SaaS-Fueled Enterprise Travel BD Lead

Kanoo Travel; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Kanoo Travel in Dubai seeks a Business Development Manager to drive profitable new business growth. You will identify, develop and convert high-value corporate opportunities, owning the full new-business cycle from prospecting to handover to implementation.

The role is tech-enabled and consultative, requiring strong SaaS or solution-led sales experience, ability to demonstrate Kanoo Travel’s technology stack, and to translate features into measurable business outcomes for senior client

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, Marketing, Travel Management, Technology or a related discipline.
• Strong B2B business development, corporate sales or commercial experience.
• Demonstrable track record of winning new corporate business and managing complex sales cycles.
• Highly tech savvy and digitally fluent, preferably a digital native, with the confidence to learn and demonstrate new platforms quickly.
• Strong experience in technology, SaaS, digital solutions or technology-enabled B2B sales, with the ability to translate technical capabilities into commercially relevant customer benefits.
• Experience conducting live product demonstrations and technology-led client presentations.
• Experience developing proposals, responding to RFPs and delivering client presentations.
• Strong commercial understanding, including pricing, margin and profitability.
• Strong negotiation, relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to communicate credibly with senior client decision-makers.
• Strong pipeline management, forecasting and opportunity-management discipline.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue target corporate prospects aligned with Kanoo Travel’s commercial strategy and target customer profile.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of new-business opportunities with clear values, stages, actions and expected close dates.
• Develop relationships with Procurement, Finance, HR, IT, Travel Management and senior decision-makers within target organisations.
• Create structured pursuit plans for priority opportunities and maintain momentum throughout the sales cycle.
• Generate new opportunities through direct prospecting, referrals, networking, partnerships and market intelligence.
• Qualify opportunities based on revenue potential, transaction profile, service requirements, competitive position, implementation complexity and expected profitability.
• Prioritise opportunities where Kanoo Travel has a credible proposition and commercially sustainable route to win.
• Maintain disciplined opportunity records and ensure pipeline forecasts accurately reflect the stage and probability of each pursuit.
• Escalate material commercial risks, unusual service requirements or pricing challenges before commitments are made.
• Act as a commercial ambassador for the Kanoo Travel 2.0 technology proposition and confidently demonstrate the new technology stack to prospective customers.
• Lead or support live technology demonstrations during the sales cycle, adapting the presentation to each customer’s requirements, pain points and strategic priorities.
• Translate technical features and functionality into clear customer benefits, including improved traveller experience, greater visibility and control, process efficiency, policy compliance and actionable management information.
• Sell through business outcomes rather than product features, linking technology capabilities to the customer’s operational, financial and traveller-experience objectives.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of corporate travel technology, online booking, mobile solutions, data and analytics, automation and emerging AI-enabled capabilities.
• Gather structured prospect feedback on Kanoo Travel’s technology proposition and share market intelligence with Technology and Commercial leadership to support continuous development.
• Lead commercial discussions with prospective customers in conjunction with relevant internal stakeholders.
• Develop pricing recommendations that balance competitiveness with acceptable margin and account economics.
• Challenge requests for discounts or service models that would undermine sustainable profitability.
• Coordinate with Finance and Legal on significant commercial terms, liabilities and contractual requirements.
• Support negotiations through to agreement while protecting Kanoo Travel’s commercial position and delegated authority requirements.
• Understand each prospect’s travel programme, traveller needs, policy environment, service challenges and strategic priorities.
• Bring together the right Kanoo Travel capabilities to create differentiated client solutions.
• Identify opportunities across corporate travel, MICE / Business Events, leisure, destination management, VIP travel and other relevant value-added services.
• Use technology, automation, data and service innovation to strengthen client propositions.
• Position solutions around measurable customer value rather than price alone.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the local corporate travel market, target sectors and competitor activity.
• Track market developments, emerging client requirements, technology trends and competitor propositions that could affect Kanoo Travel’s ability to win business.
• Share actionable market intelligence with Commercial leadership and relevant internal teams.
• Identify sectors, geographic areas and customer segments offering attractive growth potential.
• Ensure won business is handed over to implementation and operational teams through a structured and documented process.
• Communicate client commitments, commercial terms, service requirements and success measures clearly before go-live.
• Remain commercially engaged through implementation and early-life stages to support a successful transition and protect the client relationship.
• Ensure material gaps between the sold solution and operational delivery are escalated and resolved promptly.
• Provide accurate reporting on pipeline value, opportunity progression, wins, losses, forecasts and key commercial risks.
• Analyze reasons for won and lost opportunities and apply lessons to future pursuits.
• Work closely with Strategic Accounts, Customer Success, Operations, Finance, IT, Marketing and specialist business units.
• Use CRM and digital sales tools effectively for prospecting, opportunity management, forecasting, presentations and sales reporting.
• Contribute to commercial planning and campaigns designed to accelerate profitable growth.
• Identify sectors, geographic areas and customer segments offering attractive growth potential.

Skills

Business Development

Sales

Negotiation

Digital Fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM Software

Digital Sales Tools

Job description

Kanoo Travel in Dubai seeks a Business Development Manager to drive profitable new business growth. You will identify, develop and convert high-value corporate opportunities, owning the full new-business cycle from prospecting to handover to implementation.

The role is tech-enabled and consultative, requiring strong SaaS or solution-led sales experience, ability to demonstrate Kanoo Travel’s technology stack, and to translate features into measurable business outcomes for senior client