Head of Partnerships & Programs
19 days ago
Kingston upon Thames
Job Title: Head of Partnerships & Programs Role Type: Full Time, Permanent Location: Kingston Upon Thames Start Date: March / April The role in a nutshell: This role exists to build scalable, repeatable, commercial partner-led growth for Tru. As Head of Partnerships & Programs, you will own Tru’s Partnerships, Affinity & Affiliates channel as a full commercial growth engine with clear revenue accountability, forecasting and performance ownership. This is not a marketing role. It is a senior commercial leadership role, responsible for designing, scaling and optimising a partner-led distribution channel that sits alongside Direct and Trade as one of Tru’s core revenue pillars. You will define who Tru partners with, how those partnerships are structured, how they perform commercially, and how the channel scales over time. Why Join Tru? TruTravels exists to create experiences that go beyond the ordinary, for our travellers and for the people who build the brand behind the scenes. We’re a fast-moving, purpose-led company that believes work should be meaningful, collaborative, and challenging in the right ways. We care deeply about the experiences we create, the people we work with, and the impact we have on the world around us. At Tru, you’ll find real ownership, room to grow, and the opportunity to be part of something that’s constantly evolving. We encourage curiosity, back people to take responsibility, and support each other to raise the bar without losing the sense of fun and connection that makes this place special. If you’re looking for a place where you can do work that matters, be part of a genuine community, and help build something that doesn’t settle for ordinary, you’ll feel right at home. What success looks like Success in this role means Partnerships becomes a predictable, scalable and material revenue channel for Tru. You will have: • A clear partner strategy and prioritisation framework, • A diversified portfolio of high-performing partners, • Accurate Sales Production forecasting and revenue visibility, • Strong commercial deal structures, • A team and operating model that can scale Key responsibilities Channel ownership & commercial accountability You own the full commercial performance of the Partnerships, Affinity & Affiliates channels. This includes: • Overall revenue and growth targets for the channel, • SP forecasting and revenue planning, • Channel-level performance tracking and reporting, • Identifying growth opportunities and revenue gaps, • Ensuring Partnerships is treated as a core commercial pillar, • You are accountable for building a partner channel that performs. Affinity, creator & affiliate programmes You own the structure and performance of all partner programmes. This includes: • Designing and scaling affinity partnerships, • Owning creator-led growth initiatives, • Building and optimising affiliate programmes, • Developing repeatable partnership models, • Ensuring partner programmes are commercially viable and scalable, • You turn partnerships into a system, not one-off launches. Partner strategy & prioritisation You define who Tru partners with and why. This includes: • Setting the overall partner strategy, • Prioritising creators, brands, communities and platforms, • Deciding which partnerships are strategic vs tactical, • Aligning partner strategy to Tru’s long-term brand and growth goals, • Ensuring partnerships support Tru’s evolution into a lifestyle brand, • You decide where Tru invests its partnership energy. Commercial terms & deal leadership You own the commercial shape of partnerships. This includes: • Leading commercial negotiations, • Setting deal structures and revenue models, • Agreeing volume expectations and targets, • Ensuring partnerships are profitable and scalable, • Protecting Tru’s commercial interests, • You close and shape the deals that define the channel. Launch calendars & pipeline control You own the channel pipeline and launch cadence. This includes: • Maintaining a clear partner pipeline, • Owning launch calendars and phasing, • Aligning launches with capacity and strategy, • Ensuring the right partners go live at the right time, • Providing visibility across the business on what’s launching and when, • You control the flow of partner activity. Partner performance & portfolio management You own partner-level performance and optimisation. This includes: • Running partner performance reviews, • Identifying underperforming or misaligned partners, • Doubling down on high-performing partnerships, • Managing churn and partner exits, • Building long-term, mutually valuable relationships, • You manage a commercial portfolio, not a list of partners. Team leadership & structure You build and lead the Partnerships & Programs team. This includes: • Managing the Partnerships & Affinity Manager, • Managing the Partnerships Growth & New Business Manager, • Setting clear ownership and accountability, • Developing commercial capability within the team, • Designing a structure that can scale globally, • You build a high-performing commercial unit. Who this role is perfect for This role is ideal for someone who: • Thinks in channels, not campaigns, • Has owned revenue before, • Is commercially and strategically strong, • Enjoys deal-making and negotiation, • Can build systems, not just relationships, • Wants real ownership of a growth engine You might come from: • Partnerships leadership, • Commercial or business development leadership, • Platform or ecosystem roles, • Channel sales or marketplace businesses, • Travel, media, digital or community-led brands Why this role matters at Tru Tru is building more than a tour operator, we’re building a lifestyle brand, community and global distribution platform. Partnerships are how Tru: • Reaches new audiences at scale, • Builds cultural relevance, • Creates diversified revenue streams, • Reduces reliance on traditional marketing, • This role exists to turn Partnerships into a core commercial pillar of the business, not a support function., • You won’t just manage partnerships. You’ll own one of Tru’s most important growth engines for the next decade. We’re All About Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Fair Opportunity: We are committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We believe that a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences makes us stronger and drives innovation. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We are dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to thrive. If you are excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification and experience listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. How to Apply: Click apply and attach your CV. If you haven’t heard from us within 3 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful this time around, but we appreciate you putting yourself forward.
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