Head of Partnerships - Burton-Upon-Trent

Rewards4Racingis the award winning rewards programme for racegoers in the UK. It’s founding partner and shareholder is Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR), the largest commercial racecourse group in the industry. JCR own and run 15 racecourses in the UK including Aintree, Cheltenham, Newmarket, Sandown Park and Epsom Downs. Rewards4Racing has a vast and expanding network that includes over a million members who collect Rewards4Racingpoints from over 4,000 retailers, 16 racecourses and 3 bookmaker partners. Members then redeem Rewards4Racingpoints for tickets and racing experiences at our 16 racecourse partners (including York Racecourse) that host 340 race meetings per annum. For more details, please see www.rewards4racing.com. 

The Position

RP Analytics are delighted to be working with a Burton-on-Trent based business to recruit a highly strategic role as a Head of Partnerships. As Head of Partnerships you are the day-to-day contact for all brand partners and you will have the overall responsibility for the efficient running of those partnerships. You should know the partner’s business inside out, understanding the key challenges they face and have good relationships at all levels. You have the ability to lead projects autonomously, with a full understanding of all the elements including resourcing and finances. You’ll be spotting opportunities then working out strategies to deliver them.

The position will require someone who has a point of view and is never afraid to share it. If you know the partner and their issues, you will know what is right and what is not. You will be able to clearly and concisely sell ideas into clients and understand how and when to push back. 

Your primary roles and responsibilities are:

• Being the first port of call for all partners as well as being responsible for initiating, deepening and extending senior-level client relationships which result in account growth, stability and reduced risk of loss.

• Respond to, and manage, difficult situations and know when and how to involve or escalate to the directors.

• Immerse yourself in each partner’s business to really understand what makes them tick and how the business can best help deliver their goals, and advise them on the best approach to customer loyalty.

• Ensure a strong pipeline of value added bonus offers for members from across the portfolio of partners.

• Build strong relationships with partners to ensure mutually beneficial and productive relationships.

• Working with the insight team to get under the skin of partners and what motivates them. Turning insight into actionable marketing plans for partners.

• Becoming and being seen as an expert in loyalty and using that knowledge to advise partners.

• Balancing the needs of partners with the needs of the business, using diplomacy to manage relationships, both internally and externally. 

You may also be required to carry out any other tasks which are reasonably required by the Company in order to fulfil your role and to support the Company in meeting its deadlines and performance targets. 

Skills, Qualities & Experience

• Commercially-savvy and able to challenge your own, and others’ thinking.
• Proactive and with a positive attitude.
• Naturally interested in understanding customers, what they do and why they do it, and how we can influence that behavior.
• Able to overcome obstacles to execute flawlessly.
• A strong project manager with attention to detail and the drive to make things happen.
• Results oriented.
• Strong communicator, both internally and with clients, and able to influence others through great relationships.
• Self-motivated and able to demonstrate a genuine desire to add value both for our partners and Rewards4Racing.
• Experienced in planning and executing direct marketing campaigns.

Why would you not take the role?

• If you are looking for an agency like environment, this won’t be it. It’s worth being clear that there’s limited opportunity to get involved with the creative execution of campaigns; we leave that to the experts on the marketing team. While it’s important that you appreciate what a strong campaign looks like visually, the business will be looking for you to appraise the commercial benefits across all aspects of the partnership to really excel in the role. If you struggle with difficult conversations: it is a client (partner) facing role, so on occasions you need to be resilient to get the results you’re looking for and to achieve what you believe is right for both the partner and the business.
• If you are looking to coast along and not deliver meaningful change; this role will challenge and you’ll need to embrace that with tons of energy and enthusiasm every day.
• If you’re not a people person; this role is about people, through and through.