Director of Business Development

**Description**:
AirHelp is the world’s leading advocate for air passenger rights, now expanding its reach through innovative travel insurance and protection services. As Director of Business Development, you will lead the company’s global B2B growth by forging strategic, high-impact partnerships with travel and insurance leaders. Reporting directly to the Chief Sales Officer, you’ll own the full lifecycle of partner acquisition, deal structuring, implementation, and success measurement. This is a high-impact role for a commercially driven leader who knows how to win and scale market-defining deals. You’ll work across functional teams, blending autonomy with tight cross-functional collaboration to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Reporting to: Chief Sales Officer

**What you'll drive**:

- **Forge and scale high-impact partnerships** with leading travel and insurance brands, introducing innovative services that enhance the air passenger experience worldwide.
- **Own the full B2B acquisition funnel** - leveraging the most effective platforms, tools, and outreach strategies to capture and grow partner relationships.
- **Work cross-functionally with a global, diverse team**, ensuring every collaboration delivers measurable value for both AirHelp and its partners.
- **Be the face of AirHelp** at flagship industry events, conferences, and thought-leadership forums, positioning us as the go-to authority in travel protection.
- **Drive initiatives from idea to execution** with full ownership, thriving in a high-speed, adaptive environment where results matter.

**What you'll achieve in first 12 months**:

- **Revenue**:Secure at least three multimillion EUR deals with top-tier players in the travel industry and build a robust sales pipeline by cultivating relationships with at least 15 high-potential prospects to ensure sustained deal flow.
- **Coverage**:Close 6-10 tier-1 partnerships across airlines/OTAs/TMCs/Insurers; launch at least 4 with live integrations.
- **Velocity**:Reduce partner time-to-launch by 30% through a standardized playbook (pricing, legal templates, API kit).
- **Retention & Quality**:Hit activation and NPS targets for new partners; establish QBR cadence and joint roadmaps.
- **Market Positioning**: Deliver at least 6 pieces of thought leadership content, secure 3 speaking or panel opportunities for AirHelp at global travel forums, and actively engage in industry discussions to reinforce AirHelp’s positioning in travel protection innovation.

**What sets you apart**:
**Proven Global Impact**
- Several years of experience in B2B sales in the travel sector, with at least 2+ years in a senior-level role (Director or VP) Business Development/Commercial Leadership/Strategic Partnership of multi-region or global markets.
- A track record of closing transformative, multi-million-euro deals that opened new channels, set industry benchmarks, or reshaped markets.
- Consistent delivery of double-digit growth in high-velocity industries such as travel or insurtech.

**Strategic & Commercial Excellence**
- Designs and executes bold go-to-market strategies that scale from pilot to global roll-out.
- Deep expertise in platform and B2B2C models - including API integrations, white-label partnerships, loyalty programs, and affiliate ecosystems.
- Proven ability to turn C-level relationships into long-term, strategic alliances.

**Industry Edge**
- Established network across OTAs, TMCs, insurers, airports, and loyalty programs - with the credibility to open doors fast.

**Skills That Truly Differentiate You**
- Elite negotiation and deal-structuring skills - from commercial terms to operational SLAs.
- Data-driven operator who connects analytics with commercial instincts to continuously raise performance.
- Exceptional communicator - equally confident in the boardroom, with partners, or aligning internal stakeholders.

**Mindset & Values**
- Owner mentality - you think like a founder, not just a manager.
- Relentless drive to win in competitive markets while safeguarding the customer experience.
- Thrives in high-trust, high-performance cultures where speed and quality go hand in hand.

**Why AirHelp**:

- **Culture of Autonomy**: No micromanagement, no politics. Just ambitious builders shaping the future of travel protection.
- **Growth Investment**: We actively invest in your growth through learning days, tailored development plans, mentorship, internal workshops, and language classes.
- **Live well**: Enjoy comprehensive life and health insurance, private healthcare, wellbeing support via Mindgram, and flexible access to fitness with a gym card.
- **Flexible Work**: Pick the contract type that suits you best (B2B or employment), enjoy two weeks a year of work-from-anywhere, plus flexible benefits tailored to your lifestyle.
- **Stay Connected**: From an annual travel allowance to team days and company-wide events, we make sure you feel connected across borders.
- **Tech You Need**: You’ll get a MacBook