Head of Business Development, Luxury Accounts

The best of your adventures is the one you have yet to sail!

Explora Journeys is a vibrant, cosmopolitan, European luxury brand, imagined in the heart of Swiss hospitality in Geneva. Leveraging our parent company MSC Group’s hundreds of years of maritime expertise, our fleet of six luxury ships (four currently in the pipeline) are being built and designed in a totally different and unique way.

Explora Journeys is redefining ocean travel for the discerning traveller. Our European luxury lifestyle brand offers a unique blend of refined discovery and slow travel, designed for those who seek deeply meaningful experiences at sea and ashore.

We are seeking a dynamic and well-connected Head of Business Development, Luxury Accounts to expand our presence within the yet-to-cruise market. This role will be instrumental in establishing and growing relationships with non-traditional luxury partners, developing bespoke partnerships that extend far beyond the traditional cruise distribution landscape.

• Strategic Growth:
Identifies, builds and nurtures relationships with new-to-cruise luxury consumers & travel partners through strategic partnerships in the UK & Ireland.
• Partnership Development:
Initiates and leads high-value collaborations that align with Explora Journeys’ values and elevate brand awareness among affluent, non-cruise audiences - including but not limited to golf clubs, private member clubs, luxury brands, lifestyle collectives and affinity groups.
• Sales Activation:
Develops and implements tailored sales plans that convert affluent prospects into loyal guests, utilising co-branded activations, private events, and referral partnerships.
• Account Management:
Maintains and grows a portfolio of top-tier luxury accounts, ensuring relationship depth, performance growth and long-term brand advocacy.
• Market Intelligence:
Monitors UK luxury travel trends, emerging HNW/UHNW audiences, and competitor movements to inform strategy and stay ahead of the curve.
• Cross-functional Collaboration:
Collaborates closely with the UK Sales Team, PR & Marketing, the Explora Experience Centre and the wider Commercial & Brand organisation to ensure consistent service and partnership delivery across all channels. Efficiently manages budgets with a focus on ROI, delivering detailed reporting and performance analysis to support strategic initiatives and activations.

• Minimum 5–10 years of experience in luxury sales, ideally with exposure to luxury hospitality, experiential travel, private clubs, or lifestyle brands.
• A well-established network within the UK’s high-net-worth ecosystem and an intuitive understanding of the luxury consumer mindset.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with a proven track record of creating and converting new business opportunities outside traditional channels.
• Confident presenter and relationship builder, comfortable engaging senior stakeholders and representing the brand at high-level events.
• A passion for curated, meaningful travel and a belief in the power of the ocean to transform and connect.
• Self-starter, strategic thinker, and commercially driven with an eye for brand fit and partnership potential.
• Proficiency in Salesforce and Power BI would be an advantage, enabling effective data analysis, reporting, and customer relationship management.

• This role is UK based with national travel and regular visits to our Woking office
• Full Right to Work in the UK required
• Full UK driving licence required

We are committed to building a future that values diverse perspectives, embraces the world beyond borders, and fosters an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves. Our commitment extends to taking meaningful, measurable actions that have a long-term positive impact on our guests, our employees and our planet.

Ready to turn your passion into something extraordinary? Join us at MSC Cruises, where new opportunities await. Apply today to be part of a global team that is pushing boundaries and achieving something remarkable. Your journey starts here!