Commercial Operations Executive

**ROLE**:Commercial Operations Executive

**LOCATION**:Technopark, Stellenbosch

**REPORTING TO**:Commercial Operations Manager

**SHIFT PATTERN**:40 hours per week working 9:00am - 6:00pm between Monday - Friday (which includes a 1-hour unpaid lunch break). Once the departments are on weekend schedule and working hours will be following customer services’, you will cover 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday in every 4-week period (rota basis) with a day off in the week to compensate for this.

**CONTRACT**:Permanent

OVERVIEW

So, what exactly does our client do? They began with their bespoke tech which provides market-leading flight booking systems for the world's leading airlines to the travel trade to book the world’s most recognisable travel brands. Their service is legendary in the industry (for all the right reasons) and thanks to this foundation, their growth continues to skyrocket with new, exciting products launching regularly, from cruise packages to luxury hotel booking services.

While their Head Office is in Cheshire in the UK, they have an ever expanding operation based in
Stellenbosch in Cape Town, and they are looking for exceptional talent to join them, to succeed with them, and to grow with them.

JOB PURPOSE

The commercial department is the hub of new opportunities where relationships with suppliers are forged and nurtured. Our astute commercial minds are the first port of call for travel suppliers seeking to distribute to our broad-spanning market, whilst also managing the relationships from initial project scoping through to day-to-day performance reporting. The key purposes of the role are to.
- Maximise the efficiency of the commercial team, ensuring the best product available for sale and to offer expert fares support and advice to internal and external customers.
- Assist the department to be more proactive in identifying and realising commercial opportunities.
- Provide cover to ensure SLAs are always maintained.

KEY OBJECTIVES
- To make available online, to set Service Levels, appropriate airline fares
- To communicate new fares, changes, updates to relevant internal and external customers
- To respond quickly to fare queries from internal customers
- To be able to distribute and price fares across 4 main GDS
- To identify outstanding fares that will be commercially beneficial for the business to promote
- To help reduce losses from airline ADMs
- To obtain profit from unused tickets
- To help and assist GDS bookers with GDS related matters/Fare loading and training.
- To foster good relationships with airline contacts
- To ensure better coordination between Fares - Sales - Marketing

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- These include, but are not limited to_**:

- Sense-check incoming fares & contracts
- Correspond with airline fares support teams over queries/errors
- Log and investigate airline ADMs, and liaise with Customer Support to rectify and identify regularly occurring errors
- Collate all data needed to set up new airlines or revenue streams
- Have a comprehensive understanding of each airlines nett fare structure and rules
- Make airline fares available online & via NDC/GDS to SLAs
- Become proficient in all 4 GDS fare distribution tools
- Answer airline fare and product queries from internal or external customers
- Communicate clearly and effectively to set SLAs to internal or external customers
- Have a good understanding of each airlines’ products, routes and USPs
- Be fully conversant with the company's booking systems, raising cases to fix issues related to airlines revenue streams.
- Carry out checks and testing of fares released, and bookings subsequently made
- Create good relationships with airline suppliers
- Liaise effectively with Marketing & Customer Support teams
- Be able to produce accurate reports from the company's reporting system and/or update excel data supplied by airlines
- Update website notifications board
- Process refunds and follow up with Finance and Flights Teams on queries related to UTTER refunds.
- Create airline/fare user guides for GDS and company intranet

**Other support areas**:

- System testing for new functionality releases
- Establishing fares in response to marketing dept. requests
- System notifications

**General**
- Be a committed, enthusiastic, and supportive team member
- Be aware of company’s goals and aims and strive to achieve at every opportunity
- Deliver an efficient and professional service to the company's internal and external customers
- Attend and contribute in a positive and objective manner at team meetings or any relevant departmental/company meetings
- Acknowledge correspondence within set standards and timescales
- Assist other departments when and where necessary to ensure business continuity and minimum standard performance
- Maintain systems to ensure quality control
- Strive to continuously improve the quality (presentation, accuracy, and coverage) of information relevant to the business
- Keep accurate records,