Contracting & Admin Executive

Gravesend, Kent
Travel Trade Recruitment

Do you have experience within the Travel Industry? Are you based in Kent and looking for your next exciting opportunity? LOOK NO FURTHER!

We are working with a Kent based inbound travel company, who are looking for a Product & Contracting Manager to join their team. Reporting to the Commercial Director, the Product & Contracting Manager will be responsible for contracting predominately restaurants and attractions throughout the UK, but primarily in Ireland, London and the South of the UK to fulfil our Key trade/B2B and B2C demands. A key function of the role is to ensure existing and new supplier relationships are built and maintained to maximize all commercial opportunities.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Negotiate competitive rates and conditions for all land services notably restaurants & attractions
• Secure contracts with suppliers in line with the purchasing strategy and remit advised from The Commercial Director
• Product development – source new venues and be proactive in proposing new products appropriate to the various sales channels.
• Provide product updates and presentations of new products or packages to B2B clients
• To propose, plan and attend business trips and meetings in order to negotiate and renegotiate contracts.
• Ensure existing and new supplier relationships are built and maintained to maximize all commercial opportunities.
• Organise and attend FAM trips. Attend key industry events, workshops and networking opportunities where required.
• Ability to travel, to key destinations in the UK and Northern Europe when required.
• Prepare and analyse statistics via software products to benefit effective negotiations and product analysis for re contracting.
• To develop and maintain commercially advantageous business relationships with our suppliers.
• Provide the Operations team with product updates and respond to day-to-day queries.
• Ensure all contracts are completed accurately and in full with all information being set up in a timely fashion.
• To liaise with all internal departments to ensure all departments are fully up to date these include, finance, systems, sales & marketing.
• Negotiate added value deals, overrides and special offers.
• Constantly challenging yourself to increase product knowledge and identifying potential suppliers to support our product offering.
• Investigate and resolve service complaints.
• Ensure high service quality standards are met year on year and to promptly deal with queries from colleagues and suppliers.
• Entering contracts into the in house database

Key Skills:

• A least 2 years’ experience in the travel industry preferably in a purchasing role within the UK Inbound market.
• Confident and passionate about succeeding in the role.
• The applicant needs to have strong commercial acumen, be adaptable, reliable and flexible, with a responsible attitude and possess the ability to respond to tight deadlines.
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• The ability to build effective relationships.
• The ability to deal with competing priorities effectively.
• Self-motivated and good working under pressure.
• A good knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (English)
• The ability to handle multiple projects, whilst maintaining meticulous attention to detail and a “can do attitude”.
• An enthusiastic and strong team player
• Additional languages desirable particularly German or French as is a knowledge of UK and Northern European cities.
• Desirable – Previous experience in a UK travel industry / Experience of the UK inbound market

The Package:

• A salary of £26,000 – £30,000 (dependant on experience)
• Hybrid working – Mix of office (Gravesend) and homeworking
• Throughout the year it will be anticipated that you will spend approximately 40% of your time attending site visits, FAM trips and workshops across the UK and Ireland

Interested?

Please click APPLY below or contact