Job Description:

Company - Travel Trade Provider/Supplier

Job Title - Contracting Manager - Graduate/Trainee - Travel

Location - Gravesend

Salary – £23k - £26k

On behalf of our client, we are currently recruiting for a Trainee/Graduate Contract Manager to join an expanding company who specialise in providing solutions for Global Travel trade.

This role would suit a Travel Industry Graduate or someone who has worked for a couple of years within the Travel Industry.

The succesful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their commercial & negotiation skills working within the UK Inbound travel industry. The position will offer an introduction to the contracting of attractions & restaurants. This role would suit an individual with strong negotiation skills who are comfortable in developing and maintaining supplier relationships.

Full time/Hybrid

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 HLG database

Key Skills

• Graduate in tourism related subject or at least 12 months experience in the travel industry
• Confident and passionate about learning and 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 deal with competing priorities effectively
• Self-motivated and good working under pressure.
• An good knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (English)
• 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