Chief Commercial Officer – Australia

Swissport; Sydney; On-site; AUD 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Swissport Australia seeks a Chief Commercial Officer to develop and execute the commercial strategy, drive revenue growth, strengthen airline partnerships and identify new opportunities across ground handling, cargo and passenger services.

In this senior leadership role, you will align with APAC and Australian operations, shape pricing, contract profitability, budgets and governance while leading major tenders and negotiations with airlines, airports and government partners.

Responsibilities

• Shape the long-term commercial direction of the Australian business, identifying priority markets, customers, services and investment opportunities to deliver profitable growth.
• Develop and execute Swissport Australia’s commercial strategy in alignment with the wider APAC business strategy.
• Lead major tenders, RFPs and contract negotiations, working closely with operational, finance, legal and procurement teams.
• Develop compelling commercial proposals that demonstrate Swissport’s operational capability and competitive advantage.
• Build strategic relationships with airlines, airports, government stakeholders and other aviation partners.

Job description

Are you ready to take flight in a dynamic and fast-paced aviation industry? As a global leader in aviation services, Swissport provides Ground Handling, Cargo Handling, and Passenger Services to over 300 million passengers annually. Our mission is simple – “To provide the aviation industry with consistent and tailor-made solutions around the globe, for a better customer experience.”

We believe that our people are what differentiates us from our competition. At Swissport, we are driven by our core values of Show You Care, Do the Right Things and Win as a Team, and we are currently seeking dedicated individuals, who align with these values, to join our team at various locations across the globe.

Swissport is seeking a commercially astute and strategic Chief Commercial Officer to lead the commercial agenda for Australia. As a key member of the Australian Executive Leadership Team, the CCO will shape and execute the country’s growth strategy, strengthen strategic customer partnerships, optimise the existing contract portfolio, and identify new opportunities for sustainable and profitable growth.

Job Summary

The Chief Commercial Officer will be responsible for developing and executing Swissport Australia’s commercial strategy, driving revenue growth, strengthening existing airline partnerships and identifying new business opportunities across the aviation and airport services sector.

This is a senior leadership position requiring a strong understanding of the aviation industry, exceptional commercial acumen and the ability to build trusted relationships with airline, airport and key industry stakeholders.

The successful candidate will work closely with the APAC leadership team and Australian operational leaders to ensure commercial strategies are aligned with operational capability, customer expectations and Swissport’s long-term growth objectives.

Your activities

Shape the long-term commercial direction of the Australian business, identifying priority markets, customers, services and investment opportunities to deliver profitable and sustainable growth

Develop and execute Swissport Australia’s commercial strategy in alignment with the wider APAC business strategy.

Identify and pursue new revenue and business growth opportunities across ground handling, cargo, passenger services, lounge hospitality and other aviation services.

Develop strategic plans to grow market share and strengthen Swissport’s position within the Australian aviation market.

Identify emerging market trends, customer requirements and competitive threats to inform commercial decision-making.

Lead commercial initiatives associated with new airport locations, airline contracts and service expansions.

Business Development & New Business

Lead the end-to-end business development process, from opportunity identification through to contract negotiation and implementation.

Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of potential airline and aviation customers.

Lead major tenders, RFPs and contract negotiations, working closely with operational, finance, legal and procurement teams.

Develop compelling commercial proposals that demonstrate Swissport’s operational capability, customer value and competitive advantage.

Build strategic relationships with airlines, airports, government stakeholders and other aviation partners.

Develop long-term, trusted relationships with key airline and airport customers.

Act as a senior escalation point for strategic commercial matters.

Understand customer requirements and translate them into commercially sustainable solutions.

Partner closely with operational leaders to ensure customer commitments can be delivered consistently.

Represent Swissport at senior industry forums, customer meetings and commercial negotiations.

Own the commercial performance of the Australian business, including revenue growth, contract profitability, pricing strategy, customer portfolio performance and delivery of agreed EBIT objectives

Develop and manage commercial budgets, forecasts, and business plans.

Analyse pricing, margins, contract profitability and commercial risks.

Identify opportunities to improve revenue and optimise existing customer contracts.

Work closely with Finance to ensure commercial decisions support sustainable business performance

Commercial Governance & Contract Performance:

Own the commercial governance framework across the Australian business, ensuring disciplined pricing, approval and contracting processes.

Lead strategic contract renewals, extensions, and renegotiations, ensuring long-term commercial sustainability.

Establish clear visibility of contract and customer profitability, identifying underperforming contracts and driving commercial recovery plans.

Ensure commercial commitments, pricing assumptions and investment requirements are appropriately assessed prior to contract approval.

Partner with Operations and Finance to evaluate business cases, capital requirements and returns associated with new business and contract extensions.

Leadership

Provide strong commercial leadership across the Australian business.

Build and develop a high-performing commercial team.

Establish clear commercial objectives, KPIs and performance measures.

Foster strong collaboration between Commercial, Operations, Finance, HR and other corporate functions.

Promote Swissport’s values of Show You Care, Do the Right Things and Win as a Team.

Your profile

Experience & Skills

Significant senior-level commercial leadership experience within the aviation, airport services, airline, logistics, transport or related industry.

Demonstrated experience developing and executing commercial strategies in a complex, multi-site organisation.

Proven track record of winning new business and growing existing customer relationships.

Extensive experience managing major tenders, RFPs, contract negotiations and commercial agreements.

Strong understanding of the airline, airport or ground handling environment.

Demonstrated experience managing strategic airline or large corporate accounts.

Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience with pricing, margins, forecasting and P&L performance.

Exceptional negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management skills.

Experience working with senior executives and C-suite stakeholders.

Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.

Demonstrated ability to lead, develop and influence high-performing teams.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Previous experience within an airport ground handling or aviation services organisation.

Established relationships with airlines, airports or other key aviation stakeholders.

Experience working across multiple Australian states or international markets.

Experience leading complex, high-value commercial tenders.

Relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Commerce, Aviation, Finance or a related discipline.

What Success Looks Like

In this role, success will be measured by the ability to: Success will be measured through sustainable revenue and EBIT growth, new business wins, customer retention, contract profitability, pipeline conversion, strategic account development and the strength and effectiveness of the commercial organisation

Deliver sustainable revenue and profit growth across the Australian business.

Increase Swissport’s commercial pipeline and win new airline and aviation contracts.

Strengthen strategic relationships with existing customers.

Successfully lead major tenders and contract negotiations.

Identify and capitalise on emerging opportunities across the Australian aviation market.

Build a high-performing and commercially focused team.

Ensure commercial growth is aligned with Swissport’s operational capability and customer commitments.

What we offer

At Swissport, we believe in diversity, equal opportunity, and the power of our values to drive our success. We are committed to providing a workplace that fosters inclusion and where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Visit our website at https://careers.swissport.comto learn more about Life at Swissport.

Join Swissport today and be part of a team that connects the world of aviation!

Only permanent residents of Australia or New Zealand, or those who have the right to work in Australia or New Zealand may apply.