Business Development Associate

Industry: Travel Technology
Location: Hyberid
Employment Type: Contract
Reports to: Founder
About the Role
A travel tech startup is looking for a proactive and commercially minded Business Development Associate to help grow our travel tech startup by building strategic partnerships, identifying new business opportunities, and expanding our network of travel industry partners.
You will work at the intersection of travel, technology, and partnerships, connecting with hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, destination management companies, tourism boards, and other businesses in the travel ecosystem.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys meeting people, researching markets, negotiating partnerships, and turning opportunities into measurable business results. You will work closely with the founding team to develop new revenue streams, improve partner acquisition, and support the company's growth.
Key Responsibilities1. Business Development and Partnerships
Identify and engage potential business partners, including hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, local experience providers, and tourism organizations.
Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective partners through research, cold outreach, referrals, networking, and industry events.
Initiate conversations, conduct introductory meetings, present the company's products and services, and communicate the value proposition to prospective partners.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing partners to support retention and long-term collaboration.
2. Market Research and Opportunity Identification
Research travel industry trends, customer preferences, competitor offerings, and emerging business opportunities.
Identify potential target markets, customer segments, and geographic expansion opportunities.
Analyze competitor pricing, partnership models, distribution channels, and product offerings.
Gather feedback from partners and customers to identify market needs and opportunities for product improvement.
Prepare market research summaries and recommendations to support business development decisions.
3. Sales Pipeline and Revenue Growth
Manage the business development pipeline from prospecting through outreach, negotiation, onboarding, and activation.
Maintain accurate records of leads, partner communications, deal stages, and follow-up activities in the CRM.
Support the development of sales proposals, partnership presentations, pricing models, and commercial offers.
Track partnership conversion rates, deal values, partner activation, and revenue contribution.
Follow up consistently with prospective partners to move opportunities toward closure.
4. Partner Onboarding and Account Management
Coordinate the onboarding of new partners, ensuring they understand the platform, commercial terms, and operational requirements.
Work with product, operations, and customer support teams to resolve onboarding issues and improve partner experience.
Ensure partner listings, packages, rates, availability, and other relevant information are accurate where applicable.
Monitor partner performance and engagement, identifying opportunities to improve utilization and conversion.
Gather partner feedback and communicate recurring issues or feature requests to the product team.
Help develop scalable processes and documentation for partner onboarding and relationship management.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work with marketing to develop partnership campaigns, co-marketing initiatives, and promotional activities.
Collaborate with product and engineering teams to communicate partner requirements and integration opportunities.
Coordinate with operations and customer support to address partner-related issues.
Support the founders in preparing business development reports, partnership strategies, and growth plans.
Represent the company at industry events, networking sessions, tourism conferences, and business meetings.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
1–3 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, account management, or a related role.
Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Confidence in conducting outreach, pitching products or services, and engaging prospective business partners.
Strong research, organizational, and follow-up skills.
Commercial awareness and the ability to identify mutually beneficial partnership opportunities.
Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office.
Familiarity with CRM platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or similar tools.
Ability to work independently, manage multiple opportunities, and adapt to a fast-paced startup environment.
How to apply
Apply directly through LinkedIn or send your CV to careers@startuphubph.com

Work arrangement
Yes