Trade Sales Manager

Football Escapes Ltd; Reigate; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Birthday day off

Recognition awards

Team social events

Flexible working — no set office days

Job summary

Football Escapes Limited in Reigate is seeking a hands-on Trade Channel Lead to build and own our travel trade channel from the ground up. You will turn a select group of UK travel agents into a high-value source of bookings for our luxury family resort holidays.

The role combines strategy and hands-on execution: shaping commercial terms, onboarding new partners, training agents, and running the trade desk.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in UK travel trade sales or agency management.
• Existing network among UK luxury travel agents, consortia or homeworker groups.
• Track record of opening new agency accounts and growing 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.
• 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.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Birthday day off
• Recognition awards throughout the year
• Team social events
• Flexible working — no set number of office days

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Travel trade sales

Business development

Agency account management

Negotiation

Training & presenting

ATOL knowledge

Organised & self-starting

B2B tools / API distribution

Football interest

Agent networking

Tools

Agent portals

B2B booking tools

API distribution

Job description

Football Escapes Limited · Reigate (hybrid, fully flexible, no set office days) · 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

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

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

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

What you'll bring

• 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
• 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
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Birthday day off
• Recognition awards throughout the year
• Team social events
• Flexible working — no set number of office days