Head of Trading (Hybrid, Manchester, UK)

About CAVU

For airports, for partners, for people. We are CAVU. At CAVU, our purpose is to find new and better ways to make airport travel seamless and enjoyable for everybody — from the smallest ideas to the biggest transformations. Every day is an opportunity to create better travel experiences. From our revenue‑accelerating single‑platform technology, Propel, through to our world‑class hospitality venues including 1903 and Escape Lounges, our solutions make travel smoother for passengers and more profitable for our clients and partners. We know that to bring your best ideas, you need the space to think, the support to grow, and the freedom to be your authentic self. Whether you’re working from our offices, from home, in our lounges, or on the road, we provide an environment where you can create, innovate, and help transform airport travel. Together, we can reach new heights. Together, we are CAVU.

About The Role

Lead the strategy and implementation for revenue management for London Stansted Airport car parks, a critical commercial engine within CAVU's UK portfolio, and act as the strategic owner of pricing across all STN parking products, pre‑book and turn‑up. Accountable for the creation and execution of optimal pricing strategies that achieve and exceed the business plan, the Head of Trading – Car Parks, STN sets the strategic pricing direction, leads the translation of demand, capacity, competitor and channel signals into timely and disciplined pricing decisions, and is the single point of accountability for STN car parks revenue performance. The role represents STN car parks at the CAVU Trade SLT, leads the commercial narrative on STN performance to CAVU SLT and STN Airport Commercial and Finance Directors, and leads a small revenue management team (one Revenue Manager plus shared analyst resource) while partnering closely with the wider CAVU Commerce function, which owns channel, marketing and distribution to ensure the successful delivery of business plan expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Pricing Leadership: Own and lead the pricing strategy for Stansted's car parking products, ensuring pricing, discounts and seasonal approaches maximise revenue, yield and profitability. Take full accountability for key pricing decisions, balancing competitiveness with commercial performance to deliver the airport's income and EBITDA targets.
• Demand Sensing & Pricing Response: Lead the day‑to‑day commercial performance of Stansted car parks, monitoring demand, booking trends and yield performance to make timely pricing decisions. Proactively identify risks and opportunities, respond to market and competitor changes, and work closely with marketing to ensure promotions and offers support revenue and profitability targets.
• Budget Ownership, Plan Delivery & Forecasting: Lead the annual budgeting process for STN car parks revenue, setting the pricing‑led number inputs, building bottom‑up rate and volume assumptions, and aligning with CAVU Finance, STN Finance and MAG group planning. Own the revenue inputs into the STN 5‑year model, providing the strategic long‑range view on yield, volume and rate trajectory critical to capital planning decisions. Own delivery of the in‑year revenue target: produce short and mid‑term forecasts, track plan‑to‑actual, reforecast as conditions change, and lead the identification of strategic levers to close gaps to plan.
• Performance Reporting & Strategic Commentary: Lead the monthly STN revenue commentary versus original target and prior year – covering penetration, gross revenue, bookings, ATV and yield – for CAVU SLT, STN Airport SLT and MAG group review. Provide clear, strategically grounded narrative on what drove performance, what action was taken, and what happens next – framing critical risks and opportunities for senior decision‑makers.
• Test‑and‑Learn & Continuous Improvement: Lead a disciplined pricing test‑and‑learn programme (price points, floor prices, lead‑time bands, product mix). Measure outcomes rigorously, embed learnings into the strategic pricing playbook, and share insight back into CAVU to strengthen revenue management capability across the wider portfolio.
• Team Leadership & Cross‑Commerce Collaboration: Lead, develop and inspire the STN Revenue Manager and direct shared analyst resource effectively alongside peer Commerce leaders. Build RM capability, set clear standards and strategic priorities, and represent STN car parks at the CAVU Trade SLT, bringing a clear strategic point of view on STN performance, pricing strategy and critical risks/opportunities. Partner closely with CAVU Marketing, Performance Marketing, E‑commerce and Client Services to ensure the pricing strategy is supported end‑to‑end across Direct, Own Channels and 3rd Party.

What We Need From You

• Deep, strategic understanding of revenue management and yield principles in a high‑volume consumer business.
• Fluent in competitive positioning and pricing dynamics in a consumer‑facing market: ideally non‑aero airport commerce (parking) or an adjacent travel/transport/hospitality context, though a track record of transferring RM craft into a new sector is equally valued.
• Awareness of revenue management systems and pricing platforms and of the regulatory, data protection and competition‑law framework.
• Significant revenue management experience in a high‑volume consumer P&L (travel, transport, hospitality or similar), at least 5–7 years, with a proven track record of leading the creation and execution of pricing strategies that achieve and exceed business plan.
• Demonstrable evidence of leading year‑on‑year yield and revenue growth, including in soft or disrupted markets, with emphasis on margin as well as volume.
• Experience of leading an annual revenue budgeting process end‑to‑end – setting pricing‑led number inputs – and of contributing strategic revenue assumptions to a long‑range (3–5 year) financial plan.
• Experience of creating and presenting complex revenue management strategies and performance commentary to senior audiences, including Airport (or client) Commercial and Finance Directors.
• Experience of leading at least one direct report and working effectively with shared or matrixed analyst resource; credible and confident contributor in senior cross‑functional trading or pricing forums.
• Evidence of operating under senior scrutiny and leading through commercially difficult periods.
• Degree (or equivalent experience); further analytical or revenue management qualifications (MBA, professional RM certifications, BI/analytics) are desirable, not essential.

Additional Requirements

• Hard‑hitting strategic pricing instinct backed by rigorous analysis – able to set rate, react to demand shifts and defend yield under pressure, with an inquisitive and challenging mindset.
• Resilient under sustained commercial pressure; holds judgement and leads decisive pricing calls when stakes are high, timelines are tight and scrutiny is intense.
• Confident in difficult conversations (internal, cross‑functional and senior stakeholder) delivering challenge directly and absorbing it with equal composure.
• Able to articulate a strategic pricing and trading agenda with clarity and conviction to a wide range of audiences (from analyst team through to CAVU SLT, STN Airport Commercial and Finance Directors); adjusts tone and depth without losing the argument.
• Able to own and interpret revenue performance against plan, diagnose variance quickly, and translate data into critical pricing decisions; a high level of analytical rigour and attention to detail.
• Disciplined test‑and‑learn mindset; comfortable designing, leading and reading pricing experiments.
• Proficient in Excel, revenue management platforms and BI tools (e.g. Power BI); confident with large datasets and able to brief and challenge analyst and data science partners.
• Effective leadership and coaching of a small, high‑performing RM team; collaborative and credible across a matrixed Commerce function.

What's In It For You

• 25 days holiday, increasing with service (up to 28)
• Option to buy up to 10 extra days + 4 flexible