Travel Trade Manager - M&T Partnerships

Manchester United Plc; Stretford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Scheme

25 days annual leave

Electric Vehicle scheme

Simplyhealth Cash Plan

Wellness Support

Exclusive Discounts

Gym Facilities

Enhanced family Leave Benefits

Enhanced Career Development

Supportive Work Environment

Job summary

Manchester United Plc is seeking a Travel Trade Manager to drive revenue growth and visitor numbers across the Museum and Stadium Tour business. You will lead strategy for engaging travel operators, DMOs, coaches, and commercial partners to position Old Trafford as a leading destination.

The role requires a proven track record in travel trade sales, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to develop strategic partnerships across domestic and international markets.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in travel trade sales, attraction sales, tourism, hospitality or partnerships.
• Strong track record of delivering revenue growth and exceeding targets.
• Experience managing relationships with tour operators, travel agents and tourism partners.
• Commercially focused with negotiation and influencing skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Ability to develop and execute strategic sales plans.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the travel trade sales strategy to increase revenue and visitor numbers.
• Build relationships with UK and international tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs and DMCs.
• Identify new market opportunities and sales channels in domestic and international markets.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, rates and terms with travel trade partners.
• Represent Manchester United at industry conferences, trade shows and sales missions.
• Collaborate with tourism bodies and destination marketing agencies to maximise exposure.
• Identify and secure strategic commercial partnerships that drive visitor growth.
• Develop group sales opportunities across education, corporate, leisure and special interest markets.
• Explore packaged experiences, hospitality, retail and wider club offerings.
• Manage partnership performance through reviews and reporting.
• Deliver revenue-generating campaigns with key stakeholders.

Skills

Travel trade sales

Revenue growth

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Education

Degree in Business/Tourism

Tools

CRM systems

Sales management software

Job description

The Travel Trade Manager – M&T Partnerships is responsible for driving revenue growth and visitor volumes across Manchester United's Museum and Stadium Tour business through the development and management of travel trade, group sales, tourism, corporate and commercial partnerships.

The role will lead the strategy for engaging domestic and international travel operators, destination management companies, coach operators, tourism bodies, online travel agents and commercial partners, positioning Old Trafford as a leading visitor attraction and must-visit destination. The postholder will identify new commercial opportunities, develop strategic partnerships and maximise sales performance across key markets.

Key Responsibilities

Travel Trade & Tourism Sales

• Develop and deliver the travel trade sales strategy to increase Museum & Stadium Tour revenue and visitor numbers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with UK and international tour operators, wholesalers, online travel agencies and destination management companies.
• Identify new market opportunities and sales channels across key domestic and international tourism markets.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, rates and partnership terms with travel trade partners.
• Represent Manchester United at industry conferences, trade shows, networking events and sales missions.
• Work closely with tourism bodies, visitor economy organisations and destination marketing agencies to maximise exposure.

Commercial Partnership Development

• Identify and secure strategic commercial partnerships that drive visitor growth and incremental revenue.
• Develop group sales opportunities across education, corporate, leisure and special interest markets.
• Explore opportunities for packaged experiences, hospitality, retail and wider club offerings.
• Manage partnership performance through regular reviews and commercial reporting.
• Deliver revenue-generating campaigns with key stakeholders and partners

Revenue Growth & Performance Management

• Own and deliver annual sales and revenue targets.
• Monitor visitor trends, booking patterns and market insights to optimise commercial performance.
• Analyse sales data and produce regular reports, forecasts and recommendations.
• Develop pricing, promotional and distribution strategies to maximise yield.
• Monitor competitor activity and identify opportunities to strengthen market position.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with Marketing, Hospitality, Retail, Partnerships, Finance and Operations teams to deliver joined-up visitor experiences.
• Support the development of new products, experiences and commercial offers.
• Act as a key ambassador for the Manchester United brand within the tourism and visitor attraction sectors.
• Maintain strong internal relationships to ensure commercial initiatives are effectively executed.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, coach and develop team members where applicable.
• Foster a commercially focused and customer-centric culture.
• Establish clear objectives and performance measures for the sales function.
• Promote continuous improvement and innovation within the department.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential:

• Proven experience in travel trade sales, attraction sales, tourism, hospitality or commercial partnerships.
• Strong track record of delivering revenue growth and exceeding sales targets.
• Experience managing relationships with tour operators, travel agents and tourism partners.
• Commercially focused with strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Ability to develop and execute strategic sales plans.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.

Desirable:

• Experience within a major visitor attraction, sports organisation, entertainment venue or tourism destination.
• Knowledge of the UK and international tourism sectors.Experience using CRM and sales management systems.
• Degree-level qualification in Business, Tourism, Hospitality, Marketing or related field.

At Manchester United, we recognise that our people are at the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a range of rewards designed to support your professional and personal well-being:

What we offer

• Annual Incentive Scheme to reward your dedication and hard work
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and an opportunity to purchase additional holiday days
• Electric Vehicle scheme via Octopus and cycle to work scheme
• Simplyhealth Cash Plan: Supporting you with your everyday healthcare needs
• Wellness Support with access to mental health resources, digital health checks, and & nutritionists through Aviva Digicare+ Workplace
• Exclusive Discounts through our United Rewards platform, giving you access to exclusive deals from the club and partners
• Gym Facilities in our onsite locations and opportunities for regular social events and team-building activities
• Enhanced family Leave Benefits and policies
• Enhanced Career Development with access to professional learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, and internal training programs
• A Supportive Work Environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion, and individual growth