Business Development Manager Airlines

Overview

In this role you will drive growth of Planet’s airline and inflight payments business across the EU. You’ll identify opportunities, build strategic partnerships and help customers optimise onboard payment acceptance and retail revenue. You will combine new-business development with long-term relationship management, collaborating with airlines, aviation tech partners and ISVs. This position offers impact from shaping payments solutions across onboard, digital and in-flight channels. You’ll operate in a dynamic, cross-functional environment to deliver measurable value for airlines and Planet.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid work model (office/remote)

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commercial strategies to grow airline and inflight payments in the EU
• Identify, qualify and close opportunities with airlines and aviation operators
• Lead full sales cycles from prospecting to contract execution
• Maintain executive relationships with airline stakeholders across commercial, retail, digital, finance and procurement
• Collaborate with account management, product, risk/compliance and implementation teams to onboard customers and drive growth
• Promote adoption of payment solutions for onboard POS, crew apps and passenger channels
• Develop understanding of airline retail models, payment trends and aviation tech to identify new routes to market
• Represent Planet at aviation and payments events and build an ISV ecosystem to support airline opportunities

Key requirements

• At least five years in BD, sales, partnerships or account growth within payments, aviation or travel tech
• Proven track record of winning new business and delivering revenue growth
• Strong understanding of card acquiring, gateways, offline payments, tokenisation, risk and cross-border payments
• Experience selling to airlines or travel-related enterprise customers
• Ability to identify and manage ISV partnerships and translate integrations into opportunities
• Experience negotiating commercial agreements and coordinating internal/external stakeholders
• Willingness to travel across the EU

• Negotiation
• Stakeholder management
• Consultative sales
• Card acquiring and payment gateways
• Card-present, eCommerce and mobile payments
• Offline and intermittently connected payment environments

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