Hotel Contracting Manager, Pacific

Who are WebBeds?

WebBeds is the fastest growing and most significant accommodation supplier to the travel industry. We are a global company offering ground services (hotels, transfers, tours, activities) to travel professionals. Our products help our partners and customers to create amazing Travel experiences.

Our Products range from a Retail Online platform, Integration Connectivity hub and distribution APIs to name but a few and our systems are 100% cloud hosted processing up to 5.0bn search requests daily. We deliver amazing outcomes using leading edge technology through innovative and creative thinking.

WebBeds is a subsidiary of Web Travel Group (ASX: WEB) – an ASX 200 listed company operating a global digital travel business.

What makes us stand out?

• We are a wholesale global travel organization
• We have 1500+ people speaking 50+ languages in 120+ cites across 50+ countries
• We partner with over 430,000 properties in more than 15,000 destinations
• We work with more than 44,000 travel companies in 139 source markets
• We have an amazing Technology team focused on delivering valuable outcomes using innovative tech and creative & lateral thinking

What will you do on your journey with WebBeds?

WebBeds is the world’s fastest growing provider of accommodation distribution services to the travel industry. Our products incorporate distribution APIs, payment integrations, ERP integration, Data Lakes, User Interfaces, and others. Our search API reach peaks of more than 50.000 requests per second, each one consisting of tens or hundreds of hotels, with continued expansion.

"We design, deliver and support innovative solutions through engagement, collaboration and a fearsome passion for creating customer value" is our mission as an IT organization.

With this in mind, we strive to be at the leading edge of technology when it comes to build the platform that meets the needs of our Supply partners and customers. This translates to the use of latest technology including .NET Core versions, K8S, microservices architecture, clouds hosting and orchestration, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, Proactive monitoring, and alerting systems, to name a few.

Our delivery teams have the creativity and freedom to express themselves by building innovative solutions to often complex problems and are challenged to reach higher levels daily. Our teams consist of product owners, QA engineers, Software Engineers, and people from across the business all working collectively and collaboratively. We have a very strong technical team from which you will be able to learn but are encouraged by new ideas and fresh thinking that you will bring with you.

How will you make an impact?

There are three core aspects to the role of a Hotel Contracting Manager – these are to build, grow and maintain a hotel portfolio, to secure best possible rates, conditions and inventory with suppliers, and to achieve targets in a number of hotels, Revenue (BP), and Override / Marketing Fees, all within a designated area of responsibility.

Key elements to the role include:

• Negotiating and signing competitive or exclusive contracts that meet company requirements in terms of rates, allocations, commissions, and other key contracting criteria.
• Identify “must-have” hotels within a destination and contract according to Regional Head agreement and assigned targets.
• Responsible for maximizing contract performance through negotiating tactical and special offers to achieve targets and drive destination performance.
• Responsible for negotiating and minimizing losses as required.
• Manage the supplier relationship throughout the contract period.
• Track and monitor competitive pricing and availability in line with demand.
• Monitoring and analyzing production volumes to ensure adequate inventory aligns with destination targets.
• Provide suggestions and advice to the Pricing and Revenue Management team to ensure maximum profit margin when necessary.
• Identify and address issues related to low performers.
• Responsible for producing a monthly destination report reflecting market trends and product needs for the Head of Commercial.
• Responsible for all elements of ongoing account management and developing excellent relationships with key supplier decision-makers.
• Regularly promote products internally and provide recommendations on products as needed.
• Identify promotional opportunities within the destination(s).
• Act as a solution provider in designated destination(s).
• Work with suppliers and internal teams to maximize the benefit of all channels: BAR, FIT, wholesale, and retail.
• Ensure all required contract administration is completed accurately, timely, and within department guidelines before submitting the contract.
• Ensure that all hotel information content (photos/facilities) is accurate and up to date.
• Carry out other administrative tasks as needed.
• Attend regular business trips and trade fairs as required.

The skills we would love to see in your suitcase!

• Previous experience as a Hotel Procurement Manager / Contracts Manager (or equivalent) within the travel industry preferred.
• Demonstrable experience in both business development and account management.
• Proven track record of meeting targets and delivering success in a Hotel Procurement or Contracts Manager role.
• Experience working within a multi-cultural organization and with people from diverse cultures.
• Experience operating within an assigned territory.
• Educated to degree level or holds an equivalent professional qualification.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Proven analytical skills and strategic thinking.
• Ability to produce accurate reporting and management information.
• High attention to detail, with the ability to analyze data from multiple reporting sources.
• IT knowledge: functional level in MS Office, with a focus on Excel applications.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Knowledge and comprehensive experience in B2B, online travel/ecommerce, and hotels, with an understanding of hotel revenue management.
• Comprehensive understanding of the hotel distribution landscape.
• Fluent in English – both verbal and written.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to build and promote long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
• Professional, credible, confident, and enthusiastic.
• Proactive, results-driven, and committed to meeting deadlines.
• Self-motivated, flexible, and able to work on own initiative.
• Resilient and able to perform in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
• Adaptable to different working environments, including spending time out of the office and conducting meetings over the phone.
• Available to travel up to 20% of the time.

Why choose us as your next destination?

We are super proud of our dedicated team of friendly, energetic & passionate professionals. Our people are key to the success of our business & everybody at WebBeds has their own unique role to play as we continue to drive the company forward.

Over 50 different languages are spoken by our workforce, but whether working from offices in Dubai or London or out in the field in Johannesburg or Buenos Aires, we all share the common goal to take pride in what we do & to deliver our partners with unbeatable service & support.

Dynamic environment with the chance to grow, influence & impact change Disruptive, fast-growing market leader within travel & endless possibilities Culture built on collaboration empowerment and innovation

Find out more about the WebBeds business at www.webbeds.com - #LI-Hybrid