Vice President of Development

The Vice President of Development – Mexico & CA, based out of Mexico City, Mexico, oversees the entire process of sourcing and closing new hotel management agreements (HMAs) in the region, focusing on business hotels and resorts. They manage the deal cycle from initiation to approval and execution, coordinating with internal specialists (Feasibility, Legal, Transitions, Technical Services) and external stakeholders (owners, developers, lenders, brands, advisors). Success is measured by the number of HMAs executed, with a goal of eight hotels by 2026, including at least two full-service and one resort hotel.
Identify, qualify, and prioritize HMA opportunities across Mexico and Central America. Build and maintain a network among developers, family offices, institutional investors/REITs, lenders, brand companies (e.g., IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Wyndham, Hard Rock, Melia), and brokers. Represent Aimbridge at key industry forums (ALIS, CALA, MEXHIC) and conduct targeted roadshows to drive growth.
Deal Management and Approvals: Lead the deal cycle, including sourcing, screening, shaping, case building, memo preparation, negotiation, and closing. Partner with the Director of Technical Services on brand engagement and the Director of Transitions on pre-opening/transition assumptions and timelines. Present deals to the Development and Investment Committees, incorporating input from Legal, Finance, and Operations.
Commercial and Economic Terms: base and incentive fees, performance tests, termination provisions, AOP, key money, working capital). Seek approvals from the SVP Development – CALA and relevant Committees before execution. Contracts, Due Diligence, and Risk: Drive term sheet and HMA negotiations with owners and counsel, coordinating with Aimbridge Legal for documentation and due diligence. Collaborate with the Director of Legal on legal, tax, and regulatory items and coordinate technical due diligence via Technical Services. Ensure alignment on pre-opening and transition services agreements, confirming budgets, timelines, and resources before signing.
Brand, Operator, and Owner Relations: Engage brand owners on A&C processes and TSAs in partnership with Technical Services. Internal Collaboration and Governance: Maintain pipeline hygiene in the approved CRM (Salesforce preferred), adhering to established development governance, memo templates, valuation frameworks, and approval protocols. Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to inform Aimbridge's regional strategy.
Adhere to Aimbridge development governance, approval protocols, and documentation standards.
Weekly pipeline and performance reporting to SVP Development – CALA
Maintain standardized pipeline dashboards (stage, probability, expected fee pool, keys, close dates) and deal scorecards.
Office attendance is required; Experience: Minimum 10 years in hotel development in the Mexico and Central America region with leading hotel operators or global brands/franchisors.
Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
English and Spanish required.
Commercial acumen: Strong grasp of management fee structures, performance tests, owner priorities, key money constructs, underwriting drivers, and brand selection dynamics.
Relationships: Established network with developers, owners, lenders, brands, and brokers in the Mexico and Centra America Region; Comfortable reading feasibility studies, proformas, and sensitivity analyses; advanced Excel required.
Tools: Salesforce preferred; MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) required; experience with secure data rooms and IC materials is a plus.