Director, Global Partnerships

Virtuoso, Ltd.•New York, NY

About The Position

Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 58 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with 2,500 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Annual sales of (U.S.) $35 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. The Director of Global Partnerships will oversee the execution and successful delivery of the strategic development plans for the Virtuoso network of preferred global and regional partners within their assigned region(s). This will be carried out with the assistance of an assigned team of account managers. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
7+ years’ experience
Strong commercial acumen, including negotiation and revenue strategy expertise.
Proficiency in CRM platforms for tracking partner engagement.
Proven leadership experience, managing people and/or projects at a senior level.
Deep understanding of regional and global market trends in the luxury travel industry.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess and deliver strategic data-driven decision-making.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
Innovation – Forward thinking, curious, & creative
Leadership – Ability to lead people and/or projects
Marketplace Awareness – Current business trend knowledge
Advanced Analytical Skills – Ability to collect and analyze complex information, problem-solve, and make informed decisions.
Collaboration – Strong skills in inspiring the win-win-win.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of selected Global & Regional Key Partners in region(s); with the same KPIs as team members.
Lead a team of account managers to achieve the sales strategy goals.
Provide direction and assist in the development of the sales team while intentionally leveraging their effective use of sales skill training.
Define partner growth and engagement objectives with Vertical Leaders and GMs globally.
Lead strategic business planning sessions with account managers and global and regional preferred partners to establish measurable performance goals and define long-term objectives.
Ensures regular reviews and coaching of team on Partner Briefs, specifically S.M.A.R.T objectives.
Schedule in-market visits with account managers to review team member and partner performance.
Operate as a locally embedded representative of Virtuoso, maintaining deep proximity to partner operations by conducting regular in-market visits, property/site validation, establishing relationship-building touchpoints, and ensuring Virtuoso has firsthand understanding of local partner priorities, partner product quality, and local market conditions
Lead and develop Account Managers as extensions of a global partnership system, ensuring commercial rigor, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration
Ensure account managers deliver a seamless partner experience with a “One Virtuoso” mindset of shared ownership
Oversight of select key preferred partner accounts, as necessary
Act as the internal advocate for assigned account managers, ensuring alignment across all Virtuoso functions (verticals, membership, product)
Serve as a primary source of real-time market intelligence, including competitive dynamics, partner challenges and opportunities, emerging traveler and advisor trends, etc.
Partner with Vertical Discipline leaders to design category-specific strategies, optimize partner programs, deliver expert-informed solutions
Coordinate cross-functional resources to ensure partners receive relevant expertise, timely execution, seamless partner experience
Accountable for maximizing partner ROI across all Virtuoso engagement channels to drive revenue growth, advisor activation, program/initiative performance, strategic alignment with partners
Identify and activate high-value advisor and agency communities aligned to partner objectives
Collaborate with Membership and Marketing to target the right audiences, drive conversion and engagement, and move beyond broad-based promotion to precision engagement strategies
Responsible for planning, tracking, and coordinating the delivery of sales KPIs from start to finish.
Act as an escalation point for issues/questions from preferred partners.
Deliver transparent and comprehensive reporting on success-driven metrics.
Understand and stay current on travel trends, tourism, technology, operational best practices, Virtuoso’s diverse customers and Virtuoso’s competitive landscape.
Support global and regional partner events as required