Ready to make a move in 2024? Keen to apply your sales skills and travel industry acumen to a Business Development Manager role with New Zealand’s family-owned, small-ship expedition cruising pioneers Heritage Expeditions? Read on if a new challenge is on the horizon…
Heritage Expeditions is currently recruiting for an experienced, innovative and results-driven Business Development Manager for the APAC region.
Reporting to the Head of Sales, Robert Halfpenny, and based in Australia, this BDM role will see you work closely with trade partners to deliver strategic growth across the region.
About Heritage Expeditions
The proudly family-owned and -operated Heritage Expeditions is New Zealand’s only small-ship conservation-based expedition cruise company, founded in Christchurch in 1984.
Pioneers in environmentally responsible travel, the cruise company transports travellers to some of the world’s most unique and remote islands, coasts and shorelines aboard the purpose-built, 140-guest luxury flagship Heritage Adventurer and 18-guest expedition yacht Heritage Explorer.
Offering intimate group expeditions of four to 29 days, guests can explore and experience bucket-list adventures in the Asia-Pacific region, voyaging to Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Australia’s Kimberley coast, New Zealand and Antarctica.
On a Heritage Expeditions voyage, passengers contribute to the conservation and support of the remote communities and villages and have the opportunity to take part in citizen science initiatives, returning as ambassadors for these extraordinary places.
What you’ll need to apply:
- 3-5 years’ experience in increasingly senior roles in Sales or Account Management, preferably within the adventure/experiential/cruise travel industry.
- Previous experience in the expedition cruise space is an asset.
- Finely tuned business, strategic and commercial acumen, including proven experience in business plan and contract development.
- Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to effectively present and pitch ideas in a business setting, engage stakeholders, build consensus and compellingly communicate Heritage Expeditions’ value proposition.
- Strong negotiation skills in multicultural settings.
- Ability to author complex contracts and sales agreements.
- Can clearly demonstrate the ability to understand the needs of guests and positively make recommendations to enhance customer experience.
- Grounded, mature self-starter with a passion for exceeding goals and objectives.
- Ability to function within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture.
- Comfortable with a high percentage of domestic travel as a core responsibility.
- Must have a demonstrated ability to work independently, set and achieve goals and demonstrate tenacity and self-discipline to work independently, prioritise day-to-day activities and travel while adjusting priorities without losing effectiveness.
- Computer skills, including hands-on experience with email, browsers, word processing, spreadsheets, basic database knowledge and sales presentation tools.
- A high level of discretion and judgment in making decisions.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading the development of tactical and long-term strategic objectives within the region, specifically designed to grow sales in retail travel channels in alignment with Heritage Expeditions’ long-term strategic plan.
- Building and maintaining relationships with existing and emerging strategic retail travel and wholesale partners, maximising the value and growth potential through effective account management.
- Actively looking for opportunities to develop sales from existing and new customers based on established strategies, sourcing/research and qualified sales calls to travel agencies and other travel distribution partnerships.
- Using Heritage Expeditions reservations and CRM systems to analyse and monitor sales of key accounts, establish benchmarks, track sales trends and ROI and uncover untapped resources to create strategies specific to prospect productivity and potential.
- Identifying new revenue streams and marketable database opportunities in the travel retail partner channel, wholesale and other expedition-focused multichannel distribution partnerships through business development planning, presentations and front-stage selling to agents and direct consumers.
- Establishing and implementing new business development and group and charter acquisition strategies in retail travel markets and other sales channels/partnerships.
- Collaborating with Marketing, Sales and Product to contribute to regular trade communications, including monthly updates, promotional offers, trade-specific tactical messaging, sales tools, USPs and competitive differentiation.
- Coordinating the development of cooperative marketing efforts with key accounts with the goal of increasing indirect sales, ensuring efforts align with organisational strategy/objectives.
- Identifying key agencies in Heritage Expeditions’ trade database and establishing account development plans in conjunction with the partners.
- Overseeing the creation and deployment of a partner training curriculum in alignment with brand guidelines.
- Creating engaging, compelling and educational presentations to use on site at trade/consumer shows or via agent-focused webinars.
- Developing a strong understanding of competitor activity and the potential current and future implications on Heritage Expeditions’ business.
- Participating in and organising relevant events that maximise Heritage Expeditions’ product exposure and brand awareness to target profile existing and potential customers.
- Meeting or exceeding sales targets by looking for opportunities to develop sales from existing and new accounts.
- Strong collaboration with other departments (finance, marketing and operations), ensuring expectations are aligned and customer needs are met.
Apply today!
To apply for this exciting Australia-based Business Development Manager position, send your resume and cover letter to careers@heritage-expeditions.com
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