Associate Director, Business Development – Strategic Partnerships (Japan) (Tokyo-Based)

Tokyo, Japan

Get to Know our Team:  

Strategic Partnerships is a team of creative entrepreneurs that develop solutions for Agoda and other Booking Holdings brands’ partners and promote our top and bottom-line growth. We design tailored business and product solutions with our partners and help them generate measurable value. Members of our team are empowered and supported to grow their market(s) or accounts. We develop win-win relationships and leverage both Agoda and Booking Holdings’ unique travel product portfolio and tech solutions to bring our partners the advantages they seek. Utilising our strong brand and resources, we build new channels to increase the visibility of Agoda and the other group companies, introducing more travelers to our great products and services and delivering significant revenues to the overall business.  

The Opportunity: 

The Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships is a business development centric role, to drive growth and revenues through acquiring a wide array of third parties and distribution channels (e.g., Wholesalers, OTAs. Banks, Airlines, Loyalty programs, Online Affiliates, E-commerce platform). This person will play a pivotal role in identifying new business opportunities and relevant stakeholders, building, and executing strategic partnerships, and expanding our multiple brands market presence (e.g., Agoda and Booking.com) at Booking Holdings, across North Asia markets, focusing primarily on Japan. This person will also be responsible for achieving new revenue targets and work closely with operations and technical teams to execute ambitious expansion activities.

This position is based out of our Tokyo Office. 

Roles and responsibilities: 

• New partner acquisition to increase travel booking distribution channels and brand exposure. 
• Generate high-quality new opportunities and evaluate their potential for meaningful business collaborations, ensuring a beneficial partnership.
• Identify and qualify potential partners through outbound prospecting, networking, and leveraging industry relationships.
• Develop and implement effective lead generation strategies to expand the partner pipeline.
• Spearhead negotiations with potential partners to secure agreements that align with the group business objectives.
• Lead the partnership lifecycle from initial contact to contract signing, ensuring a smooth transition to the execution phase.
• Develop and refine commercial models to assess partnership opportunities, considering revenue projections, cost implications, and return on investment.
• Conduct thorough market research to identify potential partners, market trends, and competitive landscape. Analyze industry insights to develop a deep understanding of potential collaborators and opportunities.
• Successfully influence and manage key internal stakeholders, upwards and cross-functionally, to set and drive common objectives and achieve business impact.

What you will need to Succeed

• Proven sales/ business development and/or partner acquisition track record, preferably in the Travel Industry.
• 7+ years of work experience in business development / account management field.
• Strong lead generation, negotiation, and communication skills, with a results-driven mindset.
• Excellent understanding of the Internet & Travel trends 
• Experience in interacting with external senior level executives. 
• Demonstrated ability to learn fast and understand software products.
• Experience in managing B2B Partnerships is a plus.
• Native proficiency in local language with strong English communication skills

Personality or Traits: 

• Self-motivated person with “Get it done!” attitude. 
• Able to multi-task and work under pressure. 
• Able to work independently.

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