Key Skills

Job Description

Ready to shape the future of our customers’ holiday experience? At Sunweb Group, the holiday doesn’t stop when our customers arrive at their destination. That’s where some of the most memorable moments begin. As our Head of Destination Services, you’ll shape the future of how we support, inspire and connect with our customers throughout their holiday. Our destination experience happens both online and offline, and bringing those two worlds together is key. Whether customers interact with us digitally or with our teams in destination, we want their journey to feel seamless, personal and effortless. From digital-first service and customer support to memorable experiences and new commercial opportunities, you’ll bring together customer experience, operations, technology and growth. You’ll lead our Destination Services organisation within Business Unit Sun, turning our strategy into scalable solutions across destinations and source markets. And because holidays don't always go according to plan, you’ll make sure our teams are prepared for the unexpected, with clear contingency plans and confident decision-making when it matters most. Location: Rotterdam (Hybrid – 50% in office) Start Date: ASAP Availability: Fulltime Your impact As Head of Destination Services, you’ll set the direction for Destination Services and make sure strategy turns into action. You’ll lead and empower our Area Managers and in-destination teams while working closely with colleagues across Marketing, Holiday Services, IT and Transport/Virtual Airlines. A key part of your role is moving Destination Services towards a more digital-first, scalable and commercially successful model, while maintaining the human connection that can make all the difference during a holiday. You’ll ensure our online and offline services work together as one connected customer journey, giving customers the right support and experience at the right moment. You Will Define and execute the Destination Services strategy for Business Unit Sun. Lead, develop and inspire Area Managers and in-destination teams. Take ownership of customer experience, operational performance and commercial results. Create a seamless connection between our digital and in-destination customer experience. Accelerate our move towards digital-first service through technology, automation and data. Develop and scale digital destination experiences and customer support solutions. Grow destination revenue through excursions, experiences and car rental propositions. Build strong strategic partnerships with DMCs, suppliers and technology partners. Bring teams and stakeholders together to create a seamless customer journey. Simplify processes and explore smarter ways of working, including outsourcing and operational efficiency opportunities. Turn customer feedback, data and market insights into meaningful improvements. Develop and maintain contingency and crisis-response plans, ensuring teams are prepared for disruptions, incidents and other customer-impacting events. Take the lead in decision-making when disruptions or incidents occur, coordinating an effective response across teams and partners. Own and manage the Destination Services functional budget, balancing customer impact, commercial opportunities and smart investment decisions. Ultimately, your work helps us create a destination experience that is effortless for our customers, scalable for our business and commercially successful, whether the customer interaction happens digitally or face-to-face. What You Bring You know how to combine big-picture thinking with getting things done. You're comfortable leading an international operation, challenging how things have always been done and bringing people with you through change. We’d Love To Meet You If You Bring Extensive leadership experience (8+ years) in travel, tourism, hospitality, customer experience, retail or another international consumer-focused environment. Experience leading complex operations across different locations, markets or cultures. A strong strategic mindset and the ability to turn strategy into concrete plans and results. A genuine customer-first mindset and a sharp eye for improving the customer journey. Commercial thinking and experience identifying or developing revenue opportunities. Experience driving transformation, digitalisation and/or operational improvement. Confidence working with data and insights to make better decisions. Strong stakeholder and partnership management skills. An empowering leadership style that gives people clarity, ownership and room to succeed. Resilience and sound judgement when things don’t go according to plan. Bachelor-level working and thinking capability. Excellent communication skills in English. Above all, you bring ownership, curiosity and the courage to challenge the status quo. You see opportunities, make decisions and know how to turn ideas into action. Why Sunweb Group? At Sunweb Group, we’re here to create the best possible holiday experience. That means continuously looking for smarter, more personal and more effortless ways to serve our customers. In this role, you get the opportunity to influence that experience where it becomes real: in destination. You’ll help shape how digital convenience and personal, in-destination service come together, creating an experience that feels connected from the customer’s perspective. You’ll have the freedom and responsibility to shape Destination Services for the future, build strong teams and partnerships, and use digital solutions, data and commercial thinking to make a visible impact on both our customers and our business. And you won’t do it alone. You’ll work across disciplines, countries and cultures with people who want to move things forward. Let us introduce Sunweb Group Sunweb Group is one of Europe’s largest online travel agencies, sending over 1.3 million holidaymakers annually to unforgettable destinations. Operating in eight international markets, we cater to all travelers through our brands, Sunweb and ‘Eliza Was Here.’ With a team of 600 colleagues and operational hubs in Rotterdam, Girona, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Antwerp, Chambéry, and Zurich, we deliver seamless, high-quality holiday experiences at competitive prices. Our Fast Forward culture fosters focus and trust, enabling us to shape the future of holidays while helping our customers press pause and create lasting memories. Why join our journey? Monthly gross salary between €5566,- and €7500,- plus 6 ATV days (based on full-time employment, excluding 8% holiday allowance). Please note: ATV days do not apply to part-time contracts. Enjoy up to 20% off when booking with our brands for you, your family, and your friends. As an international company we support a hybrid way of working. We provide you with office furniture and IT equipment. We enjoy the journey so enjoy 25 holidays based on fulltime employment. Access to LinkedIn Learning and a personalized Reflect & Develop Plan to support your career growth. Benefit from coaching sessions designed to support your well-being. Receive work-from-home and travel allowances to ease your daily routine. Ready for departure? Do you want to become part of our team as Head of Destination Services? Click on “Apply”. Do you have any questions? Please feel free to reach out to our Talent Acquisition team via [email protected]. We are looking forward to hearing from you! Closing date for applications: 7 November Sunweb Group is an equal opportunity employer, which means we do not discriminate in any way. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive and safe environment for all employees. As part of our recruitment process, we use AI-supported tools to assist recruiters in matching candidates to job requirements. Final hiring decisions are always made by human recruiters.

Core Responsibilities

Set and execute the Destination Services strategy, leading Area Managers and destination teams while owning customer experience, operational performance, commercial results, and the functional budget. Connect digital and in-destination services, grow revenue and partnerships, improve operations using data and technology, and lead contingency planning and responses to disruptions.

Requirements

The role calls for extensive leadership experience, specified as 8+ years, in travel or another international consumer-focused sector, including complex multi-location operations and experience driving transformation or operational improvement. Candidates should bring strategic and commercial judgment, customer focus, data and stakeholder skills, resilience, bachelor-level working and thinking capability, and excellent English communication skills.

Benefits

• Six Additional Leave Days
• Up To 20% Discount On Sunweb Group Holidays
• Hybrid Working
• Office Furniture And IT Equipment
• 25 Days Of Annual Leave
• LinkedIn Learning
• Personalized Career Development Plan
• Coaching Sessions
• Work-From-Home Allowance
• Travel Allowance