Travel Business Development & Operations Manager

Travel Business Development & Operations Manager SoulSteps Expedition Travels L.L.C Abu Dhabi, UAE | Full-time We don't need someone who simply knows how to book a holiday. We’re looking for someone who knows how to build one. SoulSteps creates carefully designed journeys for travellers who want more than standard packages and sightseeing checklists. From Northern Lights expeditions in Norway to road trips across Iceland, remote landscapes, unusual experiences and small-group journeys, our products require someone who can think commercially while understanding the operational details that make a trip actually work. We are looking for a Travel Business Development & Operations Manager who can help take a journey from an idea on a map to a commercially viable, operationally flawless departure. What you'll do You will work directly with the founder to: • Research and develop international travel products and group departures • Design logical, experience-led itineraries • Source and negotiate with hotels, DMCs, transport companies and activity providers • Build detailed trip costing and profitability sheets • Compare suppliers and negotiate better rates and commercial terms • Manage bookings, confirmations, payment deadlines and supplier communication • Coordinate group departures from initial planning through completion • Prepare operational documents, rooming lists, manifests and traveller information • Assist with visa and destination-entry requirements • Handle operational issues before and during trips • Build relationships with international suppliers and tourism partners • Identify new destinations, experiences and commercial opportunities • Support B2B, corporate and partnership opportunities • Maintain organised records of suppliers, rates, contracts and trip costs • Work closely with sales and customer-experience functions to ensure what we sell can actually be delivered What we're looking for We care more about what you can actually do than impressive job titles. You should ideally have: • 3+ years of relevant travel/tourism experience • Strong international destination knowledge • Hands-on experience creating and operating international itineraries • Experience dealing directly with hotels, DMCs and activity suppliers • Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills, particularly travel costing • Excellent written and spoken English • Strong commercial negotiation skills • Excellent attention to detail • Ability to manage several departures simultaneously • Ability to remain calm and make decisions when travel plans go wrong • Strong ownership mentality — problems should not need to be repeatedly escalated before action is taken Experience with group departures, FIT travel, luxury/experiential travel, MICE, GDS systems or international supplier contracting is an advantage. This role probably isn't for you if: Your experience is limited primarily to issuing tickets. You depend entirely on pre-made packages from DMCs. You need someone else to research destinations or build itineraries for you. Or you consider sending three supplier quotations to your manager to be the end of the job. The person we're looking for You see a seven-day Norway itinerary and immediately start thinking about routing, transfer times, hotel locations, weather contingencies, supplier rates, cancellation terms, margins and what the traveller will actually remember. You can negotiate with a supplier in the morning, fix an operational issue in the afternoon and build a costing sheet for a new destination before the day ends. Most importantly, you take ownership. About SoulSteps SoulSteps is a UAE-based travel company creating premium, experience-led journeys built around a simple philosophy: Travel fuller. Travel deeper. We are building a travel company where the journey matters more than the checklist. • SoulSteps — Beyond Destinations. Show more Show less

Research and develop international travel products and group departures; Design logical, experience-led itineraries; Source and negotiate with hotels, DMCs, transport companies and activity providers; Build detailed trip costing and profitability sheets; Compare suppliers and negotiate better rates and commercial terms; Manage bookings, confirmations, payment deadlines and supplier communication; Coordinate group departures from initial planning through completion; Prepare operational documents, rooming lists, manifests and traveller information; Assist with visa and destination-entry requirements; Handle operational issues before and during trips; Build relationships with international suppliers and tourism partners; Identify new destinations, experiences and commercial opportunities; Support B2B, corporate and partnership opportunities; Maintain organised records of suppliers, rates, contracts and trip costs; Work closely with sales and customer-experience functions to ensure what we sell can actually be delivered