals - here are just a few:

• 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

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too.

At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

Our corporate office locations:

North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.

Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.  

Choice’s Cultural Values

Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity

Choice’s Leadership Principles

Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver