Director of Contracting UK & Ireland
Director of Contracting UK & Ireland

Director of Contracting UK & Ireland

Full-Time 43200 - 72000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
WebBeds

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead hotel partnerships and drive commercial performance in the UK & Ireland.
  • Company: Join WebBeds, a global leader in digital travel solutions.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of travel by negotiating strategic partnerships and driving innovation.
  • Qualifications: Strong leadership and negotiation skills with a background in hotel contracting.
  • Other info: Be part of a diverse team making an impact in the travel industry.

The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.

What you will do on your journey with WebBeds.

As the Director of Contracting, you will lead our sourcing strategy across one of WebBeds\’ most critical markets. This senior leadership role combines team management, commercial strategy, and high-level supplier engagement. You will play a key role in shaping the regional hotel portfolio, negotiating strategic partnerships, and ensuring consistent delivery against commercial objectives. Through collaboration with internal stakeholders and external hotel partners, you will drive performance and ensure WebBeds maintains its competitive advantage in the UK and Ireland.

In this role you will:

Manage hotel partnerships, drive commercial performance, and ensure portfolio growth in line with market demands. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership experience, a solid background in hotel contracting, and a passion for delivering high-impact commercial outcomes.

Key Responsibilities.

  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing contracting team.
  • Define and execute the hotel partnership strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
  • Collaborate with regional peers across Northern Europe to drive consistency and best practices.
  • Develop strategic partnerships with top-performing hotels and chains.
  • Achieve regional revenue, margin, and competitiveness targets within the B2B distribution landscape.
  • Negotiate optimal inventory, rates, and availability to maximize sales potential.
  • Analyse portfolio performance, identifying trends, gaps, and emerging opportunities.
  • Work cross-functionally with Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing, Finance, and Operations to ensure seamless execution.
  • Champion WebBeds\’ value proposition to secure long-term, strategic partnerships.
  • Ensure hotel portfolio diversity, coverage, and quality aligned with regional market demands.
  • Drive data-led decision-making to enhance competitive positioning.
  • Lead internal initiatives to improve contracting processes and team efficiency.

The skills we would love to see in your suitcase.

  • Proven track record in hotel partnerships and commercial management within the UK & Ireland market.
  • Strong negotiation skills; and relationship-building abilities. Able to develop, and maintain, strong and trusting relationships with hoteliers and colleagues.
  • Pro-active team leader.
  • Accurate with attention to detail.
  • Well-developed written and verbal communication skills (internal and external) in English.
  • Able to work well under pressure and motivated to succeed.
  • A solid working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
  • Aptitude for leading and motivating a team.
  • Ability to delegate competently.
  • Able to communicate internally and externally in an effective and timely manner.

WebBeds is a global digital travel marketplace for the travel trade, an intermediary connecting hotels and other travel service suppliers to a distribution network of travel buyers all over the world. We connect hotels looking to fill rooms with buyers trying to find rooms. In short, we source bookable content, integrate, aggregate and merchandise that content in our platform, then distribute it to a global network of travel trade buyers, who sell to the travelling public.

Our Products range from a Retail Online platform, Integration Connectivity hub and distribution APIs to name but a few and our systems are 100% cloud hosted processing up to 8.3bn search requests daily, with 17million rooms nights sold in FY24. We deliver amazing outcomes using leading edge technology through innovative and creative thinking; and products help our partners deliver amazing travel experiences, enabling travel the world over.

Some things that make us stand out!

  • We are a truly global travel organisation, with a global footprint.
  • We have 1200+ people speaking 50+ languages in 120+ cites across 50+ countries.
  • We partner with over 500,000 properties in more than 39,000 locations.
  • We work with more than 50,000 travel buyers in 140 source markets.
  • We have an amazing team delivering valuable outcomes using innovative tech and creative, lateral thinking.

