Travel Category Lead

Description:

This contract with our central government client is for a Travel Category Lead for 12 months initially. The location for the role is Liverpool or Birmingham – average 2-3 days per week on site either at the office or client meetings.
Job Summary
As Category Lead you will be responsible for the leadership and management of a busy and highly motivated team and/or crisis response activity, with a sharp focus on developing and delivering the category strategy and delivering strong commercial solutions to Central Government and Wider Public Sector customers, while building extensive market insights that can help shape the structure of future frameworks and how the client supports crisis response.
There will be a strong emphasis on building and maintaining strategic relationships with your colleagues, industry bodies, customers, suppliers and senior stakeholders to deliver the category strategy and complex commercial sourcing solutions in order to achieve the best outcomes for the public sector and the public purse.
Our client is looking for an experienced proactive, customer-focused and enthusiastic individual with a strong reputation for leadership, innovation, delivery and commercial excellence, to be part of a category team that will shape industries and drive outstanding 3rd party commercial agreements. The category currently manages agreements in excess of £1bn.
Team Summary
The Travel, Accommodation and Venues category is responsible for sourcing and managing booking solution providers, combining the traditional business travel related categories of: ground transport, air travel, accommodation, rail travel, venue find and supporting services for meetings, conferences and events. In addition, the category’s remit also covers guidance and solutions for additional and/or specialist travel services like passports, visas, currency, sensitive crisis travel support and solution management; all with a view to simplifying the procurement process for our customers across Central Government and the Wider Public Sector (WPS) whilst also looking to include innovation and digital transformation.
Key Accountabilities:
●Supporting the creation, execution and evolution of a world class, market leading category strategy for UK and Global travel across Central Government (CG) and the Wider Public Sector (WPS) in complex markets, transforming category management. Will also support the development of the wider business and organisational strategies.
●Leading the development and delivery of commercial solutions, including market and stakeholder engagement activities to incorporate industry and customer input into category and sourcing strategies.
●Developing market sector knowledge and applying this to create a deep understanding of customer requirements, market capability and potential opportunities.
●Building relationships of influence with senior customers, strategic suppliers and industry leaders.
●Liaise with Account Managers and other relevant personnel to ensure “one voice” and to support and coordinate initiatives that develop the sub-category offering, including new products and services where appropriate.
●Lead the category response and provide proactive and flexible support to the department in supporting customers during periods of crisis and/or high priority Citizen programmes requiring urgent and often complex and large-scale travel management solutions and guidance.
●Line management responsibility for a small team of Category Managers (if required).
●Travel in and round the UK as required and requested.
●Use market expertise and knowledge to spot trends and change markets accordingly, leading market engagement activities and other team members in sharing this information with customers
●Demonstrate significant proactivity, flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and when required work “out of hours” on complex and high-profile projects.
Requirements
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
●Excellent communication, leadership and people skills, with ability to guide and coach team members.
●Strong stakeholder management skills, customer focused with good commercial acumen.
●Demonstrable experience of working proactively, in a fast paced, commercial environment, delivering projects with a track record of achieving strong commercial results.
●Travel Industry experience, passion and knowledge.
●Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and support senior team members during crisis support activities.
Success Profiles:
Behaviours
●Leadership
●Managing a Quality Service
●Communicating and Influencing
●Delivering at Pace
Technical
●Category & Crisis Management
●Stakeholder Management
●Procurement Processes
●Travel Experience, Knowledge and/or Passion
Candidates must have in depth global travel knowledge and an understanding of Travel Management Companies and Agents in order to be able to produce a robust travel market supply strategy ASAP.
Previous experience with Airlines, Travel Management companies or the Rail industry. This is a market facing role, not a customer facing position. The client is Looking for Varied, up to date and relevant Travel Market Category experience, someone who has worked out there in that field, and who can complete tasks competently, confidently, and in the right way. Candidates will be asked to produce a mock strategy.
The candidate will be required to complete a 200 word supporting statement as follows and include in coversheet in the reason for submission:
What experience do you have writing, producing and presenting a Travel, Accommodation and Venues category/market supply strategy?