Job Description

Location: Baghdad / Dubai (with regional travel)
Reporting to: CEO
About Rahal
Rahal is a fast-growing travel-tech company on a mission to make travel simple, accessible, and exciting for everyone across Iraq and the wider GCC.
From flights and hotels to eSIMs and digital experiences, Rahal connects people with smarter ways to move and explore; all within SuperQi's digital ecosystem.
We're building a new generation of travel; transparent, tech-first, and truly customer-obsessed. ?
Role Overview
We're looking for an ambitious Business Development and Partnerships Manager (BDPM) to drive Rahal's commercial partnerships, revenue growth, and market expansion.
This role sits at the intersection of technology and travel, owning supplier relationships (airlines, hotels, travel agencies, consolidators) while developing strategic growth opportunities across mobility, e-commerce, and digital services.
Think of this role as the connecting operator between supply and demand with a huge focus on content supply , balancing partner excellence, traveler experience, and commercial performance.
If you're passionate about travel, speak the language of both business and technology in both EN and AR, thrive in fast-paced startup environments, and have an online travel agency background this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
1. Supplier Relations & Partnerships

• Identify, negotiate, and onboard new travel partners across airlines, hotel chains, consolidators, OTAs, and local travel agencies.
• Manage commercial agreements, incentive schemes, special rates, and joint campaigns to drive mutual growth.
• Strengthen long-term supplier relationships through regular reviews, performance tracking, and transparent collaboration.
• Ensure seamless integration between supplier systems and come with a solution-oriented mindset supporting P&T tech teams (APIs, GDS, XML, or channel managers) and Rahal's platform.
• Collaborate with the Operations, Marketing, and Product teams to ensure accurate pricing, availability, campaign content, and service-level consistency.

2. Revenue Growth & Commercial Strategy

• Own revenue, cost of sales, and margin targets across flights, hotels, and bundled travel products.
• Design and execute promotions, tactical offers, and cross-sell opportunities that enhance B2C and B2B conversion.
• Work closely with Marketing to develop destination-based heavily discounted campaigns, co-funded partner promotions, and seasonal deals.
• Monitor KPIs such as GP margin, booking conversion rate, and average transaction value; taking corrective action where needed.

3.Market Development & Expansion

• Expand Rahal's footprint across Iraq (Baghdad, Najaf, Basra, Erbil) and regional GCC markets through new supplier and distribution partnerships.
• Identify emerging opportunities across digital travel, mobility, and complimenting travel verticals inside SuperQi's ecosystem.
• Conduct ongoing competitor and market analysis to anticipate traveler trends, pricing shifts, and consumer behavior.

4. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Impact

• Work hand-in-hand with Marketing, Product, Operations, and Finance to align commercial priorities with overall business goals.
• Support the Product team in improving partner integrations and travel inventory visibility.
• Partner with Marketing to supply localized content and relevant promotions strategy that drives trust, conversion, and traveler engagement.

5. Insights & Reporting

• Prepare structured weekly and monthly business reports highlighting performance, insights, and new opportunities.
• Translate complex data into actionable recommendations for leadership.
• Provide feedback loops to improve pricing logic, route coverage, and hotel distribution efficiency.

Success Metrics

• Quarterly revenue and GP margin vs. target.
• Number of new partners onboarded per quarter (airlines, hotels, agencies).
• Booking conversion rate and traveler repeat rate.
• Volume and profitability of co-marketing or incentive campaigns.
• Cross-sell and upsell contribution (e.g., hotel from flight, eSIM from hotel).
• Coverage of all destinations with the right commercial structures, less intermediary dependencies, more direct API integrations, and forward-thinking complimentary travel services.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or Tourism Management (MBA preferred).
• 6-9 years of experience in business development, supplier relations, or commercial management within travel, OTA, airline, or hospitality sectors, this is a MUST and candidates without this experience will be eliminated immediately.
• Proven track record in negotiating contracts, achieving sales targets, and managing strategic supplier accounts.
• Strong understanding of OTA distribution systems, GDS/aggregators, APIs, and channel managers.
• Excellent relationship management, communication, and presentation skills with multicultural stakeholders.
• Fluent in Arabic and English is a MUST (written and spoken) and essential for liaising with local and regional partners.

Advanced IRIX, Excel and CRM experience; familiarity with reporting dashboards and sales tracking tools. * Startup mindset: high ownership, resourcefulness, and comfort operating in ambiguity in an agile working environment.

• Preferred Experience
• Prior experience with online travel agencies (OTAs), airlines, and super apps.
• Exposure to mobility, fintech, or digital service companies.
• Experience managing commercial operations in Iraq or other Middle Eastern markets.

Personality Traits
? Biased for Action: thrives in ambiguity, acts fast, and learns even faster.
? Traveler-Obsessed: every decision starts with "How does this help the traveler?"
? Team Player: collaborates naturally across functions and geographies.
?? Operator Mindset: thrives in start-ups and scale-ups; comfortable navigating growth and chaos.
? Strategic & Executional: balances long-term vision with hands-on delivery discipline.
Why Rahal
? Be part of Iraq's fastest-growing travel platform inside the SuperQi ecosystem.
? Work in a high-growth, entrepreneurial environment where ownership, speed, and creativity truly matter.
? Collaborate with passionate builders shaping the future of digital travel in the Middle East.
? Solve real traveler problems at scale from seamless flight booking to next-gen experiences.
? Play a central role in Rahal's regional expansion across the GCC.

Skills Required