Sales Executive / Program Consultant | Senior Sales Executive | Sr. Director of Business Development | Quality Assurance Engineer | Software Developer (Contract) | North America Sales Manager | Graphic Designer (with Print Experience)
Sales Executive / Program Consultant
The Sales Executive position for Explorica Inc. is responsible for the selling of educational tours for students. Depending on office location an SE may have a designated region, where he/she must maintain competitive sales numbers and call time. The SE is responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction from start to finish. Working with the Sales Manager or Director, each SE is responsible for achieving sales goals by soliciting past business and prospecting new business.
Qualifications
- Explorica recruits candidates who are motivated and persistent. In addition, we are looking for:
- Elite communication and organizational skills
- A strong customer focus and excellent customer service skills
- Ability and motivation to make 85+ contacts daily, at least 2 hrs per day on the phone with teachers
- Sales/Telemarketing experience, preferably 1+ years
- Knowledge of culture and geography of Western Europe and/or Asia
- A four-year college degree
- A passion for foreign travel
Senior Sales Executive
Position Summary:
The Sr. Sales Executive position for Explorica Inc. is responsible for the selling of educational tours to teachers traveling with their students. Depending on office location, a Sr. SE may have a designated region. The Sr. SE is a role model for Explorica’s relational selling model. The Senior Sales Executive works with his/her Sales Manager or Director to achieve his/her sales goals by soliciting repeat business and prospecting new business.
Responsibilities:
- The Sr. Sales Executive solicits new clients and accounts to exceed goals by making cold calls, direct sales calls and following up on potential sales leads. Maintains relationships with existing clients and accounts and efficiently responds to all inquires made by potential customers via phone or email.
- Establishes and maintains regular contact with clients and accounts in order to introduce and promote a destination or tour in accordance with company goals, marketing initiatives and sales expectations. Calls on prospects to solicit business so to create a strong pipeline of future business leads.
- Manages sales funnel in such a way so as to be able to forecast business.
- The Sr. SE exceeds sales goals
- In a self motivated manner takes responsibility for the entire sales process, from pre-enrollment to post-departure with the teacher. Works with teachers to set enrollment deadlines for students, and helps develop marketing strategies for the teachers to utilize while enrolling students. Works closely with the Program Management Department to assist with travel details and logistics. Follows up on all aspects of tour needs including the receipt of necessary air and train tickets, itineraries and other logistics with the teacher to ensure the utmost of service and organization.
- The Sr. Sales Executive exhibits strong leadership skills and shows willingness to mentor and cultivate the skills of less experienced Sales Executives. The Sr. SE is also responsible for assigned training and orientations as directed by the Sales Manager.
- Supports all policies and procedures and overall business strategies of Company. Acts as spokes person for business changes to ensure support from all staff members in the department.
- Exhibits willingness and interest to take on marketing or technology related projects.
Educates self on all related tours and Explorica products. Comprehends the student travel industry with interest to learn more regarding our competition as it compares to Explorica business models.
- Assumes additional responsibilities as requested.
Requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
- A minimum of three years progressive sales experience. Self motivated with a strong drive for success.
- Student travel specific industry experience. Strong communication and presentation skills including the ability to work with all levels of employees and customers in a diplomatic and professional manner.
- Proficient computer skills and the ability to learn new software products a must.
- Ability to multi-task projects and responsibilities and strong prioritization skills.
Sr. Director of Business Development
Position Summary:
The Sr. Director of Business Development will develop and execute business development strategies that align with the Company strategic plan. This is a newly created position and will require the development of policies and procedures to guide the business development process for the Company. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Business Development professional with a proven track record.
Responsibilities:
• Identify and evaluate new business opportunities within the student travel market and adjacencies. Work with product management to identify and evaluate new markets for existing products and new products.
• Develop business models to analyze new opportunities along with developing budgets and financial cost projections for proposal efforts.
• Responsible for making, maintaining, and researching contacts and opportunities and evaluating, negotiating, and managing business deals, mergers, acquisitions, and alliances.
