Before embarking on a career in revenue management, reading a comprehensive revenue manager job description can be useful. After all, it is a position with many different responsibilities connected to it, and it is also important to get a sense of the required skills, qualities, and qualifications. In this article, you will find a description of what revenue management entails and why it is so important for hotels.

Table of Contents:

What is Revenue Management?

Revenue management can be described as a process where data and analytics are used to anticipate future demand levels accurately. This enables hotels to adjust their pricing and distribution strategies accordingly to maximize the revenue generated by the property at any given time.

A good way to think of this is as follows: revenue management in a hotel in the process of selling the right room, to the right customer, at the right time, for the right price, via the right distribution channel, with the best cost efficiency.

Read the “What is Revenue Management?” article to learn more.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Introduction

The job of a revenue manager involves a combination of analysis, strategic decision-making, and close collaboration with senior business leaders. Ultimately, the goal for a revenue manager is to assist their employer in optimizing financial results by anticipating demand and using that information to maximize revenue generation.

Within the hotel industry, this means adopting a strategic approach to the pricing and distribution of hotel rooms, and optimizing the sale of other products and services, so that the hotel generates as much money as possible.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Qualifications & Education

A revenue manager job description will typically reference requirements including a high level of computer literacy and knowledge of hotel technology, including revenue management systems, global distribution systems, channel managers, property management systems, and other similar systems and solutions.

In terms of formal education, requirements can vary. Still, it is common for hotels to expect a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject, such as revenue management, hotel management, economics, or a discipline with a focus on data analysis. You will also require previous experience working in a hotel or similar setting.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Responsibilities & Duties

The main responsibilities and duties outlined in most revenue manager job descriptions are: carrying out both short and long-term forecasting of levels of customer demand, using all available data, and then analyzing this data to oversee strategic pricing and distribution-related decisions.

Part of this process will involve continuously monitoring the hotel’s various distribution channels to ensure ongoing marketing efforts, room availability information, and pricing support the current strategy. This will usually involve the use of property management and channel management systems.

The role may also require producing written reports outlining anticipated financial performance and the expected outcomes from various strategic decisions. Continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of current pricing, marketing, and distribution strategies will also be needed, complete with regular meetings with hotel leaders.

Tracking various performance metrics related to hotel occupancy and revenue generation over time will be essential. When adjustments are needed to improve performance, you may be required to implement those changes, or explain to departmental leaders why those changes need to be made. As a result, a key part of the job involves collaborating with other senior employees in the hotel and working together to achieve shared business objectives.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Skills

Aside from qualifications and education, some core skills are needed if you are going to become a revenue manager for a hotel. First and foremost, you will require excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, because collaboration is one of the key parts of the job.

Computer literacy is necessary; you must have experience working with spreadsheets, word processors, and presentation software. Furthermore, the ability to work with statistics and carry out statistical analysis is fundamental, and you will also need to possess a strong work ethic and the ability to make decisions under pressure.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Salary

It is important to understand that the salary for a revenue manager can depend on a whole range of different factors, including the size of the hotel, the location, your own level of experience, the extent of the responsibilities outlined in the revenue manager job description and your qualifications in relation to other hotel management staff.

To provide a basic idea, hotel revenue managers in the United Kingdom tend to start on a salary of around £30,000 to £40,000. The average salary for the role is £42,000, and experienced revenue managers at large hotels may make upwards of £50,000. In the United States, the salary range is generally between $50,000 and $100,000.

Revenue Manager Job Description: Place Within an Organization

As a revenue manager, your place within an organization will also depend on the hotel’s size and other factors. As a general rule, within a small or mid-size hotel, you will take on responsibility for revenue management at that hotel alone, and you will report directly to the hotel’s general manager.

If you work in a chain, you may be responsible for revenue management at one hotel or up to five hotels, and you may also have to manage revenue coordinators. Generally, you will report to the regional revenue manager or the director of revenue management rather than reporting to a single hotel general manager.

Video: HSMAI – Revenue Management as a Career Path in Hospitality

In a hotel, find out what the Revenue Manager’s role is. Together, HSMAI Asia Pacific and the Hospitality Business School at the Singapore Institute of Technology have produced a film outlining the role of the Revenue Department in hotels.

 

Revenue Management Courses: Information + List of Educators

A key part of becoming a revenue manager is obtaining the right level of education. If you read a revenue manager job description and specification, it may reference your need to complete a revenue management course. Fortunately, several organizations offer these courses, including Ecornell, the International Hotel School, and EHL.

Read “Hotel Revenue Management Courses: Information + List of Educators” to learn more about hotel revenue management courses, what you will learn, and how they can help your career. In addition, you will also be able to access a list of some of the main organizations and educators that deliver these courses.

Discover the Latest Revenue Management Trends

It is also important to keep up with the latest revenue management trends. In particular, this means staying up-to-date with the latest technology, understanding modern data and analytics trends, and adopting the latest strategies. Failing to keep up with the evolving role can put your hotel at a significant competitive disadvantage.

Check out “Revenue Management Trends: Discover the Latest Developments,” where you can read a comprehensive list of the latest trends and the various ways to stay ahead of the game.

Essential Revenue Management Strategies for Revenue Managers

To succeed in the role, you must go beyond what is written in the revenue manager job description. This means adopting specific strategies and making use of the tricks of the trade. Examples include market segmentation, price optimization, search engine, and mobile optimization, and encouraging direct bookings.

You can find out about these strategies and many more, complete with explanations of what they mean and why they are beneficial, by reading “Revenue Management Strategies to Grow Your Hotel Business”.

Revenue Management Blog for Revenue Managers

Revenue management is one of the most crucial disciplines for success in the hotel industry. However, it is also a complicated area, which requires a combination of technical skills, significant experience, and a willingness to adapt as the nature of the role shifts or as new trends emerge within the wider industry.

Visit “Revenue Management Tips for the Hotel & Hospitality Industry,” and you can access a range of blog posts covering revenue management and some of the main associated concepts.

It is essential to read a revenue manager job description before exploring options in this field because it is a career path that requires specific skills, attributes, and qualifications. However, it is also a highly rewarding career path where you can make a tangible difference in a hotel’s long-term success.

More Tips to Grow Your Business

Revfine.com is a knowledge platform for the hospitality & travel industry. Professionals use our insights, strategies and actionable tips to get inspired, optimise revenue, innovate processes and improve customer experience. You can find all hotel & hospitality tips in the categories Revenue Management, Marketing & Distribution, Hotel Operations, Staffing & Career, Technology and Software.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.