Director of Sales, Travel Trade (HYBRID)

Company Summary
The Empire State Building Observatory (ESBO) is New York’s City most iconic, the most Instagrammed U.S. landmark, and the world’s most famous building that has wowed millions of global visitors as they witnessed the jaw dropping views whether from its popular 360-degree, open-air Observatory, or its 102nd floor floor-to-ceiling glass enclosed viewing gallery. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire State Realty Trust.

Position Summary
The Director of Sales, Travel Trade will report to the Vice President, Business Development, Travel Trade and oversee a team of four sales professionals to ensure that sales targets for the Empire State Building Observatory (ESBO) are met. The Director will lead, train, and coach a diverse team, achieve sales targets, and analyze sales data to identify opportunities for improvement. This Director will manage daily sales operations, track sales performance, and implement travel trade sales and marketing plans.

The ideal candidate possesses exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to effectively lead and motivate the team, as well as build strong relationships with internal and external key stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the NYC tourism market and competitive landscape to successfully identify new business opportunities and support the development of innovative sales strategies.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the Observatory’s sales team
• Manages a team of three Sales Account Managers and one Sales Coordinator to ensure they meet their individual sales targets for ticket sales, revenue and per caps
• Tracks, monitors and analyzes sales team performance data to identify areas for improvement
• Directs the implementation and manages the execution of the sales & marketing plan to include account development activities for key customers, prospects and segments
• Oversees sales operations, such as contract management, rate distribution, price setting, ticket issuance, group sales reservations, and content provision to reseller clients
• Responsible for producing sales collateral, hosting familiarization tours, and coordinating trade shows, sales missions, and client events
• Works with revenue team to optimize per caps and capacity utilization
• Collaborates with Operations, Accounting, Revenue, and Ticketing departments to streamline sales processes and ensure that sales strategies are aligned with overall business goals
• Collaborates with the Marketing team to ensure brand consistency across all printed materials, client websites, the Travel Trade Resource Center, and the OTA Toolkit
• Ensures the harmonization of sales operation procedures and updates the department's SOP manual to guarantee the smooth execution of daily activities with the sales team, maintaining consistency and uniformity in all processes
• Represents the Sales Team on cross-department projects
• Oversees back office and group sales reservations, ensuring prompt responses to all general customer service and sales inquiries via website, email, phone, and chatbot
• Coordinates weekly sales meetings and agendas
• Assists in generating reports on sales performance and key activities
• Utilize knowledge of market trends and business practices to recommend decisions that enhance the sales process
• Identifies emerging market trends to proactively adjust or modify sales strategies accordingly
• Provides coaching and support including sales training sessions to keep the sales team up to date on sales techniques and customer service skills
• Provides daily operational support, overseeing the training and adoption of Salesforce, Ventrata, Monday.com , and Satisfi Labs chatbot by the Sales Team, including system updates
• Proactively identifies holdups in the sales process and finds ways to reduce them
• Maintains strong knowledge of the Observatory’s products and services as well as the tour and travel industry
• Remains knowledgeable of key processes and business initiatives to assist the Sales team in accomplishing department goals

What Success Looks Like

• The team is productive, motivated, delivers its work product transparently, and tracks its goals as set by the Observatory leader and the Vice President, Business Development, Travel Trade. The candidate’s bonus will be calculated against performance as listed below.

Team Goals

• Financial Targets:
• NOI = 15%
• Reseller Admissions = 45%
• Reseller Per Cap = 15%
• Subjective = 25%

Qualitative Indicators

• Accountability:
• Sets clear goals, monitors performance, and holds team accountable through strong collaboration, effective communication, and high morale
• Builds and leverages strong industry connections to drive success
• Works effectively with others, prioritizes tasks, and communicates goals and plans clearly to ensure the achievement of admissions and revenue targets
• Receives positive feedback from clients and stakeholders, which indicates high levels of satisfaction with the services provided
• Seeks innovative solutions and improvements, which shows a proactive approach to problem-solving and process enhancement
• Knowledge:
• Possesses in-depth knowledge of the tourism industry, including its key players, market dynamics, emerging trends, potential risks, and opportunities
• Actively engages in professional development opportunities, demonstrates growth in their skills and knowledge
• Effectively leads the team and fosters a culture of continuous learning and development

Required Skills / Abilities

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Knowledge of sales techniques and customer service best practices
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Proficient in Salesforce (or other CRM system), Ventrata ticketing (or other ticketing system) and Monday.com (or other work management platform)

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in sales, with at least 2 years in a leadership role and 5 years managing a team
• 5 years sales experience within the hospitality or travel and tourism industry preferred

What You Can Expect

• At ESRT, like our tenants, our employees come from everywhere. We foster a collaborative work environment that captures top talent and cultivates the best ideas. As a Great Place to Work® Certified employer, we are committed to maintaining our positive work culture where employees are engaged and can grow and develop. In addition, ESRT employees embody our Company Culture & Success Factors -
• Adaptable – you are a self-starter who’s able to quickly digest and execute new processes to work both collaboratively and independently
• Dynamic – you are solutions-oriented, aim to improve processes and implement efficiency, and offer insightful feedback to improve ESRT
• Dependable – you take a strong sense of ownership and accountability over your work
• Passionate – you keep up with industry trends and are excited about the potential to propel the industry forward with a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude
• Curious – you consistently look for new ways to work smarter, not just harder
• Ethical – you treat others with respect, act with integrity in how you perform your work, and embrace our collaborative culture
• Positive – you possess a service-oriented attitude with excellent follow through

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and bonus
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance
• Company sponsored Life, AD&D, STD (with Salary Continuation), and LTD Insurance
• Voluntary Enhanced LTD Program
• Voluntary Hospital, Accident, and Cancer Programs
• 401(k) with 100% match up to 5%
• Paid parental leave
• Pre-tax transit accounts
• Employee Assistance Program for emotional, financial, and legal support

WELL-BEING

• Generous paid time off
• Flex Summer Fridays
• Employee engagement programs
• Volunteer time off
• Continuing education
• Complimentary Empire State Building Observatory access
• Complimentary gym membership and other wellness benefits
• Employee Discount Programs