Manager, Trade Strategy & Market Development

The Manager of Trade Strategy and Market Development serves as the primary liaison between Sales, Marketing, IT and Data Science to ensure alignment of core brand initiatives and promotional activities. The role is responsible for creating and maintaining detailed goals for internal sales managers and external travel agents for the North America market. The Manager of Trade Strategy and Market Development will also maintain marketing segmentation for the trade and evaluate consumer trends to funnel demand into new revenue channels or key areas of focus with the goal of attaining increased yields and improved customer loyalty.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

· Lead a team of Data Analysts focused on stimulating demand for key products and identifying travel partners able to drive such a business.

· Develop a team of analysts and strengthen their technical and analytical capabilities.

· Build reporting and forecasts leveraging modern forecasting techniques including SQL and Python to evaluate and recommend areas of opportunity; Incorporate learnings into future planning.

· Partner with Revenue Planning to maintain overall trade track expectations; leverage these tracks to build out detailed tracks for top accounts. Proactively communicate track adjustments.

· Use top analytical tools (Databricks, PowerBI) to analyze and present performance trends and action plans that drive key brand initiatives including pre-cruise planner participation, Casino growth, consumer lifetime value, and first to brand.

· Work with the Data Science team and external partners to build and maintain segmentation models and cohorts of our trade agent database for an always targeted approach.

· Strategize with our Marketing vendor and IT to consolidate trade marketing data and report on agent engagement including opens, click-through rate, and unsubscribes. Be able to easily report results to key brand leaders.

· Remain close to sales leaders, both Regional and National Accounts, to develop trade strategies that align with product level targets to achieve consistent success. Identify insights, share key stats, and, ultimately, create a holistic, integrated course of action for core product offerings.

· Evolve team reporting by introducing automation capabilities to better streamline deliverables, timelines, and efficiencies across the team; Further master the ability to create and revise dashboards via PowerBi and other business analytic platforms.

· Participate in National Account goal setting reviews and associated report-outs; Act as secondary liaison to National Accounts team on explanations of goal derivation.

· Collaborate to create and/or revise trade incentive and compensation programs, such as VVI, G2, and others. · Perform special operational and analytical projects, as requested. Make recommendations to improve the overall service and efficiency of sales operation and functions.

· Manage other duties as required. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the shoreside employee occupying this position.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:  

· Bachelor’s degree required in a mathematics or computer science-based field; Mathematics, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering preferred.

· Minimum 5 years’ experience in data forecasting and modeling; experience reporting on Sales or Marketing performance preferred.

· Minimum 1-2 experience in supervisor or lead level roles responsible for mentoring and developing entry level employees.

· Advanced understanding of building business performance metrics leveraging SQL, Python,

and Databricks. Must be able to build linear regressions, perform correlation studies using R- squared analysis, and identify variable bias.

· Experience and knowledge of the Travel Agency Distribution model a plus.

· Strategic & transformational thinker having the ability to make sound decisions.

· Knowledge of the sales process, sales organization, pricing strategies, deployment strategies and business performance metrics.

· Ability to establish effective working relationships with leadership team, field sales managers, directors and supporting departments. Excellent interpersonal skills, strength in communicating in a multicultural environment with all levels of employees and management.

· Knowledge of revenue performance management, metrics and corporate revenue expectations.

· Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills required. Clear and precise communication at all levels of the organization is essential.

· Excellent organizational and presentation skills.

· Ability to multi-task and be flexible in a fast-paced environment. 

· Problem solving skills are crucial; Positive attitude, excellent level of communication and high energy are required.

· Ability to assemble, lead and liaison with cross functional teams to develop and achieve revenue maximization strategies that include input and buy-in from all stakeholders. 

· Ability to analyze corporate data, research and analysis to make recommendations for product strategy and success.

· Experience with Databricks, PowerBI, and SQL required

 · Ability to travel as needed.