Head of Strategic Partnerships

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of VMO2’s most strategically important partnership portfolios. As Head of Strategic Partnerships, you'll define and deliver the vision for VMO2’s fixed “wholebuy” capability (i.e. buying services from other network operators) and onward commercialisation with branded ISP customer partnerships, with a primary focus on VMO2 branded ISPs. This role owns the end-to-end lifecycle of strategic partner engagement—including onboarding, alignment, transformation, and ongoing value realisation—ensuring delivery of best-in-class capability, commercial outcomes, and customer experience. Acting as a senior relationship owner, the role shapes long-term partnership strategies, drives executive alignment, and ensures seamless integration between partner roadmaps and internal delivery.

If you're passionate about building strategic alliances, influencing at the highest levels, and delivering commercial outcomes that make a real impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Who we are

At Virgin Media O₂, we connect people to the moments that matter most. Virgin Media leads the UK for broadband reliability, speed and overall performance, while O₂ keeps people connected on the move with award-winning coverage.

We’re also proud to be named one of the Financial Times Top 500 Best Employers for 2026, based on one of the UK’s largest employee satisfaction surveys.

Join us and you’ll be part of a team that stays curious, positive and focused on making life easier for our customers and each other. We’re investing in the future of connectivity, from expanding next-generation 5G to exploring satellite-supported solutions that help reach rural communities and hard-to-connect places.

You’ll work with people who back good ideas and give you plenty of room to grow. So if you’re looking for a place where you can feel supported, trusted and genuinely valued, you’ll feel right at home here.

Our ways of working

We’re a flexible-first organisation, because we know people do their best work when they have choice and clarity. To support meaningful collaboration, we ask everyone to spend at least eight days a month connecting with each other in person.

That doesn’t just mean time in the office – it could be team meetings, offsites, volunteering days, cross-functional projects, or away days. What matters is making those moments count – so when we come together, it benefits everyone.

Accessible, inclusive and equitable for all

We believe a better tomorrow starts with the choices we make today. That means moving the dial on diversity, building equity into everything we do and putting inclusion at the heart of our business.

Virgin Media O₂ is an equal opportunities employer and we work hard to remove bias and barriers. We want every person who joins us – and everyone thinking about joining us – to feel seen, heard and supported.

When you work with us, you’ll have access to our award-winning employee network groups. These communities bring people together, champion allyship and create uplifting spaces where you can learn, share and feel part of something bigger. They play a big role in helping people feel connected from day one.

The must haves

In order to be considered for the role you must have the following skills:

• Proven experience in strategic partnership leadership, managing complex, high-value commercial relationships at Head of function (or equivalent) level, with significant experience gained within telecommunications, IT services, connectivity, managed services, or closely related technology sectors.
• Demonstrable track record in end-to-end partner lifecycle management, including onboarding, integration, optimisation, and transformation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and operate at executive level, navigating complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong commercial acumen, with previous success in contract negotiation, performance management, and delivering measurable value.
• Proven ability to translate strategic vision into operational execution, driving tangible business outcomes and measurable impact.

The other stuff we are looking for

We'd also love it if you could bring:

• Experience within telecoms, ISP ecosystems, or digital platform businesses, particularly managing branded customer partnerships
• Exposure to multi-partner or platform-based operating models, with competing priorities and shared capabilities.
• Experience leading large-scale transformation or capability development initiatives across organisational boundaries.
• Understanding of customer experience, product integration, or service delivery models within partnership environments.

What's in it for you

We know life isn’t just about work, so our benefits are built to support you in the moments that matter. You’ll get Bupa healthcare, wellbeing support, life cover, a pension and generous holiday –plus your birthday off.

And there’s more. Enjoy some extra perks on us, with optional electric vehicle lease and Cycle2Work schemes, dental insurance, neurodiversity assessments, and brilliant discounts on broadband, TV and mobile. You’ll even get access to the Virgin Family platform and the O₂ Priority app, with exclusive rewards, experiences and chances to attend events at The O₂ and beyond.

Next steps

If this feels like a place where you can belong, we’d love to see what you can do. Once you apply, the next steps might include a call with a recruiter, a video interview, an interview with the hiring manager and a task or assessment.

We’ll also ask about any adjustments you might need, and we’ll do our best to make them happen.

We review applications and interview throughout the advert window, so it’s worth applying sooner rather than later. If you’re offered the role, the offer will be subject to background checks, including a criminal record check and, for some roles, a financial background check.

#LI-DS1