Hotel Contracting Manager (f/m/x)

Offer description As the world’s oldest travel brand, Thomas Cook has been shaping travel since 1842. In September 2020, Thomas Cook, one of the most recognisable names in tourism, returned as an online travel agency. It is now part of the Polish-based eSky Group, which owns and operates brands such as eSky and eDestinos in 53 markets worldwide. Together, we develop solutions that inspire people to explore the world, and we turn these inspirations into experiences.

We're building eSky Group's direct hotel contracting capability from scratch, and this is the role that makes it happen. As Contracting Manager, you'll own the full lifecycle of direct hotel partnerships across the Group: from identifying the right properties and negotiating competitive deals, to managing rates and tracking commercial impact. It's a foundational role with real influence on how eSky Group evolves its hotel supply strategy globally.

We're not looking for a specialist in a single market or region. What matters is the depth and quality of your contracting experience, wherever you've built it. This is a hands-on expert role for now, but we're looking for someone who has already led or mentored others and is ready to grow into building a team as the function scales.

What your journey with us will look like?

Build and maintain a global pipeline of target hotels, prioritised by destination value and margin opportunity.
Lead commercial negotiations: net rates, allotments, release periods, override structures.
Own the full contract lifecycle from first outreach to signed agreement and internal activation.
Monitor rate competitiveness of direct contracts vs. bedbank equivalents and act on gaps.
Track performance of each contracted property and recommend renewals, renegotiations, or exits.
Collaborate with Destination Management, Connectivity, and Commercial teams to align contracting with broader strategy.

What we're looking for:

Experience in direct hotel contracting: negotiating net rates, allotments, release periods, and override structures with hotel partners.
Solid commercial instinct: you understand margin dynamics, rate competitiveness, and how contract terms translate into business outcomes.
Proven ability to manage a pipeline: prioritising targets, tracking progress, and converting opportunities into signed agreements.
Confidence building relationships with hotel revenue managers, sales directors, and ownership groups.
Experience monitoring and optimising contracted portfolio performance: you know when to renew, renegotiate, or exit.
Comfortable working cross-functionally: aligning contracting priorities with commercial, destination, and technical teams.
Fluent in English.
Actively uses AI tools in daily work or eager to start.

Nice to have:

Contracting experience in Mediterranean destinations (Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, or similar).
Familiarity with bedbank economics and how direct contracting stacks up commercially.
Background in rate loading and allotment management across booking systems or channel managers.
Experience working with connectivity or technical teams on supplier onboarding.
Some experience leading or mentoring others: this is an individual contributor role for now, but we'd love someone ready to grow into building a team.