Job Title: Key Account Manger

Location: Melrose Arch, Johannesburg

Salary up to: R444 000 per annum

A Leading international company in the Travel industry is looking for an experienced Key Account manager who is ultimately responsible for ensuring each individual customer account performs to revenue and segment targets as discussed and agreed with the Business Development Manager and Country Manager. The Key Account Manager will effectively manage develop and grow business relationships with a portfolio of customers and associated organisations to achieve the above. This needs to be achieved in a sustainable and profitable manner. The Account Manager will be responsible for driving incremental revenue through the adoption and execution of creative and innovative tactics and sales campaigns.

The successful candidate will maintain excellent working relationships with customers at Director level. To fully understand the customers market, strategic direction, business critical issues and key drivers and be able to link these by applying sound solution proposals to meet the needs and benefits of both the customer and the copmany.

The Account Manager will introduce and sell new solutions and services to our existing customers to achieve the targets. They need to encourage and promote mutually beneficial business partnerships, ensuring solutions supplied are fully supported and managed by both parties and meet company cost objectives. The Account Manager will work seamlessly with SMO team and Technical Manager to drive customer requirements and ensure “brick walling” is complete.

The Account manager leads a virtual cross functional team within Travelport, maintaining excellent relationships with key functions within the business in order to be the champion on behalf of our customer, defining requirements and pulling in specialist resources when necessary.

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years account management ideally within the travel industry, software or technology related industry
• Candidates will have the ability to consult with customers, identify requirements, present technical information in easily understood terms and develop relationships that meet/exceed customer's needs
• Highly commercially aware and adept at bid processes
• High degree of numeracy and will be able to understand and prepare complex financial proposals
• Able to work effectively with colleagues and lead a cross-functional account team
• Well organised with sound planning and prioritisation skills
• Excellent presentation and written communication skills
• Portrays an enthusiastic and driven approach in building relationships with key decision makers
• Ability to network at senior management level, selling in ideas and influencing decision making

Duties:

• Maintain excellent relationships with key decision makers within portfolio of designated accounts, builds and nurtures these whilst taking an active step in networking within the customers business promoting valued solutions and partnerships
• Fully understands and documents the customers business profile, commercial requirements and their strategic direction, actively searching for opportunities to sell in the complete value proposition, “brick walling” the customer and identifying revenue generating opportunities within the account
• Works seamlessly with the Technical Account Managers and Product Experts where appropriate to understand the technical and process work flows within the customer environment, identifying key suppliers, key areas of cost and an understanding of the potential for introduction of new lines of revenue, resulting in a complete picture of the customer drivers and direction
• Leads and motivates a cross functional account team to deliver solutions which match or exceed customer expectation, providing professional commercial presentations and demonstrations
• In line with the sales plan, produces in depth reports and forecasts on all accounts, to include full financial analysis, customer profitability, strategic direction, swot analysis and competitive review to be shared and acted upon within sales planning sessions
• Holds regular review meetings with senior management teams of each account in order to set objectives, review commercial drivers and agree partnership boundaries between the business and the customer
• Ensures contractual targets and obligations are met by both parties
• Responsible for long term profitable partnerships, in particular managing contract renegotiation, minimising cost of sale and delivering excellent service.
• Full accountability for managing and achieving targets set in line with sales plan
• Proactively works with Marketing to support the development of the account, adopting innovative tactics and programmes