Global Sales Support Manager

Big Bus Tours LTD London United Kingdom Global Growth
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Company Description

Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, fuelling the spirit of adventure in 21 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey 27 years’ ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has swiftly expanded to a global fleet of over 400 hundred  open-top buses, turning 5 million tourists into explorers, every year. Big Bus Tours operates in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Istanbul, Miami, Muscat, Rome, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Darwin, Sydney, Vienna, Washington DC, Dublin and Singapore, with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations, with complimentary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to make Big Bus Tours the number 1 thing to do in each world-famous city.  In 2016, Merlin Entertainments PLC became a shareholder, offering a natural synergy with Big Bus Tours and Merlin attractions and experiences around the world. With entertaining guides and commentary and knowledge of the latest events in each city, the Big Bus City Crew leaves every passenger with a story to tell.

Position

Overall Purpose

Big Bus Tours is looking for a Global Sales Support Manager to support two channels: Travel Trade (Global and Local) and Local Agent Sales.

Travel Trade sales enablement activities will include on-boarding of new partners and ongoing sales and marketing support as well as leveraging and creating best practice to ensure optimisation of sales.

The Local Agent Sales aspect will involve building and supporting a core infrastructure for the channel and assisting with the execution of fundamental projects such as the creation and distribution of a global sales toolkit.

Enablement across both channels will primarily be achieved through the deployment and ongoing support and development of technical solutions, including the implementation of a Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system, online product information and partner management training portals, and an online booking platform.

This is a management role within the Global Growth Trade team in London, reporting to Global Head of Sales Enablement. The individual will have one direct report: Global Sales Support Executive.

Both individuals will work closely with both the Global Growth Team and also the local sales and operational teams within Big Bus cities: the role covers all of our 21 destinations in 13 countries around the world, providing an opportunity to work with a variety of global markets especially as trade partners operate from many more countries.

The role may involve international travel.

Key Responsibilities

Support

  • Provide sales support to Global Sales team; ensuring timely and comprehensive on-boarding of new partners, maintenance of all relevant records, liaison with Big Bus city teams and partners regarding product listings and promotional activities.
  • Contribute to key ongoing projects such as provision of Sales Toolkit, Partner Management Academy, CRM rollout, delivery of multiple trade shows and events.

 Negotiating

  • Ability to negotiate with partners and suppliers to ensure optimal product and brand exposure and procurement of services on advantageous terms.

Account & Stakeholder Management

  • Develop a relationship of trust and mutually assured success  with key accounts, internal and external stakeholders and executive sponsors
  • Ensure the timely and successful delivery of technical (and other) solutions according to stakeholder needs, objectives and expectations.

Attitude

  • Can-do approach
  • Desire to proactively identify and meet business needs
  • Team player with a desire to support others and be supported
  • Desire to learn and develop whilst offering the benefit of existing skillset

Requirements

Knowledge

  • Excellent understanding of the travel industry with an ability to assess forecast demand to ensure that sales and promotional activities are effected in an appropriate and timely fashion.

Skills

  • Proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to adapt to different cultures
  • Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy whilst seeking support and guidance where required
  • Ability to present and influence credibly and effectively at all levels of the organization, including executive and C-level
  • Meticulous organisation, attention to detail, ability to multi-task and a desire for rigorous observance of process

Experience/Qualifications

  • At least 3 years’ experience in sales or support function within the travel industry , with a proven track record on managing partner relationships
  • Experience in delivering partner-focused solutions based on customer needs and ability to solve complex problems effectively
  • Proven ability to manage multiple projects at a time while paying strict attention to detail
  • Budget management & reporting experience in managing marketing budgets and ensuring diligent use of budgets to attain maximum impact
  • Marketing Support including planning, design and production of brand collateral and promotional items; design and coordination of trade show presence, presentations and activities
  • Process Development to ensure optimal onboarding and ongoing management of partnerships
  • Event Planning including receptions, awards ceremonies and trade shows

Relationship Management

  • Develop a trust relationship with key account representatives, customer stakeholders and executive sponsors to support sales and marketing activity with a variety of distribution partners
  • Build relationships with local Big Bus city teams and collaborate effectively with other departments within Head Office

System & Tech Delivery

  • Manage, maintain & improve Big Bus Tours’ Partner Support and Partner Booking Portals.  In conjunction with local Sales and central Technology teams (and any external provider), ensure that content is always accurate and that partners are able easily to make bookings of all Big Bus Tours products
  • Provide all necessary support to ensure the smooth implementation of the Big Bus Tours Partner Booking Portal.  This includes liaising with internal stakeholders such as Sales & Finance teams and ensuring that the daily running of the system is being looked after by the Sales Support Executive.
  • Work with Sales Support Executive and Sales Enablement and Sales teams to support global implementation of CRM System (Microsoft Dynamics 365), designing/delivering appropriate training, ensuring that it meets the needs of all stakeholders and working towards further development as required.
  • Work in conjunction with Technology team to ensure optimal ongoing delivery of CRM system and efficient on-boarding of API Trade Partners.

Marketing & Trade Show Support

  • Co-ordinate the design, production and timely roll out of a Sales “toolbox” comprising of sales collateral, training materials (including Playbooks), reporting templates and more
  • Actively take lead on B2B marketing activities such as Trade Shows, and marketing material
  • Brief design projects to design agencies  and ensure timely project delivery .
  • Assist Global Head of Sales enablement in creating best practises for B2B Trade shows.
  • Assist with our brand presence and negotiating sponsorship opportunities for maximum brand exposure at Trade shows
  • Maintain a strong selection of creative assets to promote and maintain brand consistency worldwide
  • Assist Global Growth Team with ad hoc design and marketing collateral requests
  • Design, procure and manage stock and distribution of corporate give-aways

Competencies

  • Commercial Awareness – Ability to understand the key business issues that affect the profitability and growth of an enterprise and to take appropriate action to maximise success.
  • Communication – Ability to express facts, ideas and concepts in a clear and persuasive manner. Convince others to own expressed viewpoint
  • Planning and Budgeting – Ability to efficiently establish an appropriate long-term plan of action for self/others to accomplish a goal and to plan associated costs
  • Strategic and Critical Thinking – taking into account a wide range of longer-term issues, opportunities and contingencies. Identifying the means of implementing plans in line with the vision and direction
  • Technical Knowledge – Ability to develop an in-depth knowledge of subject matter and effectively apply that knowledge to solve a range of problems. 
  • Analytical Thinking – Effectiveness in identifying problems, locating pertinent data, recognising important information, identifying possible causes of problems and means by which to solve them.
  • Results Orientated – Consistently delivers required business results; sets and achieves achievable, but aggressive, goals; consistently complies with quality and service standards and meets deadlines; maintains focus on company goals
  • Customer Focus – Exceeds expectations by displaying a total commitment to identifying and providing solutions of the highest possible standards aimed at addressing customer/partner/stakeholder needs
  • Relationship management – Able to work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders
  • Positive Attitude – With challenging tasks comes the need to “keep calm and carry on”. The successful candidate will lead by example at all times, effectively finding solutions even in challenging circumstances, retaining the ability to remain calm and get the job done.

Other information

Working hours and conditions

Core working hours are 09.00 to 17:30 Monday – Friday.  Primary place of work will be 110 Buckingham Palace Road, London. There may be a requirement to work outside the core hours in order to ensure the proper performance of the above duties, including some evening and weekend engagements.  The role may involve frequent travel (through different time zones) and the necessity of overnight stays.  It is accepted and understood that mobility and the need to work flexible hours is an integral part of the role.

Salary

c£45,000