Commercial Partner Manager - Ancilliaries

About Us

Here at Travel Counsellors, our customers, communities and colleagues lie at the heart of everything that we do - and that’s what makes us special. For us, relationships come before transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level through the moments that matter.

We’ve been changing lives for over 28 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 1,900 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses. We pride ourselves in remaining a company that truly cares and one that has never wavered from its purpose; to redefine what personal means for a travel business.

Our Travel Counsellors are supported by a team of over 250 super talented people in our Support Offices to help them create unique, inspiring, and exciting experiences for their customers, building lasting personal relationships that brings them back to us, time and time again.

Our unique approach within the workplace – as well as towards customers – has seen us receive numerous awards and accolades, including being named as The Best Place to Work in Travel at the 2022 TTG Travel Industry Awards, as well as being the first travel company to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category!

We are currently expanding at a phenomenal rate – on the back of what is our record year in terms of revenue (over £800m) and so are looking for like-minded individuals to join our dedicated Head Office team, to help the company continue to flourish.

Brief overview of the position

This exciting role would see the candidate own our ancillary product journey. This would include product sourcing & contracting, relationship management, contract negotiation, business admin, Travel Counsellor & customer experience, digital transformation and overall engagement.

Working in a dynamic and fast paced team you will demonstrate strong commercial skills managing the touring pathway from planning to delivery. Responsible for driving the ancillary product strategy for the business, with continual assessing and reporting.

• Drive and develop the ancillary product range for Travel Counsellors.
• Ensure that the Travel Counsellors ancillary product meets the strategic aims and high standard of service for the business.
• Ensure all relevant supplier partners meet our contractual terms to both sets of our customers internally and externally.
• Responsible for negotiating the commercial and product relationships, agreements and best rates with all ancillary partners.
• Look for and implement the technological advancements to join up our systems with those of our ancillary partners.
• Look for and implement digital transformation process in the product journey with our Travel Counsellors and customers
• Represent the customer (TC and end customer). Be the champion and voice of customers for the product. Build impactful, personal customer relationships. Bring the customer's voice into the product process. Prioritise product requirements with product owners.
• Responsible for the promotion and adoption of products across the TC community.
• Streamline the product delivery and product access to our community of Travel Counsellors.
• Ensure all ancillary targets are met including sales growth, profit maximisation, pricing and contributions.
• Continue to evolve and streamline the reporting for our ancillary partnerships.
• Conduct travel trends and wider market research to identify new areas of opportunity and maximise sales.
• Report to key stakeholders on the ancillary program status on a regular basis.

Key Attributes & Skills needed for the role:

• Previous experience of product sourcing and management within the travel industry
• Strong worldwide travel knowledge.
• Proven negotiation skills demonstrated through prior negotiation of high value commercial agreements.
• Experience of putting product fulfilment agreements to tender.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong commercial, analytical and numeracy ability.
• Proven track record of being able to priortise workload whilst remaining reactive to the needs of the business.
• Ability to multi-task and assist with the co-ordination of several projects simultaneously.

Our Benefits

Working here at Travel Counsellors, we value the hard work and effort that our colleagues put in. Because of this, you can expect a wide range of employee benefits including:

• A competitive basic salary + annual company bonus
• Flexible hybrid working model (2 days home, 3 days office)
• Career development and promotional opportunities
• 25 days holidays (increasing to 28 after 5 years of service)
• A Moments That Matter day (annually)
• Enhanced Maternity / Paternity pay
• Holiday buy and sell (up to 5 days per year)
• 3 paid days charity leave
• Company events, socials, and incentives
• 3x annual salary death in service benefit
• Company Pension scheme
• Costco Membership
• Salary sacrifice, company car scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free breakfast, fruit, and hot/cold beverages
• Referral scheme
• Employee discount