Director of Strategic Underwriting & Investment Analysis at Hotel Equities – Alpharetta, Georgia

Hotel Equities, one of the premier hotel development and management companies in the industry, is currently searching for a Director of Strategic Underwriting & Investment Analysis. We offer an award-winning culture and a unique environment that empowers our team to exceed guests' expectations and make a distinct difference in people's lives. With over 300 hotel assets across the United States, Canada and breaking into new markets Hotel Equities continues to be strategic in its growth and development of many new assets.

Location: Preferred Atlanta or broader U.S.; flexible based on candidate quality and business needs
Department: Development / Investments / Feasibility
Reports to: Chief Investment Officer and/or designated Development / Investment leadership

Position Summary

Director of Strategic Underwriting & Investment Analysis is responsible for leading underwriting, business-plan development, and executive-ready presentation materials in support of hotel management, acquisition, and strategic partnership opportunities. This role will focus on larger full-service, lifestyle, resort, soft-brand, and other complex hotel assets, combining financial modeling, market and competitive analysis, performance diagnosis, value-creation planning, and institutional-quality packaging. They will also support traditional full service and select service opportunities.

This role works cross-functionally with Business Development, Investments, Operations, Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to produce credible analyses and clear owner-facing business plans. The ideal candidate combines strong modeling capability, structured thinking, clear communication, and the ability to translate complex analysis into persuasive materials for internal and external audiences.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Underwriting & Modeling

• Lead underwriting and pro forma development for hotel management, acquisition, and strategic partnership opportunities
• Build, refine, and maintain detailed operating models, including revenue, departmental, labor, fixed-cost, cash flow, and return assumptions
• Evaluate third-party underwriting, key assumptions, capital structures, and ownership objectives
• Support analysis of key money, sliver equity, joint venture, and other investment-related opportunities

Benchmarking, Market Analysis & Diligence

• Conduct market research, due diligence, and competitive benchmarking for prospective opportunities
• Leverage internal operating data, STR, CoStar, and other market intelligence sources to support assumptions and identify opportunity areas
• Assess market positioning, demand drivers, competitive advantages, and risks relevant to each deal
• Help maintain and improve internal benchmarking tools, underwriting templates, and related data resources

Performance Diagnosis & Business Planning

• Diagnose where and why a hotel is underperforming across rooms, labor, sales, marketing, ecommerce, operations, and other key areas
• Develop asset-specific business plans that define root causes, strategic priorities, and the actions required to improve performance
• Build revenue theses grounded in product quality, competitive positioning, fair-share performance, and commercial opportunity
• Support development of operational, commercial, and financial recommendations that are both credible and executable

Value-Creation Analysis & Packaging

• Translate historical and projected results into concise bridge analyses that clearly explain the levers driving performance improvement
• Distinguish between operational upside, commercial upside, and ownership- or diligence-driven assumption changes
• Convert complex analyses into clear, credible value-creation narratives for institutional audiences
• Package relevant team credentials, case studies, and quantified proof points that strengthen the company’s credibility in business development pursuits

Executive Materials & Presentation Support

• Create clear, persuasive, executive-ready PowerPoint materials, including pitch decks, business-plan presentations, bridge analyses, and supporting appendices
• Tailor materials to the audience and setting, including live presentations, follow-up materials, and more detailed backup content
• Present underwriting logic, business plans, and key assumptions in a clear and structured manner to internal leaders, owners, and institutional audiences
• Support Business Development and executive leadership in live pitch meetings, including Zoom and in-person presentations

Workflow Design, AI & Process Improvement

• Help improve and standardize the underwriting and business-plan development process, including intake, benchmarking tools, templates, research workflows, and presentation modules
• Use AI platforms and workflow tools to accelerate research, synthesis, draft production, and process efficiency while maintaining analytical accuracy and presentation quality
• Contribute to building a more scalable, repeatable, and institutional-grade underwriting function

Qualifications

Financial & Analytical

• Minimum 4 years of experience in hospitality underwriting, investment analysis, asset management, strategy consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or a similarly analytical environment
• Advanced Excel and financial-modeling skills, including the ability to work quickly, structure models cleanly, and produce decision-ready outputs
• Strong quantitative skills and comfort evaluating complex assumptions, deal structures, and performance improvement opportunities

Strategic & Diagnostic

• Strong problem-solving ability and judgment, including the ability to diagnose root causes of underperformance and translate analysis into actionable business plans
• Ability to work through complex, imperfect, or incomplete information with sound judgment and attention to detail

Communication & Presentation

• Excellent written, verbal, and PowerPoint presentation skills
• Ability to distill complex analysis into clear, persuasive materials for executives, owners, and institutional audiences
• Strong client-facing communication skills and comfort presenting in live settings

Hospitality & Commercial

• Strong understanding of hotel P&Ls, STR, market dynamics, and commercial performance drivers
• Experience with full-service, lifestyle, resort, or other complex hotel assets strongly preferred
• Familiarity with franchise agreements, management agreements, and hotel deal structures preferred

Technology & Workflow

• Strong proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
• Comfort using AI tools and workflow technologies to improve speed, synthesis, and production quality
• Ability to combine analytical rigor with efficient, technology-enabled work processes

Personal Profile

• High attention to detail and strong ownership mentality
• Ability to manage multiple live opportunities and meet tight deadlines
• Collaborative, low-ego, team-oriented working style
• Strong professional presence, sound judgment, and commitment to high-quality execution

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Hospitality, Real Estate, Business, or a related field required
• Advanced degree is a plus

Role Summary

This is not a traditional feasibility role. It is a hybrid strategic underwriting, business-planning, and presentation role designed to support the company’s pursuit of larger, more complex, and more institutional opportunities.

We are:

Hotel Equities is an award-winning hospitality company with a diverse culture and a unique environment that empowers our team to exceed guests' expectations and make a distinct difference in people's lives.

At Hotel Equities, we have redefined business culture and captured it in our core values. From our Atlanta-based headquarters throughout all of our hotels, these values aren’t posted on a wall and are ignored. They define who we are and how we conduct ourselves with investors, guests, and one another.

Vision & Mission - Hotel Equities Atlanta Georgia

What we can offer you:

• Salary $110k-$140k
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Cell phone allowance
• Vacation and Sick Pay
• Paid Holidays
• Discount programs for shopping, travel, tickets and more.
• Access to our Talent team to help you reach your career growth goals.

EOE/DFW