Product Development Specialist - Westville, South Africa - Cullinan Holdings

Cullinan Holdings

Verified Company

Westville, South Africa

1 week ago

Posted by:

Thabo Mthembu

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Description

An exciting opportunity has become available for an experienced Product Development Specialist to join the Thompsons Africa team.

The position is based in Westville, Durban.

Thompsons Africa is an Inbound Destination Management Company supplying meet and greets, transfers, fully escorted and group series tours, seat-in-vehicle tours, open-vehicle safaris and FIT services in South and Southern Africa.

Established more than 36 years, we provide memorable and life-changing African holiday experiences thereby ensuring our customers' success in selling Africa.

The Product Development Specialist is responsible for interpreting their customer's needs and requirements, creatively sourcing product, and experiences, and then successfully proposing, promoting, and distributing these.

This position also includes successfully contracting customer-specific rates and services and ensuring that all processes are followed during this process.

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Increasing quote conversion rates and meeting targets:by offering competitive rates, and value-for-money options, adhering to turnaround times, following up on quotations, and presentation of proposals, and analysing quote conversion reports.

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Understanding the needs of customers' target markets and developing product accordingly within a competitive market:Sharing market research with Sales, assisting with the development strategy to ensure we deliver the products requested per customer; distribution channel analysis and development, new product development planning and management.
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Product development for client-specific brochure contracting:Driving communication with Sales, assisting and liaising between Procurement, Product Development, and Sales, Series and FIT Brochure Product Development (rate negotiation, costing, itinerary development, allocation implementation), full handovers with Reservations.
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Supplier negotiations and building relationships with Thompsons Africa's preferred partners:

Customer updates:New rates and information regarding specials, renovations etc, in conjunction with Marketing.

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Customer relationships:Ensuring that customer expectations are met and are offered the best available price and product.

Requirements:

Role Expectations:

Educational travel may be required
Multitasking and the ability to work on several projects at any given time.
High volume of projects with a short lead time.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years related experience in Inbound Tourism, with previous Product Development experience and understanding of itinerary building and costings.

Core Competencies:

Solid geographical knowledge of South and Southern Africa
Excellent and established product knowledge
Established supplier relationships
Excellent negotiation skills
Strong sales drive that is results and value focused
Excellent computer and systems skills
Excellent verbal and written confirmation
Creative, proactive, innovative, thinking out of the box
Skilled in making decisions with the ability to effectively resolve challenges
Strong attention to detail/accuracy
Excellent organization and time management skills with the ability to adapt to change