Partnerships Growth Manager

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.The impact you'll have:Reporting to the Senior Director of Partnerships, the Partnerships Growth Manager will sit within the New Business function of Partnerships.You will find new partners that loveholidays does not currently work with, qualify them against our commercial criteria, build the relationship and close the deal. You will manage both outbound prospecting and inbound interest from potential partners, including RFPs.Once a new partner is signed and live, you will retain ownership through the early-life period, ensuring the commercial momentum built during acquisition is maintained through integration and first trading. At a defined milestone, partners may be handed over to the Partner Success team for long-term growth.You will work closely with Product and Tech from the earliest stage where required. Commercial fit and technical fit need to be assessed together, so you will need to speak credibly about both.Your day-to-day:Partner Prospecting:Build and maintain a live, prioritised pipeline of target partners using CRM software, segmented by partner type, geography and estimated commercial potentialIdentify new partner verticals loveholidays could work with and build a systematic approach to reaching themResearch target organisations, identify the right commercial contacts and build relationships before a formal process beginsQualify opportunities rigorously, knowing which leads are worth pursuing and which are notOwn the response to inbound partner enquiries, including RFPs, assessing commercial fit quickly and progressing qualified opportunitiesConvert inbound interest into commercial momentumManage inbound and outbound opportunities through a consistent qualification framework so pipeline reporting is accurate and actionableCommercial negotiation and deal closure:Lead commercial negotiations for new partnerships, from initial commercial framework through to signed agreementStructure deals that lead with the loveholidays proposition and productBuild simple, robust and scalable commercial structures that optimise for margin quality from day oneEscalate opportunities requiring senior-level commercial engagement or sign-off to the Senior Director of PartnershipsPresent the loveholidays commercial proposition clearly in terms of what the partner earns, not just what loveholidays offersPartner onboarding and early-life management:Own the post-signature onboarding process in partnership with Product and Tech, ensuring the integration is live and performing before handoffSet commercial margin and booking targets for each new partner during the early-life periodTrack performance against early-life commercial targetsPrepare a full commercial handoff brief covering partner profile, integration status, commercial targets and growth planMaintain accountability for new partner performance on the New Business P&L until the handoff milestone is formally reachedPipeline and market intelligence:Maintain accurate and up-to-date pipeline reporting so senior management has a clear view of opportunities, stage and realistic commercial valueFeed market intelligence back into the business, including growing partner categories, competitor activity and product improvements needed to win new partnershipsProvide a continuous feedback loop with Product and Tech around potential partner requirements to ensure our product roadmap gives us what we need in the most scalable wayRepresent loveholidays externally at relevant industry events and conferencesEstablish loveholidays' presence in relevant partner forums and trade environmentsYour skillset:ExperienceDemonstrable track record of winning new business in a B2B commercial environmentEvidence of deals you have originated, pursued and closed, not only accounts you have inheritedExperience working with commercially complex products where the sale involves multiple stakeholders and a technical integration elementRelevant sector experience could include travel distribution, travel trade, consortia, OTA, metasearch, SaaS, API-based platforms or similarComfort with longer sales cycles and structured partner acquisitionExperience managing outbound prospecting and inbound pipeline at the same timeProven ability to lead a commercial negotiation from first conversation to signed agreementExperience building and using sales materials that clearly communicate product value, commercial benefit and cultural fitProfileA self-starter who builds their own pipeline rather than waiting for a list of targetsCommercially curious, with the ability to understand what drives a potential partner's business before pitchingDisciplined in pipeline management, with accurate reporting, honest assessments and trusted forecastsConfident qualifying opportunities quickly and honestly, including knowing when to walk awayPersistent without being pushy, able to stay in front of prospects over a long cycle without damaging the relationshipComfortable working closely with Product and Tech, combining commercial ownership with technical inputAble to structure deals with margin quality as a primary filter, not just booking volume or gross revenueClear and credible in external partner meetings, industry events and senior commercial conversationsDesirable:Working understanding of API or white-label product distributionAbility to assess a partner's technical integration profile and understand how it affects the commercial opportunityExperience working alongside technical solutions, product or engineering teams in a partner-facing sales processExperience in travel distribution, travel trade, consortia, OTA, metasearch or another travel technology environmentExperience taking new partners through onboarding, early trading and formal handoff into a success or account management teamExperience working across multiple marketsBusiness fluency in GermanThe interview journey:Intro to loveholidays with Talent Acquisition (30 mins)Meet with Hiring Manager (45 mins)Onsite task/presentation (60-90 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.TPBN1_UKTJ