Head of Sales
Department: Sales - North America
Reports to: Head of Sales - North America
Location: North Vancouver, Canada
Employment Type: Full-Time
Working Hours: 8 AM - 4 PM CST, Monday to Friday
About Us
50 Degrees North is an independently owned travel company specializing in planning and organizing complete travel experiences across the Nordic countries. Our team's diverse backgrounds and experiences contribute to a deep understanding of the region, ensuring our clients receive authentic insights and genuine recommendations for their journey, all infused with our passion for the Nordics. As a certified B Corp, we adhere to high social and environmental responsibility standards - joining our team means actively participating in our mission to make a positive impact on the world while doing what we love.
Our company culture is built on respect, collaboration, and a shared love for travel and the Nordics. We pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment where every team member's voice is valued. Our office space reflects this ethos and is designed to be open, welcoming, and conducive to creativity and teamwork. With regular team events, wellness initiatives, and opportunities for professional growth, working at 50 Degrees North is not just a job - it's a chance to be part of a close-knit community passionate about making a difference.
Position Purpose
To ensure success in this role, the Head of Sales for the North American region must have experience in sales leadership, strong communication and interpersonal skills, knowledge of the North American market, and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
This is a highly hands-on leadership role. At 50 Degrees North, we believe effective leaders stay closely connected to the work they lead. While responsible for leading and developing the North American sales team, the Head of Sales is expected to remain actively involved in sales activities, support the team during peak periods, and maintain a strong understanding of our products, customers, and sales processes.
While leading the team from day one, the successful candidate will immerse themselves in our business, developing the knowledge and expertise needed to effectively coach, support, and develop the team. Success in this role requires the ability to balance strategic leadership with active participation in the day-to-day realities of the business.
Key Responsibilities
1. Sales Team Leadership and Coordination
· Provide hands-on leadership and guidance to ensure daily, weekly, and monthly sales targets are achieved.
· Take full ownership of leading the sales team to increase sales for all 50 Degrees North FIT, group, and small group tours.
· Collaborate with the CEO to establish sales benchmarks and monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Ensure adherence to the sales process and coordinate sales efforts with the Head of Sales in Norway and Australia.
· Monitor monthly conversion and booking performance, proactively identifying opportunities for improvement and addressing agent or direct client concerns where required.
· Oversee leave approvals and provide escalation support for complex pre-departure and in-travel issues.
· Lead by example through active participation in destination sales activities, maintaining a strong understanding of the customer journey, products, systems, and sales processes. Support the team during peak periods and contribute directly to sales outcomes when required.
· Use first-hand experience and customer insights to coach, develop, and support team members while continuously identifying opportunities to improve performance, service delivery, and the customer experience.
2. Progress Monitoring and Team Development
· Conduct regular performance and planning meetings with the CEO to review results, identify opportunities, and align sales priorities.
· Hold regular team performance meetings to discuss results, provide feedback, and support ongoing development.
· Identify new opportunities, analyse market trends and competitor activity, and adapt sales strategies for the North American market accordingly.
· Coordinate the onboarding of new sales staff and oversee product and sales process training requirements.
· Ensure the sales team headcount meets operational needs and determine ongoing educational needs to keep the team abreast of industry trends and developments.
· Develop and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure team and individual sales performance.
3. Relationship Management and Promotion
· Maintain relationships with key agents and agency groups, attending Travel Expos and Shows as needed to promote company products and services.
· Be flexible to assist in other business areas or markets as required by company needs.
4. Qualifications
· Strong Leadership and Strategic Thinking
· Proactive, organised, and highly motivated leadership style.
· Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams towards achieving sales targets and driving business growth.
· Excellent communication skills for effective task delegation and leading by example.
· Strategic thinker capable of developing sales strategies aligned with business goals.
· Spanish language skills would be highly regarded.
5. Sales Expertise and Analytical Skills
· Excellent knowledge of the North American Market market and outbound travel industry, with an entrepreneurial mindset.
· Deep understanding of sales processes, techniques, and metrics.
· Proficiency in utilising strong analytical skills to collect and analyse sales performance data and market trends.
· Ability to draw insights from data to inform sales strategies and decision-making.
6. Customer Focus and Relationship Building
· Demonstrated independence, trustworthiness, authenticity, and inspiration in dealing with customers.
· Prioritisation of customer needs and preferences in developing sales strategies. Track record of building strong customer relationships and fostering a customer-centric culture within teams.
7. Organisational Skills and Collaboration
· Problem-solving and decision-making abilities to overcome challenges.
· Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment, managing multiple tasks effectively.
· Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability initiatives within the workplace.
· Comfortable with adapting to new technologies and applications as required.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $85,000.00-$100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Application question(s):
- What is your annual salary expectancy?
Experience:
- Sales: 1 year (preferred)
Language:
Location:
- North Vancouver, BC V7M 2E8 (preferred)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in North Vancouver, BC V7M 2E8
