Head of Travel Operations | High-Growth Travel Tech | Dubai or Remote (with Regional Travel)

Lead the operational heart of a premier travel ecosystem, scaling seamless experiences for millions of users across the Middle East.

The Opportunity

Our Client is a high-growth travel mini-app integrated into a major digital ecosystem. They are redefining how millions of travellers across the region discover and book flights, hotels, and digital services. As we scale our footprint and onboard major corporate clients, we are looking for a world-class Head of Travel Operations to lead our mission-critical delivery functions.

This is a high-impact leadership role designed for a "builder" who thrives at the intersection of traditional travel expertise and modern startup agility. You will bridge the gap between legacy industry workflows and our digital-first model, ensuring our operational backbone is as innovative as our technology.

Reporting to the executive team, you will stabilize, scale, and professionalize our travel operations. You aren't just managing a team; you are protecting our reputation, nurturing critical supplier relationships, and architecting an operational playbook that can support our next phase of explosive growth.

3️⃣ What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead Regional Operations: Oversee the daily activities of travel consultants, ensuring peak productivity and service excellence.
• Strengthen Partnerships: Act as the primary interface for key suppliers and airlines, managing high-stakes communication with professional precision.
• Drive Tech Adoption: Bridge the gap between GDS systems (Amadeus/Travelport) and our proprietary tech stack to automate and optimize workflows.
• Coach & Mentor: Foster a supportive, high-performance culture by providing "over-the-shoulder" coaching and technical guidance.
• Enforce Quality Standards: Implement and refine the Travel Operations Playbook, ensuring strict adherence to SOPs and Global Travel Policies.
• Manage Escalations: Serve as the final point of resolution for complex flight disruptions, reissues, and high-priority customer issues.
• Orchestrate Projects: Collaborate across departments to lead strategic initiatives that improve conversion rates and reduce error-related losses.
• Monitor Performance: Use a 360-degree view of team metrics to drive continuous improvement in response times and customer satisfaction.

4️⃣ What They’re Looking For

Essential

• Linguistic Mastery: Native-level Arabic and professional English fluency are non-negotiable for this regional leadership role.
• OTA Expertise: Significant experience within a high-volume Online Travel Agency (OTA) or a modern TMC (e.g., Expedia, Booking.com, Almosafer).
• GDS Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Amadeus or Travelport, including complex ticketing, reissuance, and EMD processing.
• Startup DNA: Experience in an early-stage startup environment (first 100 employees) with a solution-oriented, "whatever-it-takes" mindset.
• Technical Savvy: Deep familiarity with IRIX, CRM platforms (like Freshdesk), and back-office admin panels.
• Availability: Willingness to travel to Iraq for one week per month to provide on-ground leadership (subject to regional travel guidelines).

Nice to Have

• Experience managing B2B reseller workflows and corporate travel policies.
• A background in managing teams of 50+ agents during periods of rapid scale.

5️⃣ Why Join?

This is an invitation to own the operational strategy of a platform that is actively shaping the future of travel in the Middle East.

• Impact: You will have the autonomy to build and refine processes from the ground up, directly influencing our growth trajectory.
• Growth: We are scaling fast; your career path evolves as the platform expands into new markets and services.
• Culture: Join a modern, high-performance brand that values responsiveness, transparency, and a supportive coaching style.
• Flexibility: We offer a hybrid or remote-first setup (depending on location) with the necessary travel to stay connected to our core operations.



We believe that diverse perspectives fuel the innovation required to change an industry. If you have the technical travel expertise and the leadership drive we’re looking for, but don’t necessarily check every single box, we still encourage you to apply. We value capability, mindset, and the unique value you bring to the table.