£55,000-£65,000 (dependent on experience)Product and Contracting Manager - Europe - Saga HolidaysSalary £55,000- £65,000 (dependent on experience)PermanentFT - 35 hours Hybrid - Home/London/Ashford Office a couple of times per month. With occasional travel to our Crawley officeHere at Saga Holidays, we are looking for a European Product and Contracting Manager.The Product and Contracting Manager role is critical to ensuring our customers’ holiday experience is the best it can possibly be. You will take ownership for designing and contracting hosted hotels and special interest holidays with a constant eye for detail and an enthusiasm for giving our customers an exceptional and sector leading experience on every holiday. You will source the best overseas partners both commercially and service-orientated, innovating new products and destinations that inspire and excite our customers and truly set the benchmark for a hosted holiday. Your responsibility is full circle and will focus on really understanding our customers; from research, design and contracting, through operational effectiveness to refinement and quality control.Role ResponsibilityDeveloping new, innovative and commercially successful holidays aligned to the product strategy, appealing to both existing and first-time-buyersSupport the Product Director in delivering a strategy for product innovation and sector leadership.Take a pro-active, leadership approach to innovation, proposing new brand-enhancing products and services to delight our customersManaging a team of Product Developers and ExecutivesRefining and re-engineering existing product to optimise performance and customer experienceContracting and negotiating with suppliers, securing best in market rates and exclusive deals, offers, overrides, marketing funds and other commercial advantagesEnsuring products meet company Health & Safety standards with necessary due diligenceRenegotiating with suppliers; reacting to market pressures as necessary and seeking exclusive offers to maintain maximum competitiveness in the market placeManaging allocations and stopsells to maximise sales potentialBriefing Marketing on new products, securing images and copy checking brochures and DMAwareness of competitor activity and using customer insights to identify and implement commercial opportunitiesBeing an active part of the Quality process; working closely with internal and external partners to continuously improve customer satisfactionWorking closely with internal stakeholders (Aviation, Commercial, Marketing, Sales and Operations)Travel as needed to attend trade shows, source new suppliers, research new product ideas and gain knowledge of destinationsRepresenting at the highest levels with supplier organisations, political bodies and trade contactsDelivering informative and engaging product training to all relevant areas of the business and directly to customersPlay a key role in any crisis situationThe Ideal CandidateA proven track record in travel Contracting and Product ManagementExcellent European product and destination knowledgeAble to be a senior ambassador for the companyTo be able to speak Spanish is desirableExceptional negotiation and influencing skillsExcellent communication and interpersonal skills (written & verbal)High level of numerical skillsHigh level of commercial and operational experienceInitiative, diplomacy, tact and sound judgementHighly organised and disciplinedAbility to follow through targets and objectivesFlexibility to travel, sometimes for extended periods and sometimes at short noticePackage DescriptionEveryday our colleagues deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. We believe exceptional work deserves even more exceptional rewards, that\\\'s why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.We offer total flexibility over where you work you choose a place that you feel most comfortable and productive, either from home or in one of our hubs in London, Ashford or Sandwich.BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO ALL COLLEAGUES:Our working week is 35 hours per week, these can be worked flexibly to suit your working style25 days holiday + bank holidaysOption to purchase additional leave up to 5 extra daysPension scheme matched up to 10%Life assurance policy on joining usWellbeing programmeColleague discounts including family discounts on cruises and holidaysRange of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companiesEnhanced maternity and paternity leaveGrandparents leaveCompany performance related annual bonus - Up to 5%Income protectionAccess to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platformAbout the CompanyOver the past 70 years we have become the UK\\\'s specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has become one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for its high quality products and exceptional standards of service. These include cruises and holidays, insurance, personal finance and the Saga Magazine.At Saga we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement. We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better.Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities and those over who are over 50 as we are champions of age inclusivity. We are an official Disability Confident Committed employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and we will make reasonable adjustments as required. For more information on our DEI policies please visit our Saga Careers page.Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.Job Reference: saga/TP/40191/3145