VP, Supplier Relations

  • Full-time

Company Description

Ensemble Travel Group is a leading travel agency consortium of top-tier agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada that was established in 1968. Acquired by Navigatr Group in June 2022, Ensemble provides members with access to exclusive offers, unique hosted tours, partnerships and superior marketing opportunities with best in class suppliers, and proprietary travel platforms such as ADX that offers agents instant commission visibility, one click insurance and more to improve efficiencies and earnings.  Ensemble maintains offices in Toronto and New York.

Job Description

The VP, Supplier Relations is accountable for Ensemble’s entire portfolio of preferred partners. The ideal candidate believes in the consortium’s vision, takes ownership and pride in their work, and wants an opportunity to work collaboratively to drive meaningful and exciting change in the travel industry. 

As a strategic planner and thinker, this individual will have a large focus on establishing the company's supplier mandate to ensure maximum value and revenue to Ensemble’s membership base. Reporting directly to the SVP, Operations, they will provide leadership by developing strategic plans, delegating tasks to management staff, and ensuring the integration of those plans with company operations. This role requires a strategic, analytical, and flexible candidate who has a roll-up-their-sleeves attitude and is comfortable with a hands-on position involving significant change management.  

This position will oversee management of existing programs along with the creation of new programs and is responsible for a comprehensive review of both. Key success factor will be driving attachment across all travel verticals, shifting share to preferred partners and deployment of promotions, incentives and other tactical elements to membership.  As a member of the senior leadership team, this individual will work collaboratively across functional areas both internally and externally, to define and execute Ensemble’s strategic vision and objectives. 

Essential Job Functions 

  • Develop and implement overarching vision and direction for Supplier Relations department, establishing high-level goals while also planning, organizing, and controlling the end-to-end procurement cycle 

  • Ownership over the department’s ability to meet KPIs associated with supplier programs by delivering strategy to shift share and increase adoption 

  • Evaluate and streamline business processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness both within the department and across other departments to ensure company objectives are met 

  • Build process around the deployment of products and programs across the membership 

  • Lead a team of industry professionals and foster growth in their respective verticals through coaching, strategic results meetings, comprehensive reviews, and day-to-day support 

  • Constant collaboration across the wider organization to ensure effectiveness of programs 

  • Provide strategic input into the development of new programs and products through external research, out-of-the-box thinking, and strong relationships with partners 

  • Build strong relationships with supplier partners and Ensemble members, representing the company values in every encounter 

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in contract negotiation with travel suppliers 

  • Experience in change management 

  • Cultivated connections within the travel industry, especially key suppliers 

  • Experience in strategic and tactical program development and deployment 

  • Problem solving skills and ability to deal with complex issues 

  • Good business judgment with an ability to challenge plans and assumptions and an  
    appetite to question the “status quo”  

  • Strong leadership skills, and experience in managing and motivating a team 

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills and an ability to communicate at the highest executive levels in the organization 

  • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, to meet tight deadlines, and to adapt quickly to shifting priorities 

  • Upbeat personality, team player, self-starter with the ability to communicate with multiple constituents, all with a foundation of kindness 

  • Proven business acumen with a data-driven approach to decision making and analysis 

  • Ability to build process and structure around strategy 

Additional Information

We thank all candidates for their interest however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.