Job Title: Commercial Director (DACH)
Reporting to: CEO
Location: Germany

Overview           

The Apartment Network (TAN) is an energetic team of professionals sourcing and managing global accommodation solutions through serviced apartments in towns and cities across the world, today predominantly for our B2B customers in the UK. Our approach ensures a perfect match to the accommodation choice of contemporary corporate travellers. Our offering provides greater value and a more leisure flavoured experience while working away from home in a safe place with more space, more privacy and flexibility.

As part of our expansion plan, TAN seeks to launch our brand and establish commercial presence in German Speaking markets before the end of 2021. Besides Germany, the scope includes Austria and Swiss German territories.

TAN is owned by management and a highly specialised investment firm (Ansor Ltd) which take a long-term view on growth. Market expansion is planned in the UK itself, in DACH and in other European countries e.g., France.

TAN is managed by Marcos Isaac. For its expansion in the DACH region TAN is supported by Senior Advisor Patrick W. Diemer.

The Candidate

TAN needs to recruit new leadership in the DACH region, to launch our brand and lead customer acquisition, develop the business with the support of our central, London team. As the regional business expands, the Commercial Director is expected to undertake necessary duties derived from local services and requirements. We understand that we are at the start of our development in DACH and we are seeking an entrepreneurial minded self-starter which enjoys the flexibility to work sef-directed in the local market yet backed by a professional experienced team in the UK. We are looking to recruit our #1 team member for Germany and grow the team from that base.

We envisage that the ideal candidate will be tech savvy, ambitious and with the ability to sell TAN as a solution to corporate customers with long term accommodation requirements.

The decision-making unit in customers is likely to comprise of Travel Manager, HR, CFO, Procurement and possibly specialist executive mobility professionals. Whilst selling to this target audience, candidates will also need to demonstrate the capability to develop a product set and service capability that attracts their customers and builds repeatable revenues. As a starting point we expect to approach our existing customer base in the UK for their business units in Germany.

Our Commercial Manager will also build partnerships in the local market, build a brand with our marketing support and represent TAN in the DACH region.

The backdrop of a relatively immature corporate housing and long stay corporate apartment provision in Europe provides an open field on which to play.

Key Activities

• Lead business development in Germany, Austria, Switzerland
• Win new corporate customers, apartment suppliers, business partners for TAN
• In coordination with the central team develop and implement a Market Launch and long-term Sales and Marketing Plan.
• Take necessary steps to grow the regional pipeline, address new leads in coordination with the business objectives and Marketing campaign programmes.
• Account Development and upselling to our existing relations.
• Represent the company at webinars, exhibitions, trade shows, client meetings and any regional or local administrative or regulatory matters.
• Help update sales forecasts, monitoring and regular reporting on sales performance against targets to present to the Management Team.
• Collaborate in the development and execution of the global sales and marketing strategy.
• Support the Supply Chain and Reservation teams on regional requirements.
• Start TAN from scratch in DACH and support to build a local team; with the clear vision and opportunity to become the team leader for DACH

Required Knowledge and Experience

• 10+ years’ experience in Sales & Marketing related to B2B business development, the Corporate Travel and/or Mobility sectors.
• A highly commercial professional who feels at home discussing accommodation matters and related optimisation solutions with prospective customers and supply chain representatives (property operators and hosts).
• Experience in consultative selling and producing high quality presentations.
• Track record of driving sales performance.
• Ability to build up and develop a local team as business grows.
• Prior success in an international team
• Ability to achieve results through working on own initiative as well as within a team
• Degree Educated preferably with degree in Business Administration. An MBA considered as a plus.

Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written & verbal
• Team spirit and Customer focussed
• Fluent in German language and excellent English
• Analytical, presentation & negotiation skills
• Accountability, Change Management and Flexibility
• Advanced user of MS Office Suite

Compensation Package

• A competitive salary including a incentive scheme
• Market standard holidays