Strategic Account Manager Chains

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Who are WebBeds? WebBeds is the fastest growing and most significant accommodation supplier to the travel industry. We are a global company offering ground services (hotels, transfers, tours, activities) to travel professionals. Our products help our partners and customers to create amazing travel experiences. Our products range from a retail online platform, integration connectivity hub and distribution APIs to name but a few, and our systems are 100% cloud hosted processing up to 5.0bn search requests daily. We deliver amazing outcomes using leading edge technology through innovative and creative thinking. WebBeds is a subsidiary of Web Travel Group (ASX: WEB) - an ASX 200 listed company operating a global digital travel business.

What makes us stand out?

• We are a wholesale global travel organization.
• We have 1500+ people speaking 50+ languages in 120+ cities across 50+ countries.
• We partner with over 430,000 properties in more than 15,000 destinations.
• We work with more than 44,000 travel companies in 139 source markets.
• We have an amazing technology team focused on delivering valuable outcomes using innovative tech and creative & lateral thinking.

What will you do on your journey with WebBeds? WebBeds is the world's fastest growing provider of accommodation distribution services to the travel industry. Our products incorporate distribution APIs, payment integrations, ERP integration, data lakes, user interfaces, and others. Our search API reaches peaks of more than 50,000 requests per second, each one consisting of tens or hundreds of hotels, with continued expansion. "We design, deliver and support innovative solutions through engagement, collaboration and a fearsome passion for creating customer value" is our mission as an IT organization. With this in mind, we strive to be at the leading edge of technology when it comes to building the platform that meets the needs of our supply partners and customers. This translates to the use of the latest technology including .NET Core versions, K8S, microservices architecture, cloud hosting and orchestration, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, proactive monitoring, and alerting systems, to name a few. Our delivery teams have the creativity and freedom to express themselves by building innovative solutions to often complex problems and are challenged to reach higher levels daily. Our teams consist of product owners, QA engineers, software engineers, and people from across the business all working collectively and collaboratively. We have a very strong technical team from which you will be able to learn but are encouraged by new ideas and fresh thinking that you will bring with you.

How will you make an impact?

• Manage existing key chain strategic partnerships and build a portfolio of new chain strategic partners in Europe to drive chain performance.
• Define targeted actions and design strategy road map to achieve agreed KPIs, drive incremental business opportunities and increase WebBeds' market share.
• Ensure chain contracts are (re)negotiated within specified deadlines to ensure WebBeds has the best commercial conditions to drive relevant business for the chain.
• Organize quarterly business reviews and bi-monthly engagement with key contacts of the chain partners, to discuss results and to build and/or maintain relationships.
• Drive optimization of chain global product, inventory and pricing supported by Partner Success, Supplier Optimization and Contract Managers in destination.
• Partner with contracting teams in all regions, encouraging and promoting teamwork and commercial performance for contracting with specific hotels and regions.
• Work in partnership with supplier connectivity and loading teams to onboard new chains via preferred connectivity and to maintain the connection to deliver the right supply to our customers.
• Monitor on a regular basis the performance of the chain supplier including production, pricing and availability to ensure competitiveness in the market.
• Primary liaison with the assigned hotel chain partners to deconstruct challenges and develop solutions approach adaptable for all the platforms.
• Support various teams including regional contracting, customer support and supplier connectivity as escalation point regarding availability and service issues.
• Negotiate exclusive deals, value adds and overrides, and identify marketing opportunities for each chain, per region, by market for all WebBeds platform.
• Attend tradeshows and network opportunities within the region to engage with chain partners and prospect new opportunities.
• Consult and agree with the Regional Chains Director regarding new chain opportunities and additions to product.
• As part of the chains team, circulate and facilitate shared special deals, flash sales and additional supply with WebBeds Sales Team to ensure maximum promotion of WebBeds content.
• Co-operate with Health and Safety team to ensure reports are completed and up to date.
• Communicate both internally and externally in a professional manner in keeping with corporate guidelines.

The skills we would love to see in your suitcase!

• Contracting experience gained with the hotel- and/or travel industry.
• Have worked in a similar role.
• Experienced in contracting chains in Europe.
• Able to develop and maintain strong, trusting, and meaningful connections with hotel chains.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent professional qualification.
• Fluent in English and German.
• Open to frequent travel.
• Strong negotiation skills, strategic view, commercial acumen, pro-active, dynamic, passionate, and a team player.
• Highly accurate with excellent attention to detail.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly developed analytical skills, and proficient use of Microsoft Office, especially Excel applications.
• Proactive, with ability to offer solutions to issues encountered.
• Personable with lots of enthusiasm and a "can do" attitude.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of the team.
• Min 4 years contracting experience in hotel- and/or travel industry (OTAs, Bedbanks, Tour Operators).
• Understanding of current contracting landscape (dynamic and static models).
• Fluent in another European language.

Why choose us as your next destination? We are super proud of our dedicated team of friendly, energetic & passionate professionals. Our people are key to the success of our business & everybody at WebBeds has their own unique role to play as we continue to drive the company forward. Over 50 different languages are spoken by our workforce, but whether working from offices in Dubai or London or out in the field in Johannesburg or Buenos Aires, we all share the common goal to take pride in what we do & to deliver our partners with unbeatable service & support.

• International highly skilled group of experts from all around the globe.
• Dynamic environment with the chance to grow, influence & impact change.
• Disruptive, fast-growing market leader within travel & endless possibilities.
• Culture built on collaboration, empowerment and innovation.

Find out more about the WebBeds business at www.webbeds.com.