Commercial Manager - dnata Cargo

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS); United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading air and travel services provider is seeking a Commercial Manager to manage customer relationships and sales pipelines while ensuring compliance with operational and legal standards. This role entails developing marketing strategies and financial management. The ideal candidate will have at least 8 years of experience in airport operations or a related field and possess strong negotiation skills. Competitive financial acumen and a Bachelor's degree are essential for this position.

Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience within Airport Operations or a relevant field.
• Experience of leading teams or handling cross‑functional relationships.
• Sales or account management experience, ideally with contract negotiation exposure.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement commercial, sales and marketing strategies.
• Manage and negotiate commercial requests and contracts.
• Monitor and optimise contract performance and identify upselling opportunities.

Skills

Customer relationship management

Sales pipeline management

Contract negotiation

Market analysis

Financial management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field of study

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Job description

Job Purpose

dnata is one of the world's largest air and travel services providers; offering ground handling, cargo, travel and catering & retail services at over 130 airports in more than 34 countries across six continents. At dnata, we are by your side for the entire travel experience.

Commercial Manager, dnata Cargo

You will manage customer relationships, sales pipelines and contract cycles to meet operational, legal and financial requirements while driving revenue growth and customer advocacy. Support the Commercial Team with global tenders, account management and market research to optimise commercial opportunities.

In this role, you will

• Develop and implement commercial, sales and marketing strategies, including customer profitability analysis for assigned regions or global partnerships.
• Lead quarterly and monthly performance review meetings with key accounts to maintain engagement and address operational feedback.
• Manage and negotiate commercial requests and contracts, ensuring smooth implementation and compliance with legal, financial and operational standards.
• Build financial models and business cases for negotiations, regularly validating operational costs and identifying revenue leakage.
• Monitor and optimise contract performance, contribution margins and budget impacts, while identifying upselling and cross‑selling opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful product implementation and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee financial exposure and payment issues, working with Group Credit Management to resolve disputes and minimise bad debts.
• Manage customer feedback through NPS surveys, analyse results and implement action plans to enhance advocacy.
• Conduct market analysis and benchmarking to identify new business opportunities and develop competitive customer offerings.
• Maintain Salesforce CRM, support audits, prepare presentations and represent the Commercial team in industry events and safety initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field of study.
• 8+ years' experience within Airport Operations or a relevant field.

You’ll have an edge if you have

• Relevant industry experience, preferably within ground handling, airport operations, travel management, engineering or an ancillary revenue‑oriented organisation.
• Experience of leading teams or handling cross‑functional relationships.
• Sales or account management experience, ideally with contract negotiation exposure within a large organisation.
• Financial management skills, with strong strategic business acumen and the ability to establish effective long‑term relationships.
• Technical skills (Ground Handling or Line Maintenance related).