Head of Contracting

Job description

Why loveholidays? At loveholidays - we trailblaze together. We’re on a mission to open the world to everyone, giving our customers’ unlimited choice, unmatched ease and unmissable value for their next getaway. Our team is the driving force behind our role as our customers’ personal holiday expert - the smart way to get away. We’re using progressive tech to drive cutting-edge innovation and open the world to everyone. Within our Commercial and Support teams, you'll find a place to accelerate your growth by actively seeking learning opportunities and carving your own path. You'll create impact for our future by owning projects and shaping the business strategy to reach shared goals, all within our enhanced international community of collaborative and passionate teams. About the team: The Land Supply team is a central driver of loveholidays’ success. We are responsible for sourcing all of the bookable land products in our marketplace. Our mission is to secure the broadest range of inventory at the most competitive rates, availability & customer experience quality. We bridge the gap between data-driven yield management and long-term relationship building. As we grow towards our vision of becoming the global leader in package holidays, we are scaling directly contracted inventory and this team is leading that evolution. The impact you’ll have: In this role, you will primarily lead our direct contracting activity across key assigned destinations, with the opportunity to expand into other geographies over time. You will play a critical role not just in direct contracting with hoteliers on behalf of loveholidays, but will contribute strongly to the design of a best-in-class sourcing strategy for our future growth. Ideally, you will be based within your designated region with strong local market connections. You will be our primary regional presence, leveraging your industry relationships to ensure loveholidays is a preferred partner for major hotel chains and DMCs. You will turn market insights into a sustainable commercial advantage, ensuring our diverse, international customer base always has access to the best rates and exclusive offers. Your day-to-day: - Strategic Portfolio Growth: Define and implement the sourcing strategy, establishing loveholidays as a leader through a direct-contracting model. - Relationship Management: Serve as the lead contact for major hotel chains and DMCs, fostering long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. - Commercial Negotiation: Secure market-leading rates, availability and exclusive value-adds that distinguish our brand in all markets - with a particular focus on UK + DE customers. - Market Agility: Proactively secure inventory and special offers during peak seasons to ensure we remain the first choice for customers throughout the year. - Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with Inventory, Yield, and Marketing teams to ensure our supply aligns with demand and our top deals receive high visibility on our platform. - Operational Excellence: Manage the end-to-end contracting process, ensuring all agreements are finalized and loaded efficiently. - Market Analysis: Maintain a constant pulse on the industry to ensure our pricing and product offering remain highly competitive. Your skillset: - Commercial Expert: You have a strong track record in purchasing within the travel sector and a deep understanding of commercial performance. - Strong Industry Network: You possess an extensive list of established contacts across hotel chains and DMCs. - Linguistic Fluency: You are professionally fluent in English, capable of leading complex discussions in both languages. - Technical Proficiency: You have hands-on experience with the Channel Managers commonly used across Spain and Portugal - Adaptable & Driven: You work well in fast-paced environments and are motivated by achieving ambitious growth targets. Desirable: - Experience in a high-growth travel or OTA environment. The interview journey: 1. Intro to loveholidays with the Talent Acquisition Team – 30 mins 2. 1st stage with the Contracting Team – 45 mins 3. 2nd stage Meet with Commercial Supply Director - 60 mins 4. Final stage with CMO or VP Land – 45 mins Perks of joining us: - Company pension contributions at 5%. - Individualised training budget for you to learn on the job and level yourself up. - Discounted holidays for you, your family and friends. - 25 days of holidays per annum (plus 8 public holidays) increases by 1 day for every second year of service, up to a maximum 30 days per annum. - Ability to buy and sell annual leave. - Cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan and eye care vouchers. At loveholidays, we focus on developing an inclusive culture and environment that encourages personal growth and collective success. Each individual offers unique perspectives and ideas that increase the diversity and effectiveness of our teams. And we value the insight and potential you could bring on our continued journey.