RwandAir Ltd is the flag carrier airline of Rwanda. It operates domestic and international services to East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East from its main base at Kigali International Airport. Our mission is to provide unsurpassed, safe, and reliable services in air transportation, including strategically linking Rwanda with the outside world, while ensuring a fair return on investment. As part of the expansion strategy we are looking for interested, qualified, and competent candidates to fill the following position:
- Job Title: Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
- Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Department: Commercial
- Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Job Purpose
The Chief Commercial Officer is responsible to lead, manage, define future directions and strategies, and oversee all aspects of commercial passenger and cargo sales, marketing, pricing and revenue management, network planning, market research, scheduling, distribution, interline/codeshare partnerships, customer service audits, customer relations and customer loyalty programs, and charter sales, of the business in order to deliver the company’s business and financial growth plan year on year. The Chief Commercial Officer reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop procedures and recommend policies for all activities under its jurisdiction in conformance with the company’s overall objectives.
- Abide by all references of quality and/or standards laid out in different areas of service provision that meet the airline’s safety, operational and commercial objectives.
- Establish medium and long-term visions from a network perspective.
- Analyze market forces such as passenger demand and other macroeconomic conditions and competitive forces impacting the network and develop commercial strategies accordingly.
- Manage the planning, development, and implementation of the airline’s seasonal schedules and annual business plan in terms of schedule and revenue.
- Review and manage new product development and its entry into service. Ensure accurate loading of flight schedules in external and internal distribution systems (Altea).
- Ensure that the most appropriate market segmentation and customer segmentation is devised for effective pricing, marketing, distribution, and sales strategies.
- Monitor competitor route and pricing strategies to formulate and adjust RwandAir’s competitive strategy.
- Establish and track the performance of market-level inventory strategies, with the goal of identifying and exploiting revenue opportunities in a highly competitive pricing environment.
- Understand market-level political and economic environments and develop, implement, monitor and continuously improve pricing and revenue management strategies.
- Develop, implement, and maintain proper policies and processes for sales and distribution.
- Develop sales planning guides, techniques, and best practices to enhance sales performance.
- Develop and drive sales of ancillary revenue.
- Create and establish more efficient distribution channels, including assessing the e-commerce presence of the airline.
- Develop and implement appropriate commercial channel shift strategies to direct sales.
- Monitor that brand guidelines are followed and that the company’s brand is well-promoted and visible.
- Ensure annual marketing plans both market-level and corporate-level are properly developed, effectively implemented, and within budget.
- Develop a marketing strategy to reinforce shifting from more traditional spending to new and upcoming trends, mostly electronically based and in-kind barter trades.
- Deliver reductions in the cost of sale and distribution costs.
- Maintain and update a commercial manual that encompasses the policies and procedures for all key activities and processes in the commercial.
- Review performance and major action plans in the department on a weekly basis. Review and ensure monthly, quarterly, and annual reports from commercials are specific, relevant, and effective.
- Create a proper commercial organization to support the varied functions of commercials that are appropriately aligned with the vision and mission of the company.
- Establish an environment for individuals to be dependable, efficient and result oriented; and teams to be effective, high performing, and deliver required objectives.
- Promote the right technology and automation for a commercial that will best support its processes.
- Establish a business culture and mindset of continuous self-assessment and continuous improvement.
- Sponsor major commercial projects, including systems projects
- Control BSC of supervised Sr. Managers.
- Control the development and implementation of the department’s OPEX and CAPEX
- Create and maintain relationships with key decision-makers within the travel industry and corporates.
- Oversee the development, refinement and training of various teams under Commercial.
- Represent the Commercial branch with other business units and external stakeholders.
Main Working Relationships;
- Direct Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer
- Supervision of: All Sr. Managers, and Managers in the Commercial
- Functional Relationships With: Deputy CEO; all ExCo members; and all Sr. Managers and Managers in Finance, HR, Procurement, Legal Office, IT, and Strategic Planning
- External: Passenger and Cargo GSAs and agencies/forwarders; Corporate and International organizations; Internal and external governmental institutions; System providers; IATA, AFRAA, and industry organizations; IET and SPA partner airlines; All contracted service providers and product suppliers related to marketing, sales, cargo, network planning, distribution, and customer services.
Desired Profile: Required education, Experience, and Abilities:
Required education,
- Master’s Degree, preferably in management, economics, finance, statistics, and information-related sciences, coupled with aviation school training.
- Minimum 10 years of related work experience, of which 5 years should be in a similar leadership role in a medium airline.
- In-depth understanding of airline economics and industry trends specific to regional and international carriers.
- Significant experience with economic and intelligence data analytics, business and performance dashboards, and sufficient understanding of network planning, pricing and revenue management tools in the airline industry
- Detailed knowledge of sales planning and management, distribution channels, including experience in GDS and e-commerce
- Track record of identifying new revenue opportunities and increasing ancillary revenues
- Advanced knowledge of commercial management in sales and distribution and at least one other of its major areas, and good knowledge in the other major areas (major areas include: marketing and market development; network planning and scheduling; pricing and revenue management)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities;
- Ability to deliver stretched strategic goals through ruthless prioritization and focus on results
- Excellent analytical and organizational skills
- First-hand experience in organizational change management and transformation
- Ability to identify and promote viable and courageous transformational strategies for delivering value growth
- Ability to inspire others around a motivational vision – win hearts and minds in order to deliver transformational changes
- Ability to influence at the highest levels and through coaching and development, build world-class teams
- Exceptional people management skills; Management experience with a proven ability to build, lead and motivate a culturally diverse team
- Demonstrated budget management competences
- Proven negotiation skills
- Excellent decision-making abilities – Ability to make impactful decisions quickly
- Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
- Strategic thinking
- Ability to work under pressure
How to apply:
- An application letter addressed to Director, Human Resources;
- Recent Curriculum Vitae;
- Copies of Notarized Degree/Diploma certificates
- Relevant certificates;
- Copies of academic papers;
- A photocopy of the Passport/National ID.
- Three referees
The deadline for submitting your applications is on October 31, 2023. Please send your application to recruitment@rwandair.com
NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