Working at WebBeds

WebBeds is a fast-paced, results-driven business and that is reflected throughout our company, in our technology, product and perhaps most importantly – in our people. Visit ‘Careers’ for jobs around the world of WebBeds.

Our customers.

Hotels and other suppliers

Global and regional hotel chains, independent hotels, apartments, resorts, attractions, transfer and sightseeing companies and more – can sell their products through WebBeds by connecting to a global network of over 50,000 online and offline travel buyers through robust solutions that provide greater inventory control to simplify distribution, and leverage WebBeds enhanced analytics to inform inventory optimisation choices – saving costs and increasing revenue.

Online travel agencies, retail travel agents, corporate travel managers, tour operators, wholesalers, tourism boards, super apps, DMC’s, group providers, airlines and more – can integrate the hundreds of thousands of hotels and ground services in the WebBeds marketplace through simple and seamless API connectivity, or they can search, shop and book online through one of WebBeds trade only booking sites.

Our operation.

We operate globally through four geographic regions – Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA (Middle East and Africa) and the Americas – with over 2,000 travel professionals working in 120 cities across 50 countries worldwide. WebBeds also operates specialist brands JacTravel DMC and UHl. JacTravel DMC provides tailormade travel arrangements for offline FIT and groups traveling to the UK, Ireland and key mainland European destinations to the international travel trade. UHI is a genuine pioneer, providing online pilgrimage travel services to travel agencies worldwide.

WebBeds is a travel brand of the Web Travel Group, an ASX 200 listed company (ASX: WEB) operating global digital travel businesses.

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Director of Contracting UK & Ireland employer: WebBeds

WebBeds is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and fast-paced work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. As the Director of Contracting for the UK & Ireland, you will lead a high-performing team while enjoying opportunities for professional growth and development within a global organisation that values diversity and creativity. With a commitment to delivering outstanding results and a supportive culture, WebBeds empowers its employees to thrive and make a meaningful impact in the travel industry.
WebBeds

Contact Detail:

WebBeds Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Director of Contracting UK & Ireland

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn or at events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of the team.

✨Tip Number 3

Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or family to get comfortable with common questions. The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel when it’s time to shine.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A simple thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and keep you top of mind. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the role and the company.

We think you need these skills to ace Director of Contracting UK & Ireland

Leadership Experience
Hotel Contracting
Negotiation Skills
Relationship-Building Abilities
Team Management
Commercial Strategy
Data Analysis
Attention to Detail
Written and Verbal Communication Skills
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Strategic Partnership Development
Performance Analysis
Problem-Solving Skills

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Director of Contracting role. Highlight your experience in hotel partnerships and commercial management, as well as any leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your background aligns with our needs!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how you can contribute to our team. Be sure to mention specific examples of your negotiation skills and relationship-building abilities.

Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your past experiences, focus on your achievements. Use numbers and data to illustrate how you've driven performance and achieved targets in previous roles. We love seeing concrete results!

Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the WebBeds family!

How to prepare for a job interview at WebBeds

✨Know Your Market

Before the interview, dive deep into the UK and Ireland hotel market. Understand current trends, key players, and what makes WebBeds stand out. This knowledge will help you speak confidently about how you can drive commercial performance and develop strategic partnerships.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

As a Director of Contracting, your leadership experience is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past, focusing on mentoring and developing high-performing teams. Be ready to discuss your approach to team management and how you foster collaboration.

✨Master Negotiation Scenarios

Expect questions around negotiation strategies. Prepare specific examples where you've negotiated optimal inventory or rates with hotels. Highlight your relationship-building skills and how they contributed to successful outcomes, ensuring you demonstrate your ability to secure long-term partnerships.

✨Data-Driven Decision Making

WebBeds values data-led strategies. Be prepared to discuss how you've used data analysis to identify trends and gaps in hotel portfolios. Share examples of how your insights have driven performance improvements and competitive positioning in previous roles.

Director of Contracting UK & Ireland
WebBeds

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