MANAGER - MARKET RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Gulf Air Group; Bahrain; On-site; BHD 30,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Gulf Air Group's Commercial division in Bahrain seeks a Manager – Market Research & Analysis to lead market intelligence efforts for aviation growth. You will gather and interpret data on passenger demand, routes, and competition to inform airport development and network planning.

Responsibilities include building forecasts, developing dashboards, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and presenting insights to senior management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Aviation Management, Business Analytics, Statistics, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in market research, aviation analytics, strategic planning, or aviation consulting.
• Experience with aviation databases and market intelligence tools.
• Strong presentation and report-writing skills.
• Ability to convert data into strategic business insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead market research and analysis to support aviation growth strategies and commercial decision-making.
• Monitor passenger demand, airline networks, aviation trends, tourism, economic indicators and demographic developments.
• Benchmark airport performance against regional and international competitors to identify market opportunities and competitive positioning.
• Develop and maintain passenger, traffic and capacity forecasts to support business planning and route development.
• Build financial and traffic forecasting models to support the long term strategy of the division.
• Produce market intelligence reports, strategic analyses and recommendations to support executive decision-making.
• Present market insights and strategic recommendations to senior management and key stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Quantitative skills

Presentation skills

Problem solving

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Aviation Management, Business Analytics, Statistics, Finance

Tools

Excel Advanced Modeling

Power BI

Tableau

SQL

Aviation data platforms (OAG, IATA, Cirium, Sabre MI)

Job description

Company

Division

Commercial

Location

Department

Commercial

Closing Date

16-Sep-2026

JOB PURPOSE

The Manager – Market Research & Analysis will support the Director in leading market intelligence activities supporting aviation growth initiatives. The role will focus on gathering, analyzing, and interpreting aviation market data to identify trends, opportunities, passenger demand patterns, and strategic insights that support airport business development and route planning decisions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead market research and analysis to support aviation growth strategies and commercial decision-making.
• Monitor passenger demand, airline networks, aviation trends, tourism, economic indicators and demographic developments.
• Benchmark airport performance against regional and international competitors to identify market opportunities and competitive positioning.
• Manage relationships with external data providers and aviation intelligence platforms to ensure access to reliable market information.

Forecasting & Commercial Analysis

• Develop and maintain passenger, traffic and capacity forecasts to support business planning and route development.
• Build financial and traffic forecasting models to support the long term strategy of the division
• Conduct feasibility studies and commercial evaluations of aviation growth initiatives.
• Analyze the performance of existing routes, airline services and market segments, identifying opportunities for optimization and network expansion.

Strategic Insights & Business Support

• Produce market intelligence reports, strategic analyses and recommendations to support executive decision-making.
• Support the preparation of airline business cases, commercial proposals and presentations.
• Provide analytical support for aviation business development, strategic planning and investment decisions.

Performance Reporting & Data Governance

• Ensure the accuracy, integrity and timely reporting of aviation market data and business intelligence.
• Develop dashboards, performance reports and executive presentations highlighting market trends, forecasts and growth opportunities.
• Establish and monitor analytical KPIs to measure market performance, forecasting accuracy and strategic outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Present market insights and strategic recommendations to senior management and key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Aviation Business Development, Commercial, Finance, Operations, Marketing and external partners to support data-driven decision-making.
• Support cross-functional initiatives by providing market intelligence and analytical expertise.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Aviation Management, Business Analytics, Statistics, Finance, or related field.

Minimum of 6 years of experience in market research, aviation analytics, strategic planning, or aviation consulting.

Experience within airports, airlines, consulting firms, or aviation research environments preferred.

Experience in Excel Advanced Modeling, Power BI / Tableau, Aviation intelligence platforms (OAG, IATA, Cirium, Sabre Market Intelligence), and SQL or analytical tools preferred.

Strong analytical and quantitative skills.

Experience with aviation databases and market intelligence tools.

Advanced Excel modeling and data visualization capabilities.

Knowledge of passenger forecasting techniques and aviation market analysis.

Strong presentation and report-writing skills.

Ability to convert data into strategic business insights.

Detail-oriented with strong problem-solving abilities.