Head of Brand & Growth — Travel (UK) in London

As the world’s oldest travel brand, Thomas Cook has been shaping travel since 1842. In September 2020, Thomas Cook, one of the most recognisable names in tourism, returned as an online travel agency. It is now part of the Polish-based eSky Group, which owns and operates brands like eSky and eDestinos in 50 markets across the globe. Together, we develop solutions that inspire people to explore the world and we turn these inspirations into experiences.

With ATOL-protected holidays and city breaks packages, the new Thomas Cook allows customers to design their own trip according to their budget, needs, and specifications. Customers can fly from all major UK airports with direct flights from all major carriers, thousands of hotels to choose from, and add-ons including car hire, insurance, and attractions.

We’re seeking a Head of Marketing to lead marketing for Thomas Cook, driving brand consideration and sustainable growth. This role will shape and deliver a wide-ranging marketing communications strategy, working closely with the UK team and drawing on the wider group’s marketing capabilities to maximize impact.

What will your journey with us look like?

• Own the brand positioning and strategy for Thomas Cook: defining the brand narrative and messaging, ensuring brand consistency across all marketing channels, identifying Thomas Cook specific brand opportunities, managing brand perception and reputation.
• Own the Thomas Cook brand budget, marketing calendar and campaign strategy: developing the quarterly UK marketing plan, taking input from the Thomas Cook Trading team on commercial priorities, aligning brand, PR, social and performance activity to ensure a consistent brand identity across all customer touch points, ensuring campaigns reflect UK consumer demand and travel trends, briefing wider group teams on campaign requirements and priorities (for example Paid Search, Paid Social).
• Lead and develop the UK marketing team (10 - 12 FTE), which includes: Brand Lead, Public Relations Specialist, Organic Social Managers, Creative Manager, Content, Brand Partnerships and Customer Experience.
• Oversee PR strategy and media relations: managing national media relationships, driving earned media coverage, handling crisis communications for the UK, positioning the brand in UK travel conversations.
• Act as the voice of the UK customer within the organisation: ensuring all customer feedback and using customer metrics to drive meaningful customer experience improvements, monitoring UK travel trends, feeding market intelligence into product, pricing and marketing strategy and ensuring group campaigns are relevant for UK audiences.
• Brand Partnerships: reviewing and identifying partnership opportunities that drive brand growth, customer acquisition, and commercial performance across the UK market, integrating partnerships across brand campaigns and channels, including PR, content, and social media, ensuring all partnership types align with the overall brand strategy, making sure partnerships deliver measurable ROI.
• Collaboration with Group Marketing: working closely with central marketing teams including Performance marketing and Marketing Automation.

To Succeed In This Role, You Need

• Proven experience in a senior strategic marketing role, with a focus on Brand and Campaign planning.
• Strong leadership and team management, with the ability to head in remote and hybrid environments.
• Significant experience in brand strategy and brand management.
• Good knowledge of all marketing channels to drive effective campaigns that drive both short term sales results, and longer term improvement in brand metrics.
• Significant experience in a B2C sector, with experience in the travel sector is a bonus.

What can we offer if you decide to travel with us?

• Dynamic work culture in a global environment
• AXA medical care partnership.
• Life Insurance.
• Annual leave allowance + 8 days UK bank holidays.
• 2 hours per week for self development.
• Flexible working arrangements.