Head of Operations

numi; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A rapidly growing travel-tech company seeks a strategic 'Head of Operations' to lead its dynamic team. This role involves overseeing operational excellence across Reservation Management, Back Office, and Customer Support. Candidates should bring leadership experience in travel operations, strong data-driven decision-making abilities, and fluency in Arabic to enhance service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in operations leadership within travel domain, preferably OTA.
• Experience establishing processes in a high-growth startup environment.
• Fluency in Arabic is essential.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute operational strategies for online travel platform.
• Oversee day-to-day activities of operational teams.
• Design efficient processes and improve KPIs.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication in Arabic

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Operations Management

Master's degree (a plus)

Tools

Operations management tools

Job description

The Head of Operations will lead and oversee all aspects of the Operations Department for a rapidly growing, next-generation travel-tech platform. This pivotal role requires a strategic leader with a hands-on approach to build, optimise, and scale operational systems, ensuring seamless execution across Reservation Management, Back Office, and Customer Support teams. The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership, a data-driven mindset, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the company's overall business objectives for its online travel platform.
• Oversee day-to-day activities of Reservation Management, Back Office, and Customer Support functions, including line management of a team of 7-10 individuals, with responsibility for structuring and building the department.
• Design and implement scalable processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that drive efficiency, service excellence, and operational agility, particularly in a market with significant "offline" operational complexities (e.g., manual ticketing, changes, refunds).
• Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and performance metrics (e.g., customer response time, conversation duration, customer satisfaction) to ensure continuous improvement and achieve ambitious targets (e.g., reducing response times from 10-20 minutes to 1-5 minutes).
• Continuously identify opportunities to automate human-centric processes to enhance customer experience and operational KPIs.
• Establish and enforce policies and compliance protocols across the operational teams within the complex travel domain.
• Collaborate closely with Product, Finance, Marketing, and Technology teams to ensure end-to-end coordination and integrated solutions.
• Manage departmental budgets, optimize resource allocation, and control operational costs.
• Provide strategic insights based on data analysis to support key decision-making across the organization.
• Act as the escalation point for complex operational issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
• Mentor and develop team leads and managers to build a high-performing operational culture.
• Ensure adherence to industry standards, legal requirements, and internal governance.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, or a related field; Master's degree is a plus.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in operations leadership specifically within the travel domain, with a strong preference for experience in online travel agency (OTA) operations. Experience with the unique complexities of travel (e.g., airline policies, changes, refunds, pricing) is essential.
• Proven track record in building and managing high-performing operational teams, particularly in a high-growth, startup-like environment where structure and processes need to be established.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Solid understanding of financial management and operations tools.
• Ability to speak and communicate fluently in Arabic is required, as a significant portion of the operational team and customer base communicate in Arabic.
• Able to thrive in a dynamic, scale-up environment and manage complexity with focus.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently between a major regional hub (e.g., Dubai) and a key regional market (e.g., Iraq) are essential.

About the Company: The company is a rapidly growing travel-tech platform that recently launched as a mini-application within a major regional super app. It offers a unified experience for users to search, book, and manage various travel services (flights, hotels, car rentals, eSIMs, and more). With a focus on innovation, convenience, and regional relevance, it is building a smarter way to travel, aiming to expand its reach across the region in the coming years. It is the travel arm of a fast-growing digital commerce company, itself a subsidiary of a leading regional fintech ecosystem.