Associate Director

AIRIQ 365; Delhi; On-site; INR 3,200,000 - 4,200,000; Full time

Job summary

AIRIQ 365 is seeking a Regional Lead - Hotel Contracting to develop and manage the hotel supply network in the assigned region, including identifying partners and negotiating terms to ensure inventory profitability.

You will own negotiations, pre-purchase arrangements, and on-going inventory management, working closely with Sales, Revenue and Finance to optimize performance and ensure contract compliance across key markets.

Qualifications

• Graduate in any discipline; hospitality, tourism or business management preferred.
• Minimum 10–12 years of hotel contracting or hotel procurement experience.
• Strong relationships with hotels and decision-makers in the assigned region.
• Experience with B2B travel company, OTA, bed bank, tour operator or hotel distribution business.
• Proven ability to negotiate hotel rates, inventory commitments and payment terms.
• Familiarity with pre-purchase risk, margins, inventory utilisation and hotel distribution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage AIRIQ's hotel contracting plan for the region, covering key cities and destinations.
• Negotiate pre-purchase arrangements, direct contracted rates, room blocks and other inventory models.
• Manage inventory commitments, demand forecasts and peak-period plans.
• Benchmark rates and terms against competitors; monitor demand drivers and events.
• Coordinate onboarding with channel managers, APIs and exrtranet, and ensure accurate property data and policies.
• Maintain contracting pipelines, trackers and regional performance reports.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality/Business

Tools

Excel

Job description

Role Overview

The Regional Lead - Hotel Contracting will develop and manage AIRIQ's hotel supply network within the assigned region. The role involves identifying suitable hotel partners, negotiating competitive commercial terms and securing inventory through pre-purchase arrangements and direct contracts, with distribution enabled through channel managers.

The position requires strong hotel relationships, commercial judgement and ownership of inventory availability, utilisation and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Supply Development

• Build and execute the hotel contracting plan for the assigned region, covering key business cities, leisure destinations and emerging markets.
• Identify hotels based on agent demand, booking trends, destination potential, seasonality and market competition.
• Develop relationships with hotel owners, promoters, general managers, sales heads and revenue teams.
• Maintain a pipeline of hotel partnerships and expand coverage across independent hotels and hotel chains.

2. Contracting and Commercial Negotiation

• Negotiate pre-purchase arrangements, direct contracted rates, room blocks, rolling deposits and other approved inventory models.
• Finalise room categories, meal plans, occupancy terms, extra-person charges, taxes, blackout dates and peak-period supplements.
• Negotiate payment schedules, credit terms, release periods, cancellation policies, refunds and treatment of unutilised deposits.
• Secure competitive rates, priority inventory and favourable commercial terms.
• Prepare commercial proposals and coordinate internal approvals before confirming commitments.
• Ensure negotiated terms are accurately documented and contracts are executed through authorised signatories.

3. Pre-Purchase and Inventory Management

• Recommend hotel-wise inventory commitments based on demand forecasts, achievable selling rates and expected returns.
• Prepare acquisition plans for peak, shoulder and low-demand periods.
• Monitor room-night utilisation, unsold inventory, deposit balances and release deadlines.
• Coordinate corrective action through promotions, inventory adjustments and renegotiation of terms.
• Track hotel obligations and elevate inventory denial, rate discrepancies or breaches of agreed terms.

4. Market Intelligence and Demand Mapping

• Benchmark hotel rates and commercial terms against competing suppliers and distribution channels.
• Track festivals, weddings, conferences, exhibitions, sporting events and other demand drivers.
• Map major venues and nearby hotels to identify advance contracting opportunities.
• Share regional market intelligence with Revenue, Research, Sales and Leadership.

5. Onboarding and Internal Coordination

• Coordinate with Distribution and Technology teams for hotel onboarding through channel managers, APIs or the extranet.
• Ensure accurate property information, room descriptions, photographs, rate plans and booking policies are obtained.
• Work with Sales and Revenue teams on pricing, offers and inventory promotion.
• Support Operations in resolving hotel-related booking, availability and service escalations.
• Coordinate with Finance on advances, deposits, payments, reconciliations and recoveries.

6. Reporting and Team Coordination

• Maintain updated contracting pipelines, agreement trackers and regional performance reports.
• Review hotel productivity, commercial performance and upcoming inventory requirements.
• Guide regional procurement executives and coordinate with consultants, where applicable.

Candidate Profile

• Graduate in any discipline; a qualification in hospitality, tourism or business management is preferred.
• Typically 10-12 years of relevant experience in hotel contracting, hotel procurement or hotel supply development.
• Strong relationships with hotels and decision-makers in the assigned region.
• Experience with a B2B travel company, OTA, bed bank, tour operator or hotel distribution business.
• Proven ability to negotiate hotel rates, inventory commitments and payment terms.
• Working understanding of pre-purchase risk, margins, inventory utilisation and hotel distribution.
• Strong communication, negotiation, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and commercial reporting.

Key Performance Indicators

• Productive hotels contracted and activated.
• Coverage of priority destinations and high-demand hotels.
• Competitiveness of contracted rates and commercial terms.
• Availability and utilisation of contracted inventory.
• Room nights, revenue and contribution generated from the regional portfolio.
• Utilisation and recovery of advances and deposits.
• Contracting pipeline conversion and onboarding turnaround time.
• Accuracy of contracts, trackers and commercial records.

Department: Hotel Business - Procurement & Supply

Employment Type: Full-time

Travel: Regular travel within the assigned region