Partnership Strategist

Dollar and Thrifty are the leading brands in the UAE's car rental and leasing sector with a fleet size of more than 25000 vehicles. The company has very ambitious growth plans and is looking to hire a Partnerships Strategist to help drive this growth.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Partnership Strategist you will lead the development and implementation of strategic corporate relationship plan with focus on building relationship and partnership with an objective to increase companies budgeted revenues and market share targets.

Success in this specific position means focusing on business acumen, setting strategies, diligent execution of tangible results and building robust relationships.

1. Develop and implement strategies that align with the company goals and objectives.
2. Collaborate with internal stakeholders for process optimization, sharing updates in the policies and regulations when necessary.
3. Conduct thorough market research to understand customer preference, competitor strategies and industry trends related to Car Rental and Leasing business.
4. Identify target customer segment, analyze demand patterns based on demographics and behavioral preferences.
5. Create a systematic, process-driven approach to partner outreach and relationship management, Identify and source partnership opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound, emails and client visits.
6. Research partners, identify key players and generate interest.
7. Collaborate with senior management and other marketing teammates to align internal goals with new and existing partner relationships.
8. Negotiate and finalize deals in accordance with company's contract guidelines and policies.
9. Forecast, measure, and report the results of various projects with partners, including co-created and/or co-branded content promotions, lead sharing, and/or event partnerships.
10. Continuously monitor and analyze partnership performance, adapting strategies to maximize benefits.

Stakeholder Management

1. Build long standing relationships with key partners and their organizations so that we are a preferred and trusted partner by maintaining effective, productive and harmonious relationships with partners.
2. Deliver a great experience to our partners when working with our organization - you will represent our brand and be our partners liaison internally.
3. Develop and maintain partner contacts at all levels for both sales, pre-sales and delivery.
4. Evaluate, seek and secure opportunities that drive awareness of our brand, Identify and capitalize on revenue-generating partnership opportunities that meet our strategic growth objectives.
5. Ensure a smooth partner onboarding process and stay updated on requisite commitments.

Partner Selection

1. Provide a comprehensive business proposal for potential partners to the business heads and recommend the right trade partner keeping quality and commercial factors in consideration.
2. Conduct price negotiations with shortlisted partners in close collaboration with the Sales & Marketing team to arrive at favorable commercial terms.
3. Share advanced knowledge about organizational offerings with partners and customize solutions to meet specific needs.

Communication & Working Relationships

1. Sales & Marketing departments to review partnership needs, partner selection, business utilization, and service/product experience management.
2. HR department to support launch of incoming partnership deals for employees.
3. Legal department to support in review commercial contracts and agreements.

External (Corporate Sectors & Business)

Corporates & partners to assess potential partnership, finalize commercial terms & business proposals and maintain long term relationship strategy.

ABOUT YOU

Candidate should meet the following criteria:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Management or a related field.
• Proven experience in partnership management, business development, or a related role.
• Background in Marketing, Branding & Project management.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in proven experience in partnership management, business development, or a related role.
• Strong negotiation skills to ensure favorable terms of the agreement.
• Understanding of market and local industry trends.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders maintaining a high level of integrity and work ethics.