Associate Director, Partnerships

Collinson Group is a global leader in driving loyalty and engagement for many of the world’s largest companies. Predominantly through the provision of travel related benefits within a market leading digital travel ecosystem. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading experience in delivering products and services across four core capabilities: Loyalty, Lifestyle Benefits and Insurance.

The group provides unrivalled insight and expertise around affluent consumers and frequent travellers, creating and delivering products and services now accessible to over 400m end consumers.

We have more than 25 years’ experience, with 28 global locations, servicing over 800 clients in 170 countries, employing 1,800 people.

We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception – from launching the first independent global VIP lounge access Programme, Priority Pass to being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and creating the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Key clients include: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, LATAM, Flying Blue, Accor, EasyJet, HSBC, Chase, HDFC.

Our mission is focused on doing good beyond profit, which for us means we seek out opportunities for our people to share in our success and that we give back to the communities and people within which we work.

Never short of ambition, the success of our business is delivered through the diverse and talented team of over 1,800 colleagues globally.

What does a Associate Director Partnerships South America Do:

We are looking for an Associate Director, Partnerships to join our team and help make partnerships a reality for our wholly owned premium brands and blue-chip clients in financial services, travel, retail, technology, and the media.

Currently reporting directly to Vice President of Partnerships – Americas, the role of the Associate Director, Partnerships will lead the South American team except Brazil to leverage overall Americas Region and Collinson group demand and drive competitive advantage. Through securing competitive commercial terms to enhancing margins from transactions and in securing exclusivity where appropriate to restrict competitive activity. The successful candidate will seek to drive an innovative approach with partners, work and integrate with them to build value-added relationships to provide an enriched and frictionless end-consumer experience to identify, develop and manage partner relationships across various geographies. You will have an inherent understanding of partnership marketing strategy and will deliver partnerships from the idea generation, through to negotiation, securing final agreements, delivering signed contracts, and leveraging the ongoing relationship with the partner for the benefit of the Group.

You will be directly accountable for many of the partner relationships in South America except for Brazil. This includes management of existing, growth of new partners/concepts/opportunities, and broad innovation to drive the business.

You will be working within an Americas regional team, with the team responsible for partnerships from the north/Canada all the way down to bottom of South America. The role will be responsible to build partnerships and source deals with retailers, restaurants, spas and other services in airports to support our Airport Experience programs (including Priority Pass, our premium lifestyle brand and the world’s largest airport lounge access program) as well as other Group opportunities.

You will be expected to understand the Group’s businesses and competitive marketplace, identifying new opportunities to deliver successful, best in class partnerships to support other Group opportunities as required.

This is an individual contributor role at first, however building and leveraging relationships without direct authority is critical to overall success.

What You'll Do:

• Team Leadership – Align specific partner goals and objectives to the Americas / Global lounge and partner strategy. Provide leadership, direction and motivation to all members of the South America except Brazil partnerships team.
• Partner Management strategy – Understand the broader commercial context of airport experience locations, pricing and contractual terms; execute a regional strategy in line with the global approach that delivers expected results.
• Platform strategy – Understand platform strategy and execution, including management of incentives and experience for all participants.
• Relationship Management – Foster and develop long-term strategic relat