A European travel giant is to create 75 new jobs at its Manchester city centre base in a bid to create a “thriving commercial and technology hub” in the city.
Awaze, the continent’s leading managed vacation rentals and holiday resorts firm, has already recruited 25 new team members since launching operations at Dalton Place in October. But new roles in technology, revenue management, marketing, commercial and legal will see its city workforce grow to “at least 100” by the end of next year.
John Crosby, group COO for Awaze, said the company behind Europe-wide travel brands including Hoseasons, cottages.com, Landal GreenParks and Novasol is looking to attract top talent from across the city to bolster its existing team.
He said: “Our aim is to build a state-of-the-art common web platform to house all our brands and provide the best possible experience for our customers and property owners alike. That requires the sharpest brains in the business at all levels and is exactly why we decided to set up in Manchester in the first place.
“There’s a fantastic tech community in the city already and we’re excited to be doing our bit to grow and add to it by creating these roles and recruiting from the local area.”
Awaze opened its new HQ in Manchester after closing its old base in Earby, Lancashire as part of a company-wide restructure. Plans announced by the firm back in summer saw multiple offices close – with the firm optimising homeworking and signalling an “aggressive move” to upgrade technology platforms.
Working closely with colleagues in Copenhagen, Awaze said new recruits will become part of an international team dedicated to developing and honing products and services for holidaymakers in a bid to drive revenue for property owners across the UK and beyond.
Mr Crosby added: “A pan-European vision like ours means there’ll be a range of complex issues to solve along the way, and that should be a very attractive proposition to the people we’re looking to recruit.
“We want quick-thinking problem solvers who thrive on a challenge, love being part of a team, and want to help us build game-changing travel solutions right here in the heart of Manchester.”
Greater Manchester inward investment agency, MIDAS worked with Awaze to establish the UK HQ in Greater Manchester.
Tim Newns, CEO, said: “In what has no doubt been a challenging year, we are delighted to have worked with Awaze to establish their UK HQ in Greater Manchester. The pandemic has rapidly accelerated growth within the eCommerce and retail tech industry and with such a strong standing in this sector – as well as supporting industries and technologies including FinTech, service design and AI – Greater Manchester is the perfect location for ambitious firms.
“This is fantastic news for Greater Manchester’s economy and workforce and just goes to show the pull the city-region has when it comes to attracting brands of this size and scale, not least because of the significant digital talent base.
“It’s clear to see Awaze is here for the long haul and we look forward to seeing them invest, grow and prosper in Greater Manchester for many years to come.”
Awaze provides holidays to more than 8m guests a year at more than 110,000 properties in 36 countries across the world.
