Acquisition Manager Direct Supply, UAE

Emerging Travel Group — a pioneering travel-tech company known for its three brands: RateHawk, ZenHotels and Roundtrip, spanning over 220 markets worldwide.

Our mission is to create, distribute, and operate the most convenient travel products. We constantly innovate and break the rules of the highly complex travel industry to make travel more widely available for individuals, more rewarding for professionals, and simpler for everyone.

As Acquisition Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving our supply efforts, forging strategic partnerships, and expanding our suppliers base along with maintaining and developing the relationships with our partners and consolidating our presence on the local market.

This is a hybrid vacancy open to candidates residing in Dubai (citizens or permanent residents).

What You'll Do:

1. Conduct thorough market analysis and research to identify potential opportunities for growth in designated destinations.
2. Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities, and market demands to inform contracting strategies.
3. Utilize extranet tools and negotiation skills to directly contract with hotels, ensuring favorable terms, rates, and inventory allocation.
4. Develop and maintain strong relationships with hotel partners to maximize mutual benefits and enhance our competitive position.
5. Negotiate competitive rates, discounts, and value-added amenities with hotel partners to secure preferential pricing for our clients.
6. Ensure that contracted rates align with market demands and client expectations while maintaining profitability for the company.
7. Manage the entire contracting process, from initial negotiations to contract execution and renewal.
8. Ensure all contractual agreements are accurately documented, compliant with company policies, and effectively communicated to relevant stakeholders.
9. Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including sales, operations, and product teams, to align contracting efforts with business objectives and client needs.
10. Provide regular updates and reports on market trends, contracting activities, and performance metrics.
11. Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements governing hotel contracts, including data privacy, antitrust laws, and industry standards.
12. Mitigate potential risks associated with contract negotiations and maintain a thorough understanding of contractual terms and conditions.

Who You Are:

1. Relevant experience: At least 2-5 years of experience in the online travel industry or hotel contracting role within the hospitality industry.
2. Analytical skills: Demonstrated experience in market analysis and strategy development.
3. Negotiation skills: Experience in negotiating contracts and agreements with accommodation partners.
4. Familiarity with revenue management principles & strategies.
5. Personal skills: Ambitious, team player, eager to learn, proactive, results-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to interact with hotels and internal teams, as well as excellent organizational skills to manage multiple hotel contracts and agreements simultaneously.
6. International mindset: Ability to understand and work across a wide range of cultural contexts reflecting ETG’s global presence.
7. Language knowledge: Fluent in English and Arabic; other languages are a plus.
8. Availability to go to the office in Dubai when required.

We are highly motivated to onboard the new team member as soon as possible, so the process will include:

1. HR Interview
2. Regional Director Interview
3. Reference Check
4. Job Offer

We offer an ambitious and supportive team who love what they do, appreciate each other, and grow together, along with internal programs for adaptation and training, development of soft skills, and leadership abilities. Additional benefits include partial compensation for participating in external training and conferences, corporate English school (group and individual lessons, speaking clubs with colleagues from all over the world), corporate prices on hotels and travel services, and MyTime Day Off - an extra non-working day without loss of compensation.