Company Description BUSINESS OVERVIEW:
At YMT Vacations, our goal is to provide our guests affordable vacations that they will remember for years to come. We aspire to give our guests the best in affordable vacation packages and services, offering a wide variety of destination options that reflect the interests of modern, mature travelers. We sell direct to customers from sales offices in Los Angeles, Detroit & Cincinnati offering a range of inclusive escorted tour and cruise/tour vacation itineraries within North America and worldwide. YMT is a subsidiary of TUI Travel PLC, the worldeading leisure travel company operating in over 180 countries with more than 30 million customers in 27 key source markets. Job Description
The Product Director is a member of the YMT Executive team and responsible for recommending, planning, and executing the product and pricing strategy in line with company objectives and budgetary requirements. The Product Director is responsible for the full product lifecycle from planning through to the guest experience of all land and cruise tour programs plus optional tours including product development, contracting of included services, costing & pricing, inventory, and revenue and yield management.
- Research, develop, and manage all activities related to product and pricing strategy and in line with the overall company strategy
- Collaborate with Finance Director to formulate revenue and volume plans by product to deliver budgetary and forecast requirements
- Schedule, plan, and manage tour and product launches in line with business timescales and objectives
- Work closely with Marketing Director to translate budget and formulate high-level marketing plan by product to deliver required lead generation activity across the sales cycle and ensure accurate and relevant product content in brochures, online, and in all collateral
- Work closely with Marketing, Sales, Tour Operations and Finance Directors to develop and manage planned promotions, discounts, and tactical activities to achieving the best yield and budgeted tour load factors
- Play a lead role in key vendor and partner relations and negotiations; lead and maintain key cruise line relationships to ensure we are afforded the most competitive and relevant cruise product, rates and inventory opportunities
- Manage, train, coach and develop product department staff and managers; review workloads and staffing of Product Team to ensure appropriate resource levels. Define and guide department activities and communications to ensure market attractiveness, competitiveness and a high level of quality in contracting, pricing, yielding, training and operations for each product category transportation, cruises, hotels, DMCoptional tour suppliers
- Spearhead, lead, develop and deliver workflow process and systems improvements within product and product operations
- Develop and maintain metrics, analytical reports, key performance indicators to optimize and drive yield management activity, forecast/budget performance, revenue, margins and product performance and planning. Review sales and revenue performance on an ongoing basis and proactively drive yield management activity as necessary
- Contribute to the development of the SMS (Safety Management System) and apply as appropriate to vendor contracting process and vendor management
Qualifications
- 10+ years of staff management, product planning, contracting pricing and yield management experience
- Bacheloregree in travel and tourism, marketing, business administration (or similar field) or equivalent experience
- Travel industry experience required. Must possess significant destination experience & knowledge preferably within cruise industry, Hawaii, or Alaska
- Product experience with mature customers preferred
- Past success and responsibility with key account relationship management and negotiations required
- Experience with complex, integrated back-office software systems desired
- Demonstrated commercial and advanced analytical skills
- Strong communicator, both written and verbal
- Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Collaborative nature with the ability to interact with a variety of staff from all levels.
- Willingness to travel occasionally (domestically and/or internationally) for trade shows, product contracting, planning and destination familiarization
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office products, specifically Excel & PPT
- Entrepreneurial spirit who can identify actionable business goals, initiate projects and implement change
Additional Information All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
