Travel/ Hospitality Contracting Manager

Company - Travel Trade Provider/Supplier Job Title - Contracting Manager - Graduate/Trainee - Travel Location - Gravesend Salary – £23k - £26k On behalf of our client, we are currently recruiting for a Trainee/Graduate Contract Manager to join an expanding company who specialise in providing solutions for Global Travel trade. This role would suit a Travel Industry Graduate or someone who has worked for a couple of years within the Travel Industry. The succesful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their commercial & negotiation skills working within the UK Inbound travel industry. The position will offer an introduction to the contracting of attractions & restaurants. This role would suit an individual with strong negotiation skills who are comfortable in developing and maintaining supplier relationships. Full time/Hybrid Key Duties & Responsibilities * Negotiate competitive rates and conditions for all land services notably restaurants & attractions * Secure contracts with suppliers in line with the purchasing strategy and remit advised from The Commercial Director * Product development – source new venues and be proactive in proposing new products appropriate to the various sales channels * Provide product updates and presentations of new products or packages to B2B clients * To propose, plan and attend business trips and meetings in order to negotiate and renegotiate contracts * Ensure existing and new supplier relationships are built and maintained to maximize all commercial opportunities. * Organise and attend FAM trips. Attend key industry events, workshops and networking opportunities where required * Ability to travel, to key destinations in the UK and Northern Europe when required. * Prepare and analyse statistics via software products to benefit effective negotiations and product analysis for re contracting * To develop and maintain commercially advantageous business relationships with our suppliers * Provide the Operations team with product updates and respond to day to day queries * Ensure all contracts are completed accurately and in full with all information being set up in a timely fashion * To liaise with all internal departments to ensure all departments are fully up to date these include, finance, systems, sales & marketing. * Negotiate added-value deals, overrides and special offers * Constantly challenging yourself to increase product knowledge and identifying potential suppliers to support our product offering. * Investigate and resolve service complaints * Ensure high service quality standards are met year on year and to promptly deal with queries from colleagues and suppliers * Entering contracts into the in house HLG database Key Skills * Graduate in tourism related subject or at least 12 months experience in the travel industry * Confident and passionate about learning and succeeding in the role * The applicant needs to have strong commercial acumen, be adaptable, reliable and flexible, with a responsible attitude and possess the ability to respond to tight deadlines. * Excellent negotiation skills * Excellent organisational and planning skills. * The ability to deal with competing priorities effectively * Self-motivated and good working under pressure. * An good knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint * Strong written and verbal communication skills (English) * Additional languages desirable particularly German or French as is a knowledge of UK and Northern European cities * Desirable - Previous experience in a UK travel industry