Bolsover Cruise Club
Head of Systems – Microsoft Access, VBA & SQL Server
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Bolsover Cruise Club
Bolsover Cruise Club is a family-run cruise travel agency with over 60 years of trading history and a team of 160+ people. We are one of the UK’s leading independent cruise specialists, with a reputation built on service, expertise and long-standing relationships across the cruise industry.
At the heart of our business is a bespoke, purpose-built system developed in-house since 1997. Built on a Microsoft Access front end backed by SQL Server, the system supports almost every part of our operation, including bookings, packaging, administration, payments, HR, marketing, finance and reporting.
It is a complex, business-critical platform used by 160 people across the company every day. We are now looking for the right person to take ownership of the system and lead its next stage of development.
The role
This is a rare opportunity to lead the evolution of a large, bespoke Microsoft-based CRM and business system at the centre of an established travel business.
Our chosen approach is not a full rebuild. Instead, we want to modernise the system intelligently: protecting what already works well, improving what slows people down, and developing new modules, integrations and tools around the current platform.
You will work directly with the directors, shape the technical roadmap, and lead a pragmatic modernisation journey across CRM, bookings, payments, supplier integrations, automation, reporting and AI-assisted workflows.
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What you’ll be doing:
- Taking ownership of our Microsoft Access, VBA and SQL Server-based CRM/business system
- Understanding, documenting and improving a large existing codebase
- Planning the technical roadmap with directors and senior leaders
- Identifying which areas of the system should be enhanced, rebuilt or modernised
- Leading API integrations with cruise operators, hotels, flights, transfers and payment providers
- Introducing automation, AI-assisted workflows and modern tools where they add clear business value
- Improving internal processes and reducing manual administration for users
- Recruiting and leading a small in-house development team
- Working closely with people across the business to turn operational needs into practical technical solutions
What we’re looking for
We are looking for someone with strong hands-on experience in:
- Microsoft SQL Server
- VBA
- Microsoft Access or similar legacy Microsoft-based business systems
- REST APIs and modern integration patterns
- Modernising complex legacy systems
- Working with large, undocumented or partially documented codebases
- Technical leadership, team management or senior project ownership
- Working directly with non-technical senior stakeholders
Experience with AI integrations, LLM APIs, automation, cloud portals, payment integrations or travel/booking systems would be a strong advantage.
The person we’re looking for
You will be pragmatic, commercially minded and confident working with both legacy and modern technology.
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You will not be the type of person who wants to throw everything away and start again. You will understand why existing systems often hold huge business value, and you will know how to modernise carefully without creating unnecessary risk.
You will be hands-on technically, but also able to lead people, set direction, manage priorities and communicate clearly with non-technical colleagues.
What we offer
- A senior, business-critical role with direct access to the directors
- Genuine influence over the future technical direction of the company
- A stable, profitable, family-run business
- A complex and genuinely interesting technical environment
- A structured handover with the developer who built the system
- The opportunity to build and lead your own development team
- The chance to introduce AI, automation and modern integrations in a practical way
- Competitive salary, dependent on experience
- Benefits package to be discussed
Why this role matters
Our CRM and business system is the operational backbone of Bolsover Cruise Club. It supports our customers, our bookings, our commercial relationships, our finance processes and our future growth.
We are looking for someone who can protect what makes it powerful, improve what slows people down, and lead the next stage of its evolution with care, confidence and ambition.
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