Football Escapes
Trade Sales Manager
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Trade Sales Manager
Football Escapes Limited · Reigate (hybrid, 3 days a week in the office) · Full-time, permanent · Reports to the Managing Director
About Football Escapes
We run premium, resort-based football coaching holidays for families at luxury properties including Ikos, Regnum, Jumeirah and Siyam World, across seven countries. Every course is led by professional coaches alongside ambassadors from the professional game. We are an ATOL-protected tour operator.
The Role
You will build and own Football Escapes' travel trade channel from the ground up. Your job is to turn a small group of hand-picked UK travel agents into a reliable, high-value source of bookings that fills our courses earlier in the season.
This is a builder's role. We have signed our first agency partner and want to add a select number of further partners rather than chase volume. You will shape the commercial terms, the agent experience and the systems behind it.
Key Responsibilities
- Build the channel
- Own the trade sales strategy, targets and forecast, agreed with the MD each season
- Identify, pitch and sign a small number of high-quality agency partners — luxury independents, homeworker networks and specialist family travel agents
- Negotiate agency agreements and commercial schedules: commission, overrides, non-commissionable items and incentives
- Shape trade pricing and protect rate integrity across direct and trade channels
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Grow the partners
- Be the single point of contact for every agency partner, from first enquiry to departure
- Train agents on the product through webinars, in-store sessions, roadshows and fam trips to our resorts
- Run joint marketing and seasonal trade campaigns with partners and our resort brands
- Represent Football Escapes at trade shows, consortia events and resort partner events
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Run the desk
- Own the trade inbox and quote-to-book process, keeping trade bookings separate from the direct sales team
- Work with Guest Experience and Operations so agent-booked families get the same service as direct guests
- Help specify and launch our agent portal, including booking flow, availability and API connections
- Keep agent records, commission statements and reporting accurate and on time
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Report and improve
- Report weekly on trade revenue, bookings, partner pipeline and course fill against target
- Feed agent and market insight back into product, pricing and course scheduling
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What You'll Bring
Essential
- 3+ years in UK travel trade sales, business development or agency account management, ideally with a tour operator, hotel group or DMC
- An existing network among UK luxury and independent travel agents, consortia or homeworker groups
- A track record of opening new agency accounts and growing their revenue against target
- Confidence negotiating commercial terms and commission structures
- Strong presenting and training skills, in person and online
- Working knowledge of ATOL and package travel rules from the trade side
- Organised and self-starting — comfortable building process where none exists yet
Desirable
- Experience with family, luxury resort or sports travel product
- Exposure to agent portals, B2B booking tools or API distribution
- Contacts across resort brands such as Ikos, Jumeirah or Siyam World
- A genuine interest in football
Perks & Benefits
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Birthday day off
- Pension scheme
- Recognition awards throughout the year
- Team social events
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