Head - Supplier Relations - Travel

Objective: The company is looking for a seasoned professional who can take ownership of all the airline and supplier relationships. This individual should be able to drive airline negotiations and take responsibility for revenue management and optimization. This role requires deep understanding and experience in the travel industry. This individual should bring fresh strategic thinking to the business and be a key thought partner to the CEO.

Prior qualifications/skill sets:

- Bachelor's degree in business administration, sales and marketing or a related field. Master's degree is a plus.

- 10+ years of senior-level experience in the travel industry (can be in the airline industry or the travel distribution industry), with a focus on airline and supplier relations and partner management.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and negotiate effectively with external partners.

- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and make strategic decisions based on insights.

Responsibilities:

- Airline and Supplier Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong partnerships with airlines, suppliers, and other industry stakeholders.

- Negotiate Commission & Contract Management: Lead negotiations with airlines and suppliers to secure favourable terms, commissions, and pricing structures. Implement strategies to maximize revenue and profitability while maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

- Develop differentiated content: Develop new partnerships with non-airline suppliers in other geographies and integrate their content on the company's platform.

- Content Integration & Monitoring: Work with technical teams to integrate supplier content into the platform, ensuring accuracy and reliability. Regularly monitor content's technical KPIs and work with supplier, technical, and operations teams towards timely closures.

- Performance Analytics: Utilize data-driven insights to analyze the performance of various airline and supplier partnerships. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), identify trends, and recommend actionable strategies for improvement.

- Market & Competitive Research: Stay up to date with industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies. Anticipate market shifts and proactively adapt strategies to maintain a competitive advantage.

- Manage Client Commercials: Analysing client data, segmenting it effectively, and strategically adjusting commercials to not only boost the company's revenue and profitability but also drive optimized sales for our clients. Continuously monitor the effectiveness of the implemented commercial adjustments through key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics. Regularly assess the impact of these adjustments on both client sales and the company's bottom line.