CRM Manager

Riviera Travel; Burton upon Trent; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work – 2 days/week in Burton-on

Learning budget through Learnerbly

Employee Assistance Programme

Staff discount on holidays

Salary sacrifice pension

Job summary

Riviera Travel seeks a CRM Manager in Burton-on-Trent to lead strategic CRM initiatives across Email and Direct Mail, managing a team of three for UK, Ireland & US markets. You’ll drive personalised customer journeys to enhance lifetime value and oversee Direct Mail strategy.

You’ll collaborate across departments to ensure data-driven, ROI-focused campaigns, utilise AI for personalisation, and continuously improve CRM performance in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in planning, building and evaluating CRM programmes.
• Strong understanding of customer and data-driven marketing principles.
• Commercial acumen and creative CRM expertise.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Highly organized with proven campaign planning and delivery skills.
• Data-driven decision making and sense for ROI.

Responsibilities

• Lead on planning and delivery of strategic CRM initiatives across channels.
• Set KPIs for activations and monitor performance to drive improvements.
• Provide regular stakeholder reports linking results to business goals.
• Ensure timely, well-organised delivery of projects.
• Implement new CRM programmes across markets to drive growth.
• Forecast and deliver Direct Mail strategies and ROI.
• Manage the Direct Mail budget and optimise for quality.
• Build customer lifecycle strategies to increase bookings.
• Leverage data to improve enquiry conversion and personalise journeys.
• Collaborate with designers, copywriters, and suppliers to keep content on-brand.
• Stay updated on competitor/industry developments and ensure accuracy.

Skills

CRM planning

Data-driven marketing

Stakeholder management

Communication

Team leadership

Agile environment

Analytics

Travel industry knowledge

Tools

Adestra or similar ESPs

Job description

• Hybrid working – minimum 2 days/week in our Burton-on-Trent Head Office
• Personal learning budget through Learnerbly
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discount for you and friends and family on our award-winning holidays
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme

Why Riviera Travel?

With almost 40 years of experience as the UK’s leading escorted tour operator, we offer remarkable value and unforgettable experiences. We’re proud to have won multiple awards for the quality of our holidays and customer service, and we’ve held the prestigious ‘Recommended Provider’ accreditation from Which? for 11 years. We’re rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, and 96% of our guests say they would travel with us again.

About the Department:

Our Marketing team is at the heart of customer engagement, brand storytelling, and commercial performance. We work collaboratively across the business to deliver campaigns that inspire, inform, and convert – always with the customer in mind.

Role Purpose

As CRM Manager, you’ll lead key strategic marketing initiatives and activities across various CRM channels, including Email and Direct Mail. Managing a team of three, you’ll drive customer engagement and deliver both short- and long-term business goals across the UK, Ireland & US consumer markets.

You’ll execute the planning, coordination and implementation of personalised and autonomous customer journeys to enhance lifetime value.

You’ll plan, evolve and coordinate a strategy of tactical and nurture Direct Mail print activity, driving ROI and customer retention, utilising testing, data modelling and programmatic activity. You’ll use an analytical approach to forecast performance and segment strategically.

You’ll collaborate with departments across the full marketing spectrum, ensuring all activity is well-integrated cross-channel, and supports commercial and critical business goals.

All of your activity will be data-driven, meticulously planned, budgeted effectively, delivered to a high standard, and measured against core commercial KPIs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the planning and delivery of various strategic initiatives across CRM channels, cultivating and delivering roadmaps of customer lifecycle journeys and optimisations.
• Agree and establish KPIs for activations by forecasting and prioritising effectively. You’ll monitor performance to drive measurable improvements across database growth, engagement, retention and opt-out rates.
• Provide regular reports and updates to stakeholders and be able to demonstrate how performance relates to wider business goals. You’ll ensure all results/ learnings are turned into practical actions that refine and strengthen future activity.
• Ensure well-scheduled and well-organised delivery of projects to time.
• Establish and implement new CRM programmes across the US consumer market, driving towards market growth and supporting customer nurture.
• Forecast, plan and deliver key Direct Mail strategic initiatives.
• Manage the Direct Mail marketing budget and ensure all buying is optimised for ROI and quality.
• Build and manage customer lifecycle strategies to drive additional bookings.
• Leverage customer data to improve enquirer conversion through optimised journeys and new initiatives.
• Utilise AI tools to enhance personalisation and automation.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders and ensure all content aligns with wider campaigns, messaging and business goals.
• Work with designers, copywriters and print suppliers to regularly innovate the creative, format and messaging; well-tailored to target audience.
• Stay up-to-date with competitor and industry developments, to ensure content is always on brand, optimised for outcome, and has a high degree of accuracy guaranteed.
• Seek and initiate continuous improvements in production processes and workflows.
• Use customer insights to influence communications and improve engagement.
• Research and recommend key CRM developments and advances (such as new technology, products, approaches) and make recommendations to improve overall CRM performance.
• Act as a guardian of GDPR and contact permissions.
• Working with the Senior CRM Manager, you’ll input into the broader growth strategy, including developments across loyalty programs and transformational business change in technology.
• Coach and develop a high-performing CRM team.
• Promote a collaborative and engaging working environment.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience in planning, building and evaluating CRM programmes.
• A strong understanding of customer and data-driven marketing principles.
• Commercial acumen and creative CRM expertise.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in building and managing relationships with a diverse range of senior stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced and agile environment.
• Highly organised, and experienced in planning and delivering campaigns/activations to agreed objectives within a set timeframe.
• Analytical mindset and attention to detail.
• Inspirational leadership and team development experience.
• A proactive problem-solver, comfortable navigating ambiguity, seeking solutions independently, and viewing challenges as opportunities. Self-motivated with a passion for results.
• Deeply customer-focused, with a passion for delivering the right message at the right time and in the right way, to enhance the overall customer experience.
• Experience with Adestra or similar ESPs.
• Understanding of GDPR and marcoms compliance.
• Experience of managing suppliers and budgets.
• A keen interest for travel is an advantage.