Director of Strategic Partnerships - Retail & Lifestyle

This is your chance to lead the retail revolution at Virgin Red. As our new Strategic Partnership Director - Retail & Lifestyle, you’ll drive powerful, purposeful partnerships across the Virgin ecosystem and beyond – from gym floors to fashion stores, game nights to getaway dreams. If you’ve got commercial smarts and a head for high-impact relationships, this one’s for you.

Our Virgin Family

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family.

Virgin Red rewards customers who live the Virgin lifestyle. Earn Virgin Points across our vast partner network, unlocking everyday rewards and exclusive experiences. As the Virgin network hub, we foster deeper customer understanding, opening doors for partners. Bold, distinctive, customer-centric – that's Virgin Red.

We’re a huge brand, but not a huge team – which means we take a hands-on approach while thinking big. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to get things done, making this an exciting and collaborative place to work.

Tell me more

Your Mission: Set and deliver our commercial strategy for the retail and lifestyle sectors in our key markets – with the ultimate goal of driving customer lifetime value. You’ll scale a partner ecosystem that fuels emotional and transactional engagement through daily relevance, and embed a retail mindset across our business to elevate how we serve our customers and partners.

• Champion our customer: Shape and deliver propositions that matter – using data-driven insight to create experiences that deepen loyalty and value across the customer lifecycle.
• Scale powerful partnerships: Grow our retail and lifestyle network, designing win-win models that are both commercially strong and emotionally resonant.
• Educate and inspire internally: Bring a retail and customer-first mindset into the heart of our business – helping teams think and act like retailers to unlock new value for customers and partners.
• Be market-connected: Stay ahead of trends in consumer behaviour, technology and retail innovation – bringing those insights into our thinking and execution.
• Drive strategic innovation: Turn insight into action, ensuring our propositions are continuously relevant, high-impact and aligned to our customer value goals.
• Influence across levels: Work with Virgin Companies and external partners – from boardrooms to shop floors – creating alignment, inspiration and shared success.
• Lead with purpose: Inspire and empower a high-performing partnerships team – coaching, challenging and cheering them on as you scale both impact and careers.
• Activate media and tech: Leverage media platforms, digital channels and performance marketing to unlock opportunities and deliver measurable outcomes.

What you’ll need

• Deep knowledge of the retail world – especially digital – and a strategic mindset to match
• Proven experience influencing at the C-suite level and driving commercial success
• A passion for translating retail thinking into new contexts and helping others do the same
• Strong ability to turn insight into scalable, customer-led propositions
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial approach that thrives on innovation and partnership
• Leadership experience that balances strategic vision with operational delivery
• Background in loyalty, digital media or performance marketing is a plus
• Experience working across the UK and US markets is highly valued

The extra details

Role type: Permanent

Location: London hub 2-3 days per week & your home space

Salary: £127,500 - £145,000 plus bonus - We're putting our salaries out there for everyone to see - no smoke and mirrors, just honest numbers. We'll offer a salary that matches your skills, always aiming for room to grow.

Working hours: Full time- We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us.

Benefits: Buckle up for an adventure with Virgin! Our benefits package isn't just a list - it's your ticket to an extraordinary career and life. Imagine unlimited leave for your globe-trotting dreams, a "Screw it, let's do it pot" to enjoy being you, and a learning budget to fuel your curiosity. We've got your back with top-notch health care, family support that goes the extra mile, and a pension plan to keep your future bright. From electric vehicles to flexible volunteering, we're not just offering a job - we're inviting you to join a community that celebrates your whole self.

Closing date: 23rd June 2025

Some of the attributes that define a Virgin person just can’t be quantified in words. We pride ourselves on welcoming people from all walks of life, with all sorts of skill sets. Most recently, we successfully campaigned to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn. We truly value passion for Purpose and Sustainability, welcoming creative thinkers and innovators. Any uniqueness is a strength and will be considered an asset to our workforce. If there is something you would like us to consider, to tailor the hiring process to the way you work best, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Ready to turn your career into the ultimate adventure? Virgin's got the map, the compass, and the crew. Your great adventure awaits!