Sykes Holiday Cottages have an excellent opportunity for a Head of Strategic Partnershipsto join the business.

• Salary:Up to £70,000 per annum
• Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, 9am until 5:30pm
• Working Policy: Flexible hybrid-working policy, with a minimum of two days a week from our Chester head office
• Team: Property Recruitment
• Reports to: Portfolio Director

About Us

Sykes Holiday Cottages is a B Corp certified holiday cottage rental agency with over 30 years of experience in the industry. What began as a small, family-run business has grown into a team of 1,700 passionate professionals, now operating under the Forge Holiday Group parent brand. We represent over 23,400 holiday homes across the UK and Ireland, from cosy cottages for two to large properties sleeping 20 or more. With big dreams and bold ambition, we’re proud to be part of a global community of businesses driving a more equitable, inclusive, and regenerative economy.

About the Head of Strategic Partnerships Position

The Head of Strategic Partnerships is a strategic leader responsible for shaping and executing the business’s holiday park strategy as a core growth pillar. This role leads the development of a best-in-class proposition that meets evolving customer expectations, delivers value to clients, and drives sustainable commercial performance. Acting as a key connector between Product, Technology, Marketing, Operations, Legal, and key partners.

The role is instrumental in shaping a holiday park offering that is not only commercially successful, but also seamlessly deliverable at scale, delivers an outstanding customer journey, is operationally resilient, and underpinned by exceptional service.

The role is to ensure the proposition is built for growth, adaptable to market demands, and consistently delivers value to both clients and the business.

Responsibilities:

• Define and own the long-term holiday park strategy, aligning with broader company objectives and growth ambitions
• Translate vision into tangible outcomes through a phased roadmap, balancing short-term impact with long-term sustainability
• Drive ambitious commercial targets including revenue, occupancy, acquisition, and customer satisfaction KPIs
• Build and nurture strong, trust-based relationships with park owners, operators, and prospective clients
• Ensure our proposition is shaped by a deep understanding of client needs, commercial drivers, and long-term partnership potential
• Act as the voice of the client internally, ensuring their perspective is integrated into product development and service delivery
• Act as a central point of coordination across Product, Tech, Marketing, Legal and Operations to ensure aligned planning and execution
• Work closely with the Legal team to ensure contractual and regulatory compliance, and to navigate complex commercial agreements
• Lead a cross-functional steering group to manage resources, risks, dependencies and timelines effectively
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement by surfacing insights from across the business and industry
• Build and continuously evolve a compelling holiday park proposition that is scalable, differentiated and future-proof
• Ensure the holiday parks product is set up for operational success—from onboarding to guest experience and owner service
• Influence pricing, revenue management and inventory strategy to optimise commercial return
• Attend industry events, and build and maintain a strong network in the industry

Skills & Experience

At the heart of our business are four core values that shape how we work every day. By acting as One Business, Keeping It Simple, committing to Grow & Learn, and driving Sustainable Impact we stay true to delivering great experiences for our customers, supporting our colleagues and building a better future together.

We are looking for those who can share in our company goals, values and ethos, who can grow alongside us and whose skills can aid our ongoing success!

The ideal Head of Strategic Partnerships will possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Proven experience in strategic leadership roles, ideally in travel, leisure, property, or holiday park sectors
• Strong relationship management skills with a proven track record of building and maintaining B2B partnerships
• Deep understanding of the holiday parks industry, customer expectations, and market dynamics
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of delivering growth in competitive, fast-paced environments
• Skilled at leading through influence, building strong cross-functional relationships and aligning diverse teams
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and problem-solving skills
• Experience in managing multiple projects and delivering to deadlines

Desirable Experience:

• Experience working with or within technology-enabled consumer businesses
• Knowledge of digital product development processes
• Demonstrable experience of building propositions and taking them to market, with strong product sensibility

Forge Holiday Groups Company Benefits

• Annual STIP Company-wide Bonus Scheme offering up to an additional 15% of your salary through our performance-based bonus program
• 33 days of annual leave includingbank holidays, up to 5 extra days with long service
• A day off to celebrate your Birthday
• Two paid Volunteering Daysoff annually
• One of only 1000 BCORP-certified companies in the UK
• Enhanced Parental leave (24 weeks maternity, 3 weeks paternity at 100% pay)
• Exclusive discounts on stays for you, family and friends
• Discounts and offers with a focus on your overall wellbeing
• Health Cash Plan
• Training & Developmentprograms toset you up for success
• 24/7 mental health support and initiatives
• Access to the gym at our Chester HQ
• Free parking at our Chester HQ
• Employee Savings Scheme transferring directly from your salary
• Long Service Awards
• Hybrid working for selected roles.

Diversity and Inclusion: We encourage and welcome our people to bring their authentic and best selves to work every day. We know the power that comes from different ideas, backgrounds and perspectives. We recognise the role diversity plays in achieving our goals as a business. We actively welcome applications from as wide a range of backgrounds as possible. If you need any particular support or accommodations as part of your application process, please get in touch - our recruitment team are happy to help.

Apply now to be a part of our inclusive and supportive work environment, where you'll find excellent opportunities for career progression and personal development!