• Provide leadership in the planning, designing, due diligence, and implementation of strategic business objectives.
• Oversee and analyze new markets, identifying customer needs and develop strategic direction.
• Identify potential deals and develop the tactics and teams needed to bring them to fruition.
• Define, refine, test and implement strategic plans. These activities include primary research, industry, market, and competitive analysis, customer needs assessment. Define product roadmap in the long, mid, and short term.
• Create new business opportunities by identifying ways to apply core competencies to meet customer needs.
• Lead the business development process toward conversion of prospects into clients.
• Continually align the Business Development activities with the Company's strategic plan.
• Provide business development support to the China Initiative. Explorica is engaged in the establishment of a company in China set to provide educational tours for the Chinese market to the US and Europe.
• Assume additional responsibilities as requested.
Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred
• Proven track record in Business Development and Strategic Analysis
• Minimum of eight years experience in a business/strategy development position.
• Management experience, emerging markets a plus.
• International experience whether working abroad or conducting business/deals
• Superior strategy and financial skills
• Self-motivated with an ability to work in an unstructured environment (strong operational mindset, decisive, with a "get it done and "whatever it takes" mentality) with little supervision
• Strong analytical skills with experience building, evaluating and clearly presenting complex business models
• High degree of comfort overseeing major projects, leading cross-functional teams, and working with senior executives.
• Ability to multi-task projects and responsibilities and strong prioritization skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills including the ability to work with all levels of employees and management.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, and negotiation skills.
• Willingness to travel
• Experience in a multinational corporation
Quality Assurance Engineer
Position Summary:
The quality assurance engineer will support a support a senior QA engineer and seven software engineers in ensuring that software meets end-user requirements. This will involve reviewing software specifications, developing and executing test cases, and working with engineers to understand and resolve issues.
Responsibilities:
• Ensure documented software specifications are met.
• Evaluate user interfaces for intuitiveness and usability
• Detect, report, and track software defects.
• Run existing automation apps.
• Develop new automation.
• Develop, document, and execute functional and system test cases
Requirements:
• Experience testing .Net web applications
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Experience with automation test tools
• SQL skills a plus
• C# experience a plus
Software Developer (Contract)
Position Summary:
The software developer role designs, constructs, and tests internal and external web-based systems.
Responsibilities
• Find and correct software defects
• Research, design and develop new systems to support the business needs of each functional area for the company
• Create technical specifications and test plans; writes and updates operational documentation.
• Consults with the appropriate employees concerning the maintenance and performance of software systems and asks questions to obtain information, clarify details and implement needed changes or enhancements
• Applies strong problem-solving skills and thinking laterally as part of a team, or individually, to meet the needs of an assigned project
Qualifications
• A bachelor degree in Computer Science or a related field
• At least 2 years of development experience using Microsoft .Net Technologies
• Working knowledge of:
• .Net 2.0 Framework (C#, ASP .Net)
• SQL Server
• HTML, XSL/XML, CSS
• Javascript
• Web Services
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to solve technical problems with programming experience and skills
• The ability to apply logic and discipline to all problems with a consistent end result of resolution
• A keen sense of organization, prioritization, multi-tasking, and attention to strict deadlines
• Experience delivering results in a fast paced environment
• A desire for a casual environment with aggressive goals
North America Sales Manager
Position Summary:
The NA Sales Manager (SM) position for Explorica Inc. is responsible for managing sales productivity for a select team of Sales Executives (SE), overseeing regional sales numbers to ensure proper regional coverage and providing support and guidance to SE’s to ensure customer satisfaction from start to finish of the selling process.
The NA Sales Manager ensures the ownership of sales forecasts and goals to achieve or exceed goals by soliciting past and new business, by developing sales tactics, and executing sales programs. He/she will oversee team retention, training, coaching, and development and will work with other regional sales managers and cross-functional teams as needed.
