Head of Connected Supply

Description

At Secret Escapes, we are not just selling holidays; we are unlocking extraordinary escapes for our members only community, and we are now embarking on our most exciting expansion yet. This is your chance to be the architect of a major new revenue stream, serving as our visionary Head of Connected Supply to shape, launch, and scale our dynamic new product line sourced from key third party suppliers. If you possess deep expertise in travel distribution, are fluent in the Juniper platform, and are driven by the ambition to forge key commercial partnerships, you will play a pivotal role in scaling our growth, owning the P&L, and defining the future of luxury travel retail.

About Secret Escapes

Secret Escapes is one of the world's leading members-only, online travel deals companies, offering inspiring travel experiences and hand-picked offers to over 60 million members worldwide. Operating in 10 countries across Europe, Secret Escapes continues to grow and establish itself as a world-class business, dedicated to giving our members the best range and value in luxury travel deals at low prices.

We operate a hybrid working model where colleagues come into the office 2-3 days a week. We also offer flexible working with core hours between 10 am to 4 pm, and you have the freedom to schedule the remaining hours to suit your routine. As an inspiring travel brand, we also provide a "Work From Anywhere" scheme giving you the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world. This benefit is designed both to feed our travel passion and support parents and carers, especially during school holidays.

We're a diverse and inclusive bunch of individuals from different backgrounds and with varied interests, but the one thing we all have in common is that we're good people (even if we do say so ourselves). 

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Connected Supply to build from scratch, lead and manage our third party hotel supply strategy, product line and future team. This role will own all aspects of this new supply product line - from supplier relationships and commercial negotiations to supply portfolio performance optimization, quality assurance, system management, and strategic growth.

The successful candidate reports into our Commercial Director and acts as the business owner for our third-party supply integrations, predominantly managed through the Juniper Travel Technology platform, ensuring optimal product curation, pricing, quality, operational processes and commercial performance. 

Key Responsibilities

Help build this new product line from the ground up, and advise the business on optimal organizational setup, technical implementations, commercial practices and operational processes.

Own and lead the automated supply strategy in alignment with Secret Escapes' wider business goals & supply-, customer- and brand propositions.

Articulate and implement the ideal supply portfolio strategy as regard to destinations, product volumes, supply types & criteria, down to property selection. 

P&L responsibility to deliver against revenue targets, and implement strategies to maximise competitiveness & performance of the product line.

Manage end-to-end supplier relationships, from vendor selection and commercial negotiations to onboarding and ongoing performance management.

Acts as business owner of the Juniper partnership & system, including platform capabilities, configuration, curation, pricing, mark-up, quality rules and business logics.

Act as internal subject-matter expert for third-party distribution, supplier landscape, technologies & vendors, trends and commercial opportunities.

Collaborate closely with e.g. product, engineering, CS, and quality assurance teams to optimise the experience of our customers with this product line.

Ensure operational excellence in day-to-day management, troubleshooting, and supplier coordination.

Over time, build and develop both the function and a small & nimble team operating it.

You will bring…

Proven experience in travel distribution, preferably with an OTA, bed bank, or global accommodation wholesaler.

Proven track record & commercial accountability for managing third-party accommodation supply and supplier relationships.

Deep understanding of travel technology systems, hotel distribution landscape and technical implementation (e.g. bed banks, channel managers, XML connectivity, API logs etc).

Must have hands-on experience with Juniper platform and integrations (essential).

Knowledge of revenue management, pricing, and mark-up strategies.

Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

And you are…

Fluent in English both written and spoken

Commercially minded, analytical and have strong attention to detail.

Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast paced environment with evolving priorities.

Confident in leading people or managing teams

What We Offer

Competitive salary and performance-based bonus.

Central offices in major European capitals 

Hybrid working model (3 days in office, 2 days remote).

30 days of annual work from anywhere and sabbatical policies 

Opportunity to shape a new, high-impact product line & team in a leading travel brand.

Smart, passionate, collaborative & international teams.

Travel discounts and unique access to exclusive deals.

We are an equal opportunity employer:

Diversity and inclusion are important to us at Secret Escapes and we encourage a culture where everyone can be themselves at work. We value and actively seek out a richly diverse range of talent and our policies ensure that every job application and employee is treated fairly, with equal opportunity to succeed. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer in the UK. While this is a UK specific initiative, our commitment to providing an accessible and supportive recruitment process applies to all our candidates globally. If you need any adjustments or support during the application process, please let us know.

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