Director of Sales Partnerships

Xanterra Travel Collection•Eau Claire, WI

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Holiday Vacations, an Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based travel company and subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, is seeking a Director of Sales Partnerships to join its Leadership Team. This department head leads the media partnerships, group sales, and Friends & Family sales channels, oversees Sales Managers and Coordinators, personally manages key partner accounts with annual sales goals, and contributes to company-wide planning. The role reports to the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Growing the group sales channel is a key priority, including recruiting group leaders from the guest community and developing partnerships with organizations such as alumni associations. The successful candidate must be local to Eau Claire or willing to relocate; preference is given to candidates already within commuting distance. The Director partners with the Vice President of Sales and Marketing to set strategy, annual sales targets, and priorities aligned with company objectives and inventory capacity. The role works across Marketing, Guest Travel, Operations, Inventory, and Tour Sales to align plans and balance revenue goals with operational needs. It leads team development and performance, manages partner relationships and sales results, develops the group sales channel, and maintains operational processes and documentation. The position is based at Holiday Vacations’ corporate headquarters in Eau Claire. The typical schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time, with additional hours as needed to fulfill responsibilities and meet business needs. Approximately 15% travel is required. The office may have moderate noise from office equipment and verbal interaction. Physical requirements include extended sitting, frequent walking, lifting or carrying up to 35 pounds, and occasional bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, reaching, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling up to 50 pounds.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, travel, marketing, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Seven or more years of progressive experience in sales, partnerships, or account management.
Three or more years leading a team with direct reports.
Ability to set sales vision, strategy, and priorities across multiple channels and turn growth objectives into executable plans.
Financial and analytical skills, including setting revenue goals, monitoring performance, identifying trends, and balancing growth with operational capacity.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, build alignment and shared accountability, communicate transparently, coach, and follow through consistently.
Ability to identify opportunities and build new sales programs from the ground up, using relationships, testing, and continuous improvement.
Experience building and maintaining long-term, trust-based partner or client relationships.
Strong operational discipline and ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, and interdependencies through clear processes and effective performance management.
Excellent verbal and written communication, sound judgment, discretion, and problem-solving in time-sensitive situations.
Proficiency in Microsoft 365, including Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Copilot.
Experience with CRM, reporting, or sales tracking systems.
Must be local to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, or willing to relocate.
Ability to meet physical requirements, including extended sitting, frequent walking, and lifting or carrying up to 35 pounds, with occasional physical activities involving loads up to 50 pounds.
Ability to travel approximately 15% for partner meetings, travel shows, and events.

Nice To Haves

Strong Excel skills.
Experience with HubSpot and Smartsheet.
Travel or tourism industry experience.
Experience in media, broadcast, or advertising partnerships.
Already living within commuting distance of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a team of Sales Managers and Coordinators, establishing expectations, coaching, feedback, performance evaluations, and learning opportunities.
Keep the team informed and prepared for changes in priorities, programs, products, and processes, and involve them in department improvements.
Participate in weekly Leadership Team meetings and collaborate on company-wide issues and cross-departmental projects.
Partner with the Vice President of Sales and Marketing to develop the department’s strategic plan, annual sales targets, and priorities.
Coordinate with Marketing, Guest Travel, Operations, Inventory, and Tour Sales to align sales plans with operational needs and capacity.
Evaluate opportunities for revenue impact, guest and brand fit, and operational feasibility.
Prepare sales updates, performance insights, and recommendations for leadership.
Manage a portfolio of key partner accounts, including established media partnerships, with annual sales goals; represent the company in partner meetings, travel shows, and external events.
Own department performance against annual sales, guest volume, and revenue goals across all channels; monitor trends, lead business reviews, and address risks and opportunities.
Serve as the escalation point for complex partner, sales, or program issues.
Lead the strategy and execution to build and scale the group sales channel.
Identify, recruit, and support prospective group leaders using the customer CRM and referrals from Tour Sales Consultants.
Prospect and develop group partnerships with alumni associations and similar organizations.
Create programs, tools, and resources to help group leaders promote and fill tours; track results and refine the approach.
Ensure sales programs are operationally ready through clear processes, timelines, and accountability.
Maintain department standard operating procedures, templates, and workflows, including version control.
Promote continuous improvement in tools, systems, and processes to support growth and efficiency.