Head of Partnerships

Blue Light Card; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Hybrid working

Private Medical Insurance

Pension scheme

Job summary

Blue Light Card is seeking a Head of Strategic Partnerships to own the Experiences strategy, spanning days out, attractions, events, cinema, ticketing and entertainment. You will drive commercial performance across discounts, commission and retail media while shaping partnerships and API integrations.

Reporting to the Commercial Director, Growth Partnerships, you will lead a team of six, deliver cross‑functional collaboration, and set the operating rhythms to sustain growth in a hybrid working

Qualifications

• Significant commercial partnerships experience within experiences, days out, attractions or ticketing.
• Proven track record sourcing and securing long-term partnerships.
• Experience shaping and evolving commercial strategies with measurable outcomes.
• Experience building and transforming teams with coaching and accountability.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong understanding of digital business models and API integrations.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the Experiences strategy in response to market trends and data.
• Drive revenue across discounts, commission and retail media.
• Define how Blue Light Tickets is positioned and leveraged across the business.
• Grow strategic partnerships and identify new commercial opportunities.
• Shape the commercial strategy for API integrations and digital partnerships.
• Lead cross-functional teams across Commercial, Product, Marketing and Brand & Communications.
• Develop and coach a team to deliver high-quality results.
• Define KPIs to measure performance and inform investment decisions.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation & deal-making

Data-informed decision making

Influence senior stakeholders

Digital partnership models

Tools

API integrations

Retail media

Job description

Blue Light Card. Individually great, together unstoppable

The Role and the Team

The Experiences category at Blue Light Card spans days out and attractions, live events, cinema, ticketing and entertainment. It sits at the intersection of commercial growth, member value and digital innovation, and with a clear strategic focus and a genuine growth ambition, it's a vertical we're backing to go much further. We're looking for a Head of Strategic Partnerships to take ownership of this area and help shape what it could become.

Reporting into our Commercial Director, Growth Partnerships, you'll own the Experiences strategy end to end, driving commercial performance across discounts, commission and retail media. You'll work closely with Product, Marketing, Brand & Communications, Data and Design to push forward deeper vertical integration and digital evolution.

This is a hands‑on leadership role. You'll be building and nurturing senior partner relationships, setting strategic direction, and offering real support to your team as you collectively create the structure, operating rhythms and capability needed to deliver sustained growth.

What You’ll Do

• Own and evolve the Experiences strategy, adapting it in response to market trends, member insight and commercial performance data.
• Drive the commercial performance of the Experiences portfolio, with accountability for revenue across discounts, commission and retail media.
• Champion Blue Light Tickets as a strategic commercial proposition, defining how it is positioned, packaged and leveraged across the business to maximise commercial impact and member engagement.
• Build and grow strategic partnerships that strengthen the Experiences proposition, identifying new commercial opportunities through market insight, consumer trends and partner relationships.
• Shape the commercial strategy for API integrations and digital partnerships, working closely with Product to influence the delivery roadmap.
• Bring together cross‑functional teams across Commercial, Product, Marketing and Brand & Communications, providing commercial leadership on member events and strategic projects.
• Develop, coach and inspire a team of six, building capability, embedding accountability and creating the operating model needed for consistent, high‑quality delivery.
• Define and monitor KPIs that measure commercial performance, member engagement and partner success, using data and insight to shape investment decisions and portfolio direction.

What You’ll Bring

• Significant commercial partnerships experience within experiences, days out, attractions or ticketing, ideally from a reseller, aggregator or platform business.
• A track record of sourcing and securing new commercial partnerships, with the confidence and credibility to open doors, build relationships from scratch and convert opportunities into long‑term agreements.
• A background in developing and evolving commercial strategies that deliver measurable outcomes, with the ability to adapt direction as market conditions change.
• Experience building and transforming teams, with a genuine commitment to coaching, developing others and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive cross‑functional initiatives, with the confidence to align teams behind shared commercial objectives.
• Strong commercial acumen with an understanding of digital business models, including API integrations, transactional platforms and retail media.
• Comfort operating in a hands‑on leadership role where strategic ownership and involvement in delivery go hand in hand.

Our Culture

Our mission is simple – make heroes happy. Our members are the real‑life heroes who keep us all safe, cared for, and thriving. It’s what gets us up in the morning and pushes us to go further, think bigger, and create something that truly matters. By focusing on their happiness, we create amazing experiences, deliver unrivalled discounts, innovative products, and world‑class service.

We don’t just follow the usual path – we look for smarter, bolder ways to deliver real impact. We take ownership, move fast, and work shoulder to shoulder to build something special.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team where everyone feels they belong. Different perspectives and experiences help us grow, innovate, and better reflect the communities we serve.

We promote hybrid working, and value in‑person collaboration so encourage time in our offices, where you can make the most of our fully stocked snack drawers – either the HQ in Leicestershire, or London, Holborn office. The frequency and office location will vary depending on the role and team. We aim to be flexible, but we aren’t able to offer fully remote working.

Blue Light Card is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that employing a diverse workforce is key to our success. We make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. In the event of a high number of applications, we’ll prioritise candidates who meet both the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

What We Offer

• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays and an additional day off for your birthday
• A Moments that Matter day – one extra day of leave each year to use for something that matters to you
• Buy and sell holiday scheme of up to 5 days
• A volunteering/fundraising day – one paid day each year to give something back to the community
• Annual company bonus scheme – linked to both company and individual performance
• Your own Blue Light Card and exclusive access to thousands of discounts
• Personal growth fund of £450 per year to invest in your development
• Private Medical Insurance that includes cover for pre‑existing conditions
• Auto‑enrolment pension scheme via salary sacrifice, with 100% of employer NI savings reinvested into your pension
• Enhanced Maternity, Partner, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave
• Healthcare cash‑back plan
• Colleague Assistance Programme – 24/7 confidential support whenever you need it
• Hybrid working and flexible hours
• EV charging and free parking onsite at HQ
• Relaxed dress code and modern office space (games area, chill‑out areas, book club, free drinks and well stocked snack drawers!)
• On‑site gym including free HIIT and stretch classes at HQ