Regional Business Development Director - North America, Travel

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By combining world-class engineering, industry expertise and a people-centric mindset, we consult and partner with leading brands from various industries to create dynamic platforms and intelligent digital experiences that drive innovation and transform businesses.
 
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The Commercial discipline is responsible for driving business growth, managing partnerships, and providing industry subject matter expertise and advisory to both clients and internal teams. This strategic and consultative team creates meaningful relationships with clients through their combined knowledge of IT services and industry trends and pain points. Members include business development staff of all levels, client partners, alliances and partnerships managers, industry advisors, and operational leads. 

The Regional Business Development Director is a senior leader responsible for guiding the Business Development team within the Travel industry in North America. The role is ultimately responsible for orderbook and pipeline creation, ensuring sustainable revenue and margin growth. This involves driving the achievement of personal and industry targets, developing sales talent, and executing Travel industry vision and strategy in close partnership with the Managing Director. The Regional Business Development Director ensures that the team aligns with Endava's core values and fosters a culture of diversity and excellence.

The Regional Business Development Director is responsible for creating and evolving the global go-to-market strategy for the Travel industry, managing the industry pipeline of new opportunities, and driving sales cadences to ensure progress on pursuits. They work closely with the Global Client Director and, where applicable, the Industry Advisor Team to build the regional strategy for the Travel industry and to support existing accounts and drive growth. Additionally, they build Travel industry connections and establish Endava as a key participant in the Travel industry. This role also involves ensuring accurate reporting, effective risk management, and compliance with governance and business rules.

Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Lead the Business Development team to achieve personal and Travel industry targets.
• Develop Business Development talent, guiding skill mastery and career progression with clear success plans for each direct report.
• Support the definition and execution of industry vision and strategy in close partnership with the Managing Director.
• Drive adherence to Endava processes across the team, with a particular focus on embedding the Business Winning Model (BWM) and Client Growth Model (CGM) frameworks consistently.
• Foster a culture and work environment within the team that aligns with Endava's core values and includes a focus on diversity.

Industry Growth

• Create and evolve the global go-to-market strategy for the Travel industry, identifying industry challenges and relevant Endava solutions.
• Manage the Travel industry pipeline of new opportunities, driving sales cadences to ensure progress on pursuits.
• Drive orderbook and pipeline creation, ensuring sustainable revenue and margin growth.
• Actively manage and develop the pipeline within accounts to achieve business growth targets.
• Collaborate with the Global Client Director and Industry Advisor Team to build and refine the North America strategy for the Travel industry.
• Work with the Client Partner Director to support existing accounts and drive growth within those accounts.
• Create and foster industry connections to establish Endava as a key participant in the Travel industry.
• Enhance personal expertise in Travel industry trends, developments, and challenges to become an industry SME.
• Engage and leverage the wider Endava capability within the Travel industry to build credibility with clients and within the region.
• Serve as the senior adviser for all net new business development, within both new logos and existing clients.

Negotiation and Commercial Decisions

• Lead high-stakes negotiations with clients, ensuring favorable terms and conditions.
• Make informed commercial decisions to drive business growth and profitability.
• Manage and resolve complex client and contract issues, ensuring alignment with Endava’s strategic objectives.

Financial Management

• Ensure accurate forecasts, budgets, projections, and adjustments as needed.
• Own and manage risks effectively at the team and client levels.
• Own P&L and meet agreed financial targets (revenue, margin, and other metrics).
• Ensure governance and business rules are adhered to with appropriate signoffs.
• Manage sales budgets in line with agreed P&L, including ensuring that sales spend is proportionate to expected returns.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure compliance with governance, business rules, and regulatory standards including evidencing all approval stage gates have been complied with across the team.
• Embed critical initiatives and processes within the client portfolio to achieve strategic objectives.
• Foster a culture of high performance and continuous improvement within the team.

Reporting

• Ensure data accuracy within systems and diligent reporting.
• Compile and present monthly industry reporting packages to the Managing Director in partnership with the Global Client Director.
• Maintain up-to-date opportunity level information within systems.

Education:
An advanced degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field is preferred.

