Managing Director

A bit about us... 

Canopy & Stars is part of the Sawday’s group, which is a collection of travel brands all centred on a passion for special places to stay. Since 2017, the company has been 52% employee-owned, with the rest made up of a Charitable Trust and the founding family. We’re proud to be B Corp certified and recognised by them as one of the top 5% places for employees and a top 5 travel B Corp in the world.  

 

We are leaders in sustainable and ethical travel, and every team in our business plays a vital role in achieving our impact goals. Our Impact Report outlines our five-year strategy and annual objectives, which form the foundation of our company-wide approach. These goals drive every decision we make, and we expect all team members to contribute to their success as part of our shared mission. 

 

Your role – Managing Director 

We’re looking for an experienced leader to step into this newly created role, to support our next phase of growth. This is a broad and influential position with responsibility across the entire Canopy & Stars business, spanning e-commerce, marketing, customer experience, product development and operations.

 

You’ll bring experience from an online B2C environment, with proven success in executing strategy, driving business development and scaling performance. You’ll combine clear strategic thinking with the ability to deliver results.

 

You’ll be an authentic and supportive leader, able to inspire and motivate a team and encourage them to exceed expectations and embrace new opportunities. With strong commercial judgement and the ability to lead through change, you’ll play a key role in shaping our future direction.

 

This is a hands-on role, suited to someone who enjoys working closely with a small but ambitious team.

 

Reports to 

Group Managing Director 

 

Works closely with 

Marketing Department 

Pricing & Revenue Management 

Account Management

Business Development 

Guest Experience Team 

Platform Team 

Leadership Team
 

Main tasks and responsibilities

Strategy Implementation & Revenue Growth 

• Ensure we continue to be the leading brand for breaks in nature, in the most inspiring places to stay
• As a key member of the Leadership Team, the Canopy & Stars Managing Director will shape the long-term strategy, build a high-performing culture and ensure the business is positioned for continued success
• Provide strategic leadership and overall operational responsibility for the brand
• Accountable for delivering the company’s commercial objectives, driving sustainable growth, and ensuring strong performance across all areas of the business
• Lead the execution of the brand’s five-year strategy and achieve revenue targets
• Drive business growth, revenue performance and profitability
• Ensure robust financial management, including budgeting, forecasting and performance tracking
• Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring efficiency, quality and consistency across all functions
• Champion a high-performance culture aligned with company values
• Bring together our key commercial data into a single, accessible system to improve visibility and decision-making across the business. This will support better commercial planning, more responsive operations and improved revenue performance
• Develop our revenue management and pricing systems to support sustainable growth and strengthen the business as it evolves
• Lead and develop the Canopy & Stars management team providing clear direction, structure and ongoing performance feedback
• Identify and pursue new commercial opportunities
  

 Marketing and Brand Development

• Support the marketing team with our brand review outcomes
• Brand health and awareness
• Overview of commercial and marketing performance 

 

Performance Analysis and Commercial Insight 

• Monitor KPIs, metrics and performance dashboards to keep targets firmly in sight 
• Conduct regular analysis, identifying trends, risks and optimisation opportunities 
• Ability to translate data into clear, actionable plans  
• Provide insightful reporting and recommendations to drive growth 

 

New Place Development and Operations 

• Support expansion through identifying and evaluating new place opportunities 
• Work cross-functionally to launch and optimise newly onboarded places 
• Connect, build and develop successful partnerships with owners of our places and to ensure they receive an outstanding experience with us 
• Identity opportunities to improve operational processes and performance 

 

Leadership and Collaboration 

• Inspire a small high-performing management team through coaching, support and clear expectations 
• Build reliable internal relationships to deliver cross-departmental business plans  
• Lead by example with energy, confidence and accountability  
• Ensure our core values of sustainability and ethics are adopted  

Necessary Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role (Managing Director, CEO, or equivalent)
• Commercial background including leadership in B2C sales and marketing with a proven track record of achieving ambitious targets within e-commerce businesses
• Experience managing a P&L at scale
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire senior teams
• Strong strategic thinking combined with operational delivery capability
• Experience working in a fast-growing business or start-up
• Experience in purpose led brands
• Creativity and innovation mindset
• Insight led approach to growth and innovation

Salary & Benefits 

• Competitive salary
• 26 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays  
• Full-time, 37.5 hours per week 
• This role requires a minimum of 3 days working in the office, however flexi time and hybrid working is possible, with the option to work some of the week from home (you must be commutable to Bristol).  
• Company pension scheme with enhanced employer contributions at 4%, and an optional salary sacrifice scheme  
• An employee-owned company: after your introductory period, you will be eligible to a share of any dividends   
• A special place to work: a colourful, upcycled, recycled, open plan office on Bristol’s buzzing harbourside   
• DEIBA Team: focused on diversity & inclusion efforts for our employees and customers   
• £290 per year towards staying in one of our special places   
• 20% employee discount and 10% family & friends discount on UK based Canopy & Stars breaks, 15% discount on EU based breaks.    
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay   
• A volunteering day per year   
• 15 wellbeing hours per year 
• A ‘Climate Journey Day’ policy, which gives you the opportunity to earn up to two paid days per year to travel to and from a holiday destination using low-carbon transport.   
• Social and wellbeing events held throughout the year   

 

Applications 

• Applicants need to be within a commutable distance of Bristol for in office working 
• Closing date for applications: 31 July 2026

 

Our Behaviours and Values 

How we work is just as important as the success we achieve at Sawday’s. During your time with us, you will be expected to treasure, protect, and embody our behaviours and values every day. 

 

 We celebrate quirkiness and difference 

We dance to the beat of our own drum 

We encourage curiosity and creativity 

We champion individuality and the ‘special’ 

 

We follow head and heart 

We are solidly commercial while flexible and ‘human’ 

We are empathetic, generous and supportive 

We make ethical, holistic, long-term decisions  

 

We do important things brilliantly 

We use business as a force for social, environmental and economic good 

We are committed to our craft and deliver with ambition and purpose 

We relish our role in sustaining a happy, healthy world 

 

We bring positive energy 

We foster a genuine spirit of togetherness and family 

We take pleasure in empowering and delighting others 

We are driven to learn, grow, connect and contribute 

 

Finally 

We place a strong emphasis on ethics, people and the environment and it is important to us that you understand, strongly identify with, and are able to develop the company ethos. 

 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and an inclusive company, where diverse backgrounds and perspectives are valued and where everyone can bring their full, authentic selves to work.  

 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer a guaranteed interview to any disabled candidate who meets all the ‘Necessary’ skills listed above and is a commutable distance from the office.  

 

If you need any further assistance with your application, or require the application form in a different format, please email Charlotte on charlotte@sawdays.co.uk or call 0117 204 7828.