Bellamy is the first AI recruiter helping Talents in their job search. Today, we are supporting an independent luxury travel operator (10 people) based in London, selling tailor made trips to high net worth clients across the UK and US.
Why this role exists
The business is preparing a planned succession to the top role. Your job is to take full ownership of day to day operations, lead a senior team, protect service standards, and grow revenue and margin.
This is a hands on leadership role. You will run the business, not write strategy decks.
You will have the opportunity to take that business one step further by leveraging the excellent reputation, loyal customer base and "boutique" spirit.
What You Will Own
- Full P&L ownership: pricing, gross margin, net margin, cash flow, and monthly reporting discipline.
- FX exposure management across GBP and USD (you decide the rules, you track the risk).
- Commercial performance across direct sales and travel agent channels.
- Supplier negotiation and contracting with hotels, DMCs, airlines, and ground services.
- Compliance: ATOL, IATA, GDPR, and aviation authority reporting.
- Service quality at a luxury standard, with low complaint volume and high repeat rate.
- Brand stewardship across two luxury brands, including positioning and consistency.
Your week will look like
- Review pipeline, margins, and cash, then unblock sales and ops.
- Coach senior specialists, align priorities, make calls when trade offs are needed.
- Negotiate key supplier deals, protect margin without damaging relationships.
- Check that bookings are protected, documented, and compliant.
- Handle a few high stakes client situations personally when needed.
Tools and ways of working
- Reservation and operations systems (travel industry standard tools).
- Excel for modelling, pricing logic, and reporting.
- Financial reporting and compliance reporting tools.
- Mostly standard London business hours, with extra flexibility when the business requires it.
Must have
- 10+ years in tailor made travel or luxury travel (complete outsiders to travel will struggle).
- Proven P&L ownership, including pricing and margin management.
- Commercial leadership across direct sales and travel agent or trade channels.
- Strong supplier negotiation experience (hotels, DMCs, airlines).
- Credibility to lead senior, strong minded experts without micro managing.
Nice to have
- Italian language skills.
- Knowledge of Italy and the Mediterranean as a destination.
- Luxury brand marketing exposure.
What This Role Is Not
- Not a pure sales director role.
- Not a corporate role with large support teams, you will stay close to the detail.
- Not a fully remote role from day one.
What You Get
- Salary: 70,000 to 90,000 GBP.
- Pension.
- Familiarisation trips.
- A clear path to step into the top leadership role.
- London based at the start, some flexibility possible later.
Profil Recherché
- Own the P&L, pricing, margins, and FX management.
- Lead sales and marketing across direct and travel agent channels.
- Manage and develop a senior team via key managers.
- Negotiate supplier contracts with hotels, DMCs, and airlines.
- Oversee ATOL, IATA, GDPR, and CAA compliance.
- Protect service quality, client loyalty, and brand reputation.
Compétences requises: Full P&L Management & reporting, Commercial leadership (direct sales, key accounts, travel agents), Supplier negotiation and contracting (hotels, DMCs, airlines), Running tailor-made operations to a zero-complaint standard
Compétences appréciées: Italian, Luxury Brand Marketing, Mediterranean Market Knowledge
Présentation De La Structure
Independent luxury travel operator in London, selling tailor made itineraries for high net worth clients in the UK and US. Core destinations include Italy and the Mediterranean, with a broader portfolio across Europe and beyond. Team of around 10 people, mostly very senior travel specialists distributed between London and a few European locations. The model relies on deep destination knowledge, direct client relationships, and tight operational execution. The business is backed by a stable group, but run with real autonomy. Culture is client first and detail heavy: pricing, margin protection, supplier relationships, and service quality all matter every week. Working setup is anchored in London. Remote flexibility is possible later, but the starting expectation is to be present and visible while you take control of operations and earn trust.
Avantages
- Pension
- Travel budget or allowance
- Familiarisation trips
- Travel perks
- Flexible working potential
- Succession opportunity
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