• Significant professional experience in a similar senior sales leadership role in Travel (Airlines, Hospitality, Car rental or Cruise Lines) within IT Services
• Proven track record of delivering significant orderbook, revenue and margin growth across a diverse portfolio.
• Extensive experience in developing and executing North America go-to-market strategies.
• Demonstrated success in managing budgets and achieving financial targets.
• Experience in client engagement and building senior-level client relationships.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor high-performing sales teams.
• Experience in strategic initiatives and driving continuous improvement.
• Deep expertise in business development and strategic planning.
• Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and relationship management abilities.
• Strong business acumen and ability to identify and capitalize on growth opportunities.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage with senior stakeholders (C-level).
• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced problem-solving and decision-making capabilities under pressure.
• In-depth understanding of Travel industry trends, market dynamics, and financial analysis.
• Commitment to continuous personal development and staying current with Travel industry trends.
• Demonstrated ability to influence change and drive organizational transformation.
• Strong accountability for achieving results and maintaining high performance standards.
• Proficiency in financial management, including P&L management, forecasting, and risk management.
• Experience in driving continuous improvement and innovation in business development strategies and execution.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to make informed commercial decisions.

Additional Requirements:

• Travel is an integral part of this role, and the individual will need to travel locally, within country, and internationally as needed to perform the role (they should have a valid passport/driving license and be prepared to travel as needed by the company).
• Work-related tradeshows or live events may require the individual to occasionally lift 25 pounds.

Discover some of the global benefits that empower our people to become the best version of themselves:

• Finance: Competitive salary package, share plan, company performance bonuses, value-based recognition awards, referral bonus;   
• Career Development: Career coaching, global career opportunities, non-linear career paths, internal development programmes for management and technical leadership;
• Learning Opportunities: Complex projects, rotations, internal tech communities, training, certifications, coaching, online learning platforms subscriptions, pass-it-on sessions, workshops, conferences;
• Work-Life Balance: Hybrid work and flexible working hours, employee assistance programme;
• Health: Global internal wellbeing programme, access to wellbeing apps;
• Community: Global internal tech communities, hobby clubs and interest groups, inclusion and diversity programmes, events and celebrations.

Additional Employee Requirements  

• Participation in both internal meetings and external meetings via video calls, as necessary. 
• Ability to go into corporate or client offices to work onsite, as necessary. 
• Prolonged periods of remaining stationary at a desk and working on a computer, as necessary. 
• Ability to bend, kneel, crouch, and reach overhead, as necessary. 
• Hand-eye coordination necessary to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment, as necessary. 
• Vision abilities including close vision, toleration of fluorescent lighting, and adjusting focus, as necessary. 
• For positions that require business travel and/or event attendance, ability to lift 25 lbs, as necessary. 
• For positions that require business travel and/or event attendance, a valid driver’s license, as necessary. 

*If requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees requiring accommodations to perform the essential functions of their jobs, absent undue hardship.   

USA Benefits 

• Robust healthcare and benefits including Medical, Dental, vision, Disability coverage, and various other benefit options  
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical, Transit, and Dependent Care)  
• Employer Paid Life Insurance and AD&D Coverages  
• Health Savings account paired with our low-cost High Deductible Medical Plan  
• 401(k) Safe Harbor Retirement plan with employer match with immediately vest   

Additional Employee Requirements  

• Participation in both internal meetings and external meetings via video calls, as necessary. 
• Ability to go into corporate or client offices to work onsite, as necessary. 
• Prolonged periods of remaining stationary at a desk and working on a computer, as necessary. 
• Ability to bend, kneel, crouch, and reach overhead, as necessary. 
• Hand-eye coordination necessary to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment, as necessary. 
• Vision abilities including close vision, toleration of fluorescent lighting, and adjusting focus, as necessary. 
• For positions that require business travel and/or event attendance, ability to lift 25 lbs, as necessary. 
• For positions that require business travel and/or event attendance, a valid driver’s license, as necessary. 

*If requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees requiring accommodations to perform the essential functions of their jobs, absent undue hardship.   

USA Benefits 

• Robust healthcare and benefits including Medical, Dental, vision, Disability coverage, and various other benefit options  
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical, Transit, and Dependent Care)  
• Employer Paid Life Insurance and AD&D Coverages  
• Health Savings account paired with our low-cost High Deductible Medical Plan  
• 401(k) Safe Harbor Retirement plan with employer match with immediately vest