Main Duties and Responsibilities:
* Manages the Company's Commercial Services strategy by enhancing customer experience through collaboration and coordination with the internal functional teams.
* Assists the Commercial Services Director in developing tactical and strategic Commercial Services initiatives to support the customer and business unit's goals (financial, quality, production, customer service, operational efficiency, etc.).
* Establishes and maintains communications with all levels of Airline/non-Airline teams and the Company's internal functions which impacts customer relationships
* Ensures contract compliance with all customer and airline service requirements.
* Manages a team of analysts/representatives, whose focus areas include change management, financial analysis, pricing strategy, billing validation, performance analysis and account management
* Manages internal departments, including pricing, billing, procurement, industrial engineers and data group, in matters pertaining to the customer to ensure data integrity, execution, appropriate and timely communication.
* Coordinates bid activities, minimum wage increases, and other finance related commercial activities, ensuring the timely completion of tenders, evaluates inquiries, tracks and manages progress of works
* Coordinates and supports successful launch of new business and new services, provides guidance and support to new locations during their start-ups
* Supports ad-hoc financial analysis to recover additional costs and conducts negotiations with the customer to ensure proper revenue capture as specified in the contract
* Manages a system for customer evaluation, performance and communication
* Monitors performance and takes a proactive approach in ensuring quality service standards are maintained at the highest level
* Develops and maintains tools to analyze the flight data and provides catering locations with flight statistics to drive more proactive and efficient plans and actions for the upcoming changes
* Streamlines the existing tools and increases efficiency of the data analysis
* Manages the customer change management process for all day to day operational communications, working with each designated kitchen Account Manager as well as other internal functions; communicates with the customer, as assigned, to develop business relationships which allows for root cause issue resolution.
* Drives change communications between the Customer Services Group including pricing, billing and menu design specifications and Culinary departments and the customer.
* Participates in regular meetings with the Directors and Sales and Service to discuss commercial issues.
* Prepares for and delivers regular reviews/reports with the internal and external customers about the activities and results of the project team.
* Champions improvement initiatives on behalf of the customer
* Works with gategroup colleagues to identify and implement best practices.
* Liaises with the colleagues on all significant account issues
* Develops standard operating procedures to ensure customer deliverables standards are met.
Qualifications
Education:
* Bachelor's Degree or relevant, equivalent work experience in Sales and Service is required
* Masters degree a plus
Work Experience:
* Minimum 7 years of experience in Sales, airline and/or airline catering required
* Previous project management experience preferred
* Experience in a food related industry is preferred with exposure to multi-ethnic cuisines.
* Experience working with international clients is advantageous to the position.
* A background in revenue management and/or pricing is preferred but not mandatory.
Technical Skills: (Certification, Licenses and Registration)
* Must be able to obtain AOA access
* Must have a valid driver's license
* Must have a valid passport
Job Skills:
* Strong organization and/or project management skills
* Account management
* Strong analytical skills
* Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
* Large scale catering operations or logistics, airline catering experience preferred
* Sales and/or customer service experience
* Able to shift roles and responsibilities as business needs change.
* Able to work effectively in a team environment.
* Able to find innovative ways to solve problems
Language / Communication Skills:
* Excellent verbal and written skills, ability to present proposals and performance data, comfortable interfacing with senior executives. Fluency in a foreign language is beneficial to the position, however not mandatory.