- Location: London (home based) or Edinburgh (office based)
- Salary: Negotiable depending on experience
- Contract: Full time, permanent
Abbey Ireland & UK are seeking an experienced, commercial Business Development and Customer Care Manager with a proven track record in converting business from the US inbound market to the UK. The successful candidate will be a commercially driven self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills, articulate with total fluency in written and spoken English.
The company offers a competitive salary along with company bonus scheme and benefits package. This role is an exciting opportunity for a candidate who has a strong sales flair and is looking to develop their career in a fast growing travel company. The role is a management position and will report to the Customer Care & Operations Director and UK Managing Director.
Key responsibilities include:
- Overseeing the business development and customer care group functions for the UK for the inbound North American and Long Haul markets for special interest and performance groups and group series. Key to this role is ensuring all client requests are responded to in a timely, creative and professional manner.
- Identifying new opportunities to grow and generate business from the US market with particular focus on growing the London, England and Wales portion of the business
- Developing and maintaining strong relationships with both existing and potential clients
- Promoting new destinations, activities and experiences, and advertising the range of Abbey products regularly
- Active hand-on role in the business development function for the US team and development of the US strategy in growing US business for the UK
- Active role in preparation and costing of group programmes and working with the client to ensure conversion to confirmed business
- Ensuring all enquiries are responded to within deadlines and followed up
- Full utilization of Tourplan NX to generate quotes and follow ups, ensuring that confirmed proposals are accurately reflected
- Full utilisation of the CRM
- Managing sales and marketing activities as agreed with the UK Managing Director and Business Development Director for the group. This could take the form of desk-based virtual activity and on-the-ground live meeting and client visits
- Management of all staff and trainees assigned to the area
- Participation in the UK management forums
- Participation in the 24-hour on call support rota for clients and on call staff
- Strong communication with Dublin-based Business Development Managers for the NA & LH markets and with market-based Sales representatives, and coordinating follow up and communication with clients
- Assisting the Abbey Group with its environmental and responsible tourism initiatives
The ideal candidate will have:
- Relevant degree qualification in languages, business or tourism (desirable but not essential)
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office
- Good knowledge of the UK-wide tourism industry product
- Excellent organisational skills and staff management skills with good attention to detail
- Client-focused, friendly and diplomatic
- Ability to work as a team in a busy environment
Please click here to view the full job description and person specification >>
How to apply: Please send your CV and covering letter to Rebecca Brooks at [email protected] by 28 February 2022.
About Abbey Ireland & UK: The Abbey Group is an established and fast growing Destination Management company with offices in Dublin, and Edinburgh with a turnover of 95 million in 2019 specialising in B2B sales to the international travel trade in both Groups and FIT. The UK operation is head quartered in Edinburgh with a turnover of 30 million. The Group has four divisions specialising in specific types of inbound tourism: conference and events; group tours; individual and online travel; incentive and luxury leisure travel.
