Senior Marketing Manager, Cruise Partnerships

This role has full ownership for creating and delivering the Thomson 3rd party cruise marketing strategy. Aligned to Thomson and cruise partner objectives, the Senior Marketing Manager will predominantly work across offline media channels leading and implementing marketing communications to drive cruise line sales via Thomson shops and CruiseDeals.co.uk (supported by the CruiseDeals call centre).

What you will be doing

Key accountabilities

• Propose and implement an annual marketing strategy for cruise lines aligned to commercial requirements and targets for 3rd party cruise sales via Thomson shops and CruiseDeals.co.uk. Lead and execute media and creative plans for all cruise partner marketing campaigns to support key selling periods including new season launches, turn of year and Cruise Month. 
• Own cruise marketing budget including supplier marketing contributions and provide on-going tracking of budget and phasing of spend, working with our Finance Business Partner. Proactively manage cruise supplier marketing funds, negotiating incremental budget with Commercial teams. Invest our mutual funds in approved, effective activity to drive sales results in line with cruise targets. 
• Champion 3rd party cruise product within the business and secure share of voice amongst a crowded and competitive product landscape. Proactively seek out opportunities to increase presence in TUI’s marketing communications and distribution channels. Work with Distribution & Sales to improve 3rd party cruise customer experience throughout the TUI customer journey. 
• Own the retail cruise event marketing strategy ensuring that events are pre-promoted where possible and performance is measured across our estate of over 600 Thomson travel shops. Collaborate with the Retail Marketing team to ensure customer facing cruise communications within Thomson shops are impactful and meet all objectives, with creative impact and cut through. 
• Own and lead all marketing meetings with cruise suppliers and represent Cruise Partnership Marketing at relevant internal meetings. Involves some travel and overnight stays. 
• Nurture relationships with Thomson Cruises, Commercial, Retail Operations and 3rd Party cruise line contacts to gain sign off of all marketing proposals to ensure integrated planning and collaboration. 
• Collaborate with CruiseDeals team to ensure all website, eCRM and online marketing is aligned to Thomson 3rd party cruise marketing and we achieve through-the-line marketing communications. 
• Own and co-ordinate all cruise partner customer insight and database analysis. Suggest new ideas to increase customer retention and proactively look for opportunities to improve our planning. Work with Thomson CRM team to drive and deliver the Thomson 3rd party cruise direct mail programme, proactively monitoring activity to ensure data accuracy and performance. 
• Evaluate all marketing activity and spend. Use analysis to identify new opportunities and ensure findings are communicated to internal and external stakeholders in a clear and useful way. 
• Responsible for all 3rd party cruise creative adhering to Thomson and cruise partner brand guidelines, correct pricing and legals. Work with external advertising agency and/or in-house team and own brief. Nurture relationship with all external agencies. 
• Responsible for all cruise partnership marketing internal comms briefings via email and Click Retail. 
• Lead, coach and develop direct report through one to ones and performance reviews. 
• Proactively maintain a full understanding of the cruise and wider travel competitor landscape. Keep up to date of cruise supplier brand activity, including their objectives and current campaigns. 
• Ensure marketing invoices are processed efficiently and a robust process is in place so that funds are reimbursed to TUI UK within the required timelines. Support line manager with five year planning.

What we are looking for

• Graduate calibre with significant marketing planning and management experience. 
• Exceptional people skills with a passion for stakeholder relationship management. 
• Established marketing manager confident in creating, managing and implementing a marketing strategy aligned to wider business objectives. 
• Confident in leading and executing integrated media and creative campaign strategies. 
• Confident in analysing data with experience of producing post campaign results. 
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, with proven ability to influence senior stakeholders. 
• Some CRM and online marketing experience preferred. 
• Strong external agency management experience and highly skilled at negotiating rates. 
• Experienced team manager with direct report and coaching experience. 
• Innovative with ability to lead change and adapt to a fast paced changing environment. 
• Highly organised and independent self-starter with budget management experience. 
• Flexible, able and happy to work in a fast paced role, managing multiple projects at the same time. 
• Great eye for detail with creative flair and confidence to critique own work and others. 
• Happy to travel in the UK and overseas sometimes outside of working hours and at weekends. 
• PC literate – Excel, Word, PowerPoint.

Working within TUI group

TUI Group is one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups, with over 220 trusted brands in 180 countries and more than 30 million customers.

TUI UK and Ireland is the UK’s largest tour operator with key brands including Thomson, First Choice and Thomson Cruises. Sub brands include Thomson Sensatori, Thomson Couples, Thomson Family Resorts, First Choice Holiday Villages and SplashWorld Resorts.

TUI UK and Ireland’s airline, Thomson Airways, is the UK’s third largest airline with 61 aircraft operating to over 73 destinations in 20 countries. Thomson Airways was the first airline in the UK to take delivery of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and is flying the aircraft on long haul flights.

We employ a team of 13,300 colleagues, serving 5.2 million customers each year.

How to apply

Please click on the link below, the application process consists of answering a few questions and uploading your CV

Closing Date: 28th February 2016