Group Director of Marketing & Communications

About the Role
FRS Makkah is seeking an accomplished and commercially driven Group Director of Marketing & Communications to lead the strategic direction and execution of marketing, public relations, and communications across a distinguished portfolio of four luxury and upper-upscale hotels:

• Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel
• Raffles Makkah Palace
• Swissôtel Makkah
• Swissôtel Al Maqam Makkah
  This leadership role requires a strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen, a deep understanding of luxury hospitality, and the ability to balance the distinctive identities of internationally recognized hotel brands with the shared objectives of the group. The successful candidate will foster strong collaboration with hotel General Managers, commercial teams, brand representatives, and external stakeholders while leading brand marketing, public relations, corporate communications, digital marketing, content, social media, CRM, and loyalty marketing. A strong understanding of the Saudi hospitality landscape, particularly the unique dynamics of Makkah’s religious tourism market, is essential to deliver relevant, culturally sensitive, and commercially effective marketing initiatives.

Key Responsibilities
1. Group Marketing Strategy & Commercial Leadership

• Develop and lead the group-wide marketing strategy, annual marketing plans, and long-term brand development roadmap, translating business objectives into measurable marketing priorities for each hotel.
• Establish clear positioning and differentiation strategies for each property, ensuring alignment with individual brand standards, target audiences, competitive positioning, and commercial objectives.
• Translate market intelligence, customer insights, competitive analysis, and demand forecasts into actionable marketing strategies that support business growth.
• Lead integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns across key domestic and international source markets, with a focus on Umrah, Hajj, Ramadan, and other high-demand travel periods.
• Identify opportunities to increase demand and revenue across rooms, suites, food and beverage, meetings and events, and other hotel offerings through targeted campaigns, strategic partnerships, and brand activations.
• Work closely with Group Commercial leadership, Sales, and Revenue Management to align marketing investment with business priorities and revenue objectives.
• Develop strategic partnerships with tourism authorities, travel trade partners, relevant organizations, media outlets, and commercial stakeholders to expand market reach and strengthen brand equity.
• Champion innovative marketing approaches, emerging consumer trends, and new opportunities to enhance competitiveness and market relevance.

2. Brand Strategy & Governance

• Safeguard the integrity and consistency of each hotel’s brand identity, positioning, and communication across all marketing channels and guest-facing touchpoints.
• Ensure compliance with global brand standards and corporate guidelines while adapting communications to local market needs.
• Develop distinct brand narratives and positioning strategies that highlight each property’s unique value proposition and guest experience.
• Oversee the development and approval of marketing collateral, campaigns, creative concepts, photography, video content, and other brand assets.
• Establish effective marketing governance processes, including content approval, brand compliance reviews, campaign standards, and quality assurance across the portfolio.
• Collaborate with international brand teams and corporate stakeholders to leverage global campaigns, resources, and marketing opportunities while ensuring local relevance.

3. Public Relations, Media Relations & Corporate Communications

• Lead the group’s public relations and communications strategy, strengthening brand reputation, media visibility, and stakeholder engagement across local, regional, and international markets.
• Build and maintain relationships with key media organizations, industry publications, journalists, editors, and communications partners.
• Oversee the development of press releases, media statements, executive messages, interviews, feature stories, corporate announcements, and other external communications.
• Identify and secure strategic media opportunities, including editorial features, leadership interviews, hospitality awards, and relevant media partnerships.
• Lead the planning and execution of media visits, press events, familiarization trips, launches, hotel milestones, and strategic communications initiatives.
• Develop executive communications and key messaging for General Managers and senior leadership, ensuring alignment with the group’s strategic priorities.
• Oversee internal communications initiatives to support organizational alignment, employee engagement, and awareness of group priorities and achievements.
• Establish crisis and issues management protocols alongside hotel leadership and corporate stakeholders, ensuring timely and coordinated communications.
• Monitor media coverage and sentiment, translating insights into recommendations to strengthen the group’s public profile.
• Ensure all communications reflect the cultural sensitivities and expectations of operating in Makkah and the wider Saudi market.

4. Digital Marketing, Content & Social Media

• Lead the group’s digital marketing strategy, encompassing SEO, paid search, social media, display advertising, online content, and other relevant channels.
• Develop integrated digital campaigns that increase brand awareness and generate qualified demand.
• Oversee the strategic direction of social media channels, ensuring compelling storytelling and consistent brand representation.
• Direct content strategy across photography, video, editorial content, campaign assets, and digital storytelling.
• Ensure hotel websites and campaign landing pages present accurate, engaging, brand-compliant information.
• Use customer insights, campaign analytics, audience segmentation, and performance data to optimize targeting and channel effectiveness.
• Explore emerging technologies and digital trends to improve campaign effectiveness and audience engagement.
• Establish performance standards for digital campaigns and content quality.

5. CRM, Customer Engagement & Loyalty Marketing

• Lead CRM and customer engagement strategies that support audience acquisition and long-term guest relationships.
• Develop targeted campaigns aligned with customer profiles and key booking periods.
• Drive marketing initiatives supporting ALL – membership engagement and participation.
• Collaborate with hotel operations, Sales, and Reservations to align marketing communications with the guest journey.
• Leverage customer data to enhance personalization and marketing effectiveness.
• Ensure CRM initiatives comply with privacy requirements and brand guidelines.

6. Market Intelligence, Analytics & Performance Management

• Establish a marketing performance framework, translating strategic objectives into measurable KPIs and target accountabilities.
• Define and monitor performance indicators covering campaign effectiveness, media exposure, brand awareness, and return on marketing investment.
• Ensure marketing initiatives have clear objectives, success metrics, and performance tracking.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of regular performance reports to senior leadership, demonstrating the impact of marketing activities.
• Assess competitive activity and market trends to identify opportunities and strategic priorities.
• Promote a data-driven culture to connect marketing activity with measurable business outcomes.

7. Budget Management, Agency & Partnership Oversight

• Develop and monitor the annual group marketing and communications budget.
• Establish budget controls and performance reviews to ensure financial discipline.
• Lead relationships with public relations agencies, creative agencies, digital partners, and production companies.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of marketing partnerships and sponsorships, assessing their strategic relevance.

8. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and develop group and hotel marketing and communications teams.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative team culture.
• Set performance expectations for team members and conduct regular reviews.
• Work closely with other departments to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Present strategic plans to senior management and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in marketing, public relations, and communications, preferably within luxury or upper-upscale hospitality.
• Experience leading marketing and communications across a multi-hotel or cluster portfolio is strongly preferred.
• Proven track record in public relations, brand positioning, reputation management, and strategic communications.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing, social media, and marketing analytics.
• Experience managing substantial marketing budgets and cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Hospitality Management or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Proficiency in English is essential; Arabic language skills are a strong advantage.
• Experience in Saudi Arabia or the GCC, particularly within luxury hospitality, is highly desirable.

Key Competencies

• Strategic marketing leadership and portfolio management
• Luxury brand positioning
• Public relations and media engagement
• KPI management and data-driven decision-making
• Budget management and resource allocation
• Team leadership and performance management
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity to the Saudi market

Additional Information
Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.
Why work for the company?
We welcome you as you are and support your growth in a purpose-driven environment. By joining the company, every chapter of your story is yours to write, exploring limitless possibilities.
Job Category: Marketing
Job Type: Permanent
Job Schedule: Full-Time