Manager, Strategic Account CEL

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our exciting team of employees. Royal Caribbean Group is pleased to offer a competitive compensation & benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

Celebrity Cruises UK is looking for a Strategic Account Manager South East of England regions to join UK Sales team. Please note that we are only able to consider candidates based in the UK with full right to work. 

About the Company

Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium holiday experience across our fleet of 15 ships traveling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries spanning all seven continents. Uniquely offering the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of bigger ones—you can explore the world or get away from it for a little while. With every detail elevated beyond expectations, you will never want to holiday any other way. An industry pioneer for 35 years, each Celebrity holiday offers experiences you won’t find anywhere else aboard ships which continue to shatter industry expectations with the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel arriving Fall 2025. With groundbreaking design, cutting-edge amenities, and world-class service, Celebrity Xcel℠ is set to redefine modern cruising and elevate your journey to extraordinary new heights.

Celebrity Cruises is a premium cruise line under the Royal Caribbean Group, Celebrity Cruises offers an unparalleled blend of sophisticated design, innovative cuisine, and world-class service. Sail to breathtaking destinations around the globe aboard our award-winning fleet, including the revolutionary Edge Class ships. Indulge in exquisite dining, rejuvenate at the state-of-the-art spa, and enjoy top-notch entertainment. With a commitment to sustainability and enriching experiences, Celebrity Cruises invites you to explore the world in style and comfort. Discover the Celebrity difference and embark on a journey like no other.

The brand is targeting significant growth over the coming years, with all global regions expected to source more guests and grow revenues. The EMEA (Europe Middle East & Africa) arm of Celebrity Cruises currently focuses on the acceleration of guests & revenues from the strategically important markets of the UK&I, Germany, and the Nordics.  Celebrity Cruises is headquartered in Miami and is one of five cruise brands owned by Royal Caribbean Group.

About the role

The primary purpose of this role is to own and manage a portfolio of key accounts, influencing internal and external stakeholders through building key relationships and ensuring that APD, revenue and guest targets are exceeded at optimal cost of acquisition.  The role will be responsible for developing a fully integrated strategic sales and marketing annual plan for own accounts, and then converting the strategy into targeted activity.

This role will support the Head of Sales with the execution of the distribution strategy and ensure correct investment decisions are made.  Responsibility includes supporting strategic and key partners and producing annual destination plans with alignment to the booking curve

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Sales Planning & Activation

• Ensure the right amount of time is dedicated to support the strategic partners with an execution plan.
• Analyse account profitability and opportunity and ensure that the distribution strategy is driving optimal return on investment.
• Responsible for analysing the weekly stats for your territory by account and providing robust market insights.
• Implementation, development, and management of the sales strategy for new business opportunities within your territory.
• To develop annual and quarterly sales plan for your accounts, ensuring the plans are relevant and will drive improvement on profit and APD, using the SPARK sales academy tools & techniques to formulate robust plans.

Trade Engagement

• Be the face of Celebrity Cruises, with face-to-face visits, meetings and floor-walking within own accounts.
• Develop a targeted contact strategy that enables you to the focus of delivering higher APD’s.
• Develop key relationships within your account portfolio with key decision makers and influencers.
• Build solid relationships with top sellers to ensure Celebrity Cruises remains forefront of mind, whilst seeking new opportunities with other sellers to build volume.  
• To motivate and ensure your partners are engaged with our trade loyalty programme Celebrity Rewards.
• Work with the Training Manager to ensure effective implementation of Celebrity Passport training programme and attendance of seminars at sea and face to face / virtual training events amongst the accounts.
• To use the sales management tools available, in particular automation tools to ensure effective and efficient communication and account management.
• Drive sales and engagement within own accounts via use of technology including (but not limited to) social media, virtual meetings, salesforce and telephone calls.
• Implement both product and automation training to ensure awareness of all products.

Commitment & Execution

• Responsible for effective management of co-op budget for the accounts and monitoring and reporting on the ROI.
• Effective implementation and communication of commercial terms ensuring all paperwork post negotiations are delivered in a timely fashion.
• Responsible for competitive intelligence gathering and provide recommendation to the organisation.

• Work with the Marketing team and Trade Marketing Manager to ensure that Celebrity Cruises are well represented in all activity.
• Prepare and host client educational trips, i.e., Seminars at Sea, Ship Launches, and Ship Visits etc with targeted follow-up to ensure robust ROI.
• Act as Ambassador for Celebrity Cruises at key trade and consumer events.
• Implement successful consumer events, digitally or face to face, as required as part of a clear strategy and demonstrate a return of investment and costs.
• Prepare weekly and sales reports for the leadership team as required.
• Liaise and work with RSM team where appropriate to ensure coverage of Key Accounts within retail space, promoting consistent messaging and engagement.
• Set clear SMART objectives for all meetings to ensure effective use of time.
• Accurately record all meaningful trade partner conversations in Salesforce, including any agreed actions and follow-up.
• Takes accountability for self-development, completing all required training, as well as those identified to support own needs and opportunities for personal growth 

Other:

• Perform other duties as required.  This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor or management.

EXPERIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Influencing – takes others on the journey with them and ability to persuade others.
• Problem Solving skills – Can identify the problem, think on their feet, and address disputes and problems.
• Multi-tasker – Ability to simultaneously manage a variety of projects and events & at different planning stages whilst meeting required deadlines.
• Style – Leads with integrity, empathy and is self-aware
• Enthusiastic – Demonstrates passion, enthusiasm and is eager and excited towards own goals and development of the team.
• Analytical – Logically analyses facts, data, and situations.
• Takes initiative – Understands what needs to be accomplished and proceeds within the accountabilities of the job.
• Planning - Can formulate ideas related to the steps of achieving the objective.
• Organised – Can place and maintain order in an environment and situation.
• Selling – Has a skill to convince and influence others to purchase a product or service.
• Persistent – Is tenacious despite encountering setbacks and obstacles.
• Optimistic – Believes the future will be positive and demonstrates a positive attitude in all situations.
• Written/Language - Clear and concise communication detailing the level of interest in formulating words that convey the meaning.
• Flexible - Working hours and travel will be fluid with regular time spent with Trade Partners.

• All Sales backgrounds (sectors) considered.
• Experience of working in a matrix organization is preferable.
• Clean current driving licence.

What we Offer. At Royal Caribbean Group, we are client-centric but put people first. We have a culture where everyone is trusted and valued in equal measure, whatever your role in the company. We are propelled by people. Our employees and crew are the driving force behind our success. Our aim is to recruit, develop and retain world class people, who come to Royal Caribbean to do the best work of their careers.

We are committed to employee development, and you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business. We regularly reward and promote success, encouraging staff to take on new challenges and responsibilities to aid progression.

Our remuneration package includes our competitive pension, private healthcare, life assurance cover to name a few. In addition, every permanent member of staff that works at Royal Caribbean is eligible for our cruise request program and friends & family cruise discounts.

Come join the team - Journey with us, succeed with us, grow with us.

We know there's a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance, and more relevant details to answer any additional questions.

Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We'll hope to see you onboard soon.

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

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