Head of Brands

Reporting to: Commercial Director

Location: National – Regular working days in Sunderland with overnight stays as required

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week

 Role Overview:

 As Head of Brands at Hays Travel Group, you will be the strategic lead for all brand activity across our portfolio of associated brands. Reporting directly to the Commercial Director, you will be responsible for shaping and executing brand strategy, maintaining strong partner relationships, and driving commercial growth through impactful marketing campaigns and strategic funding initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Brand Leadership & Strategy

• Represent and champion all associated brands within the Hays Travel Group.
• Develop and implement a cohesive brand strategy aligned with the group’s commercial and strategic priorities.
• Ensure brand consistency across all customer touchpoints and communications.
• Build strong working relationships with Brand Divisional Sales Managers and Brand Managers to ensure alignment and delivery of brand objectives.

Partnership Management

• Maintain and strengthen relationships with key travel partners and suppliers.
• Lead regular trading and insight calls to share performance data, market trends, and collaborative opportunities.
• Secure partnership funding to support marketing and sales initiatives that drive mutual growth.

Campaign Planning & Execution

• Lead the end-to-end planning, development, and execution of integrated marketing campaigns.
• Collaborate with internal teams (e.g., digital, retail, commercial, cruise) to ensure campaigns are aligned with business goals and deliver measurable results.
• Monitor campaign performance and provide actionable insights to optimise future activity.
• Plan and execute consumer events that enhance brand visibility, customer engagement, and sales performance.

Commercial & Strategic Alignment

• Work closely with the Commercial Director and wider leadership team to align brand activity with overall business objectives.
• Identify new opportunities for brand growth and innovation within the travel sector.
• Manage budgets effectively, ensuring maximum ROI from all brand and marketing investments.

Skills & Experience Required:

• Proven experience in a senior brand, marketing, or commercial role, ideally within the travel, retail, or consumer sectors.
• Strong understanding of brand strategy, campaign management, and partnership marketing.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Commercially astute with a track record of delivering results through strategic planning and execution.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.