Management Responsibilities:
• Demonstrates leadership knowledge, skills and abilities in managing the team. Assumes managerial responsibilities for team and over all business strategies. Participates in the overall strategic planning, development and success of Sales Department. Takes all necessary and approved actions to achieve both short and long-term goals and objectives of the Sales Department
• Manages a team of Sales Executives with regard to performance, training and development, mentoring and productivity. Provides orientation for SE’s providing product training and hands-on development of all processes and procedures. Participates in the performance evaluation process for direct report Sales Executives. Assists with the organization of shift coverage, incentives, and the tracking of PTO time. Specifically, provides team and individual skill development reflecting improvement in sales results and efficiencies within the sales funnel
• Conducts one-on-one meetings with Sales Executives. Tracks team productivity ensuring call time goals, quotes, conversion rates, and pax goals are met or exceeded. Motivates the SE team to meet/exceed client needs. Mentors team to resolve any client complaints and ensure quality customer service and repeat sales
• Prepares periodic sales reports/projects showing team results for regional sales. Evaluates sales trends and potentials, competition, economic/business conditions, and performance; recommends changes in sales programs to make assigned region more effective in meeting or exceeding sales volume targets
• Identifies and coordinates product development opportunities through assigned marketing projects to increase sales
• Represents company at trade association meetings to promote Explorica products. Works with Director of Sales to control expenditures and follow all budgetary requirements. Ensures team utilized budget allowances and discretion to drive sales while being accountable for spending
Personal Sales Responsibilities:
• Solicits new clients/accounts to meet and exceed goals by making cold calls and direct sales calls
• Provides support to SEs to cover any needed manager calls to clients
• Maintains regular contact with existing clients/accounts in order to introduce and promote the destination in accordance with company goals and expectations.
• Confers with the Operations Department to assist with travel details
Requirements:
• A bachelor degree in business management preferred
• 3+ years progressive sales experience with a solid understanding of the student travel industry or educational travel:
o For domestic sales, experience in domestic student travel is most applicable
• Proven ability to build and manage a sales team
• Proof of development and execution of sales tactics or sales promotions
• Solid experience working with group tour operators, especially applicable to the role domestic or international
• Strong communication and presentation skills including the ability to work with all levels of employees
• Excellent ability to transfer and develop sales skills
• Able to attract top talent
• Proficient computer skills and the ability to learn new software products a must
• Ability to travel to attend workshops, trade shows & training opportunities
• Ability to multi-task projects and responsibilities and strong prioritization skills
Graphic Designer (with Print Experience)
Position Summary:
Explorica is looking for a Graphic Designer to provide creative concepting, maintain Explorica’s branding, and develop creative solutions for print design. Candidates must have excellent visual design skills, good technical know-how, and an excellent command of print and the printing process with extreme attention to detail and ability to multi-task projects.
Responsibilities:
Print
• Conceptualize, design and produce promotional printed materials, including 100+ page catalogs, brochures, flyers, postcards and other printed collateral
• Must have expert knowledge to create press-ready mechanicals/collecting files for output for offset printing for printed projects of all sizes including large, multi-versioned catalogs
• Experience in sourcing and licensing stock photography and prepress image color correction
• Experience with vendor management, including creating print specs, working with printers during pre-press process all the way through press-checks to ensure high quality results
Online
• Provide design direction and mock-ups for new elements of the website which complements the current design look/feel
• Support online staff with maintenance needs such as image resizing, map editing, etc.
Candidate must possess:
• Strong artistic sensibility, demonstrates good creativity and has expertise with design elements such as color and composition
• Superb organizational skills in order to meet tight deadlines while juggling multiple projects
• Strong communication skills to effectively present ideas both verbally and visually while working with internal clients to achieve the desired end results and ability to work collaboratively with teammates
• Excellent problem solving capabilities and the ability to work independently to produce top-notch creative solutions
Requirements:
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, QuarkXpress, Photoshop and other related design programs
• Expert knowledge for print production, mechanical print preparation & the printing process
• Working knowledge of HTML
• Previous knowledge of the Content Management System Sitecore preferred
• A bachelor degree in graphic design.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of related experience
• Ability to work with a positive attitude as a member of a team
• Produce and implement designs under tight timelines
• Maintain a consistent look and feel across online and offline mediums