Local Partnership Development Specialist – Tourism Network

MatchaTalent; Muratpaşa; On-site; TRY 400,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

MatchaTalent seeks a Partnership Executive – Tour Guide Acquisition in Turkey to identify, evaluate, and onboard qualified local tour guides while building relationships with universities, tourism associations, and industry stakeholders.

You will source guides through associations, directories, and universities, conduct structured interviews, assess partnerships, and coordinate onboarding and contract terms to expand our partner network while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Tourism or related preferred.
• 1–3 years in business development, recruitment, partnerships, hospitality or tourism.
• Experience sourcing independent professionals or tour providers preferred.
• Experience with tour operators, DMCs, travel platforms or university career services is a plus.
• Strong stakeholder management and networking abilities.
• Proficient in CRM systems and MS Office; willing to travel for field activities.
• Fluent English; additional local language skills are an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Source qualified tour guides via associations, directories, social media, universities and referrals.
• Build relationships with universities, tourism offices and industry stakeholders.
• Conduct background research on guides, including language skills and certifications.
• Perform structured interviews to assess communication, professionalism and knowledge.
• Assess partnerships using standardized criteria and maintain recruitment pipelines.
• Prepare candidate profiles and recommendations for management review.
• Negotiate basic terms and coordinate onboarding and contracts.
• Continuously explore new sourcing channels and partnership opportunities.
• Maintain CRM records, sourcing metrics, and weekly progress reports.
• Gather feedback to improve recruitment standards and partner quality.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Networking

Relationship building

Sourcing

Interviewing

Contract negotiation

Data & reporting

Field coordination

Multilingual

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Tourism or related

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft Office

Job description

This role requires the candidate to work in Turkey.

Client Overview

Our client is a rapidly growing travel and tourism company focused on building a trusted network of local tour guides and destination partners to deliver authentic, high-quality travel experiences. Through technology-enabled operations and strategic local partnerships, the organization connects travelers with knowledgeable local experts while continuously expanding its presence across multiple destinations.

Working closely with tourism communities, universities, local associations, and independent professionals, the company is committed to maintaining high service standards, strengthening partner quality, and delivering memorable customer experiences. As part of its continued expansion, the organization is seeking professionals who are passionate about partnership development, talent acquisition, and the tourism industry.

Job Role

The Partnership Executive – Tour Guide Acquisition will be responsible for identifying, evaluating, and onboarding qualified local tour guides while building long-term relationships with universities, tourism associations, and industry stakeholders. The role focuses on expanding the company's guide network through proactive sourcing, structured candidate assessment, partnership development, and onboarding coordination.

Working closely with management, the successful candidate will support the growth of the company's local partner ecosystem by researching potential guides, conducting screening interviews, managing recruitment pipelines, negotiating partnership terms, and continuously improving sourcing strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Source qualified tour guides through tourism associations, local directories, social media platforms, university tourism departments, referrals, community groups, job boards, and other recruitment channels.
• Build and maintain relationships with university tourism faculties, lecturers, student organizations, alumni networks, tourism offices, and other industry stakeholders to strengthen candidate pipelines.
• Conduct comprehensive background research on potential partners, including tour specialties, language capabilities, certifications, customer reviews, online presence, and professional credibility.
• Perform structured screening interviews to evaluate communication skills, professionalism, storytelling ability, destination knowledge, safety awareness, customer service capability, and overall partnership suitability.
• Assess candidates using standardized evaluation criteria while maintaining an organized recruitment pipeline and ranking qualified partners based on business requirements.
• Prepare detailed candidate profiles, recommendations, strengths, weaknesses, and market suitability assessments for management review.
• Negotiate basic commercial terms, coordinate onboarding activities, and support contract preparation, scheduling, and operational readiness.
• Continuously explore new sourcing channels, recruitment strategies, and partnership opportunities to improve sourcing efficiency and partner quality.
• Maintain accurate recruitment databases, CRM records, sourcing metrics, and weekly reports covering pipeline health, conversion rates, and partnership progress.
• Gather operational feedback from newly onboarded guides and internal stakeholders to continuously improve recruitment standards and partnership quality.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Tourism, Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or other related disciplines is preferred.
• Minimum 1–3 years of experience in business development, recruitment, partnership management, hospitality, tourism operations, or related functions.
• Experience sourcing independent professionals, freelancers, contractors, or tourism service providers is highly preferred.
• Previous experience working with tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), travel platforms, tourism organizations, or university career services will be considered an advantage.
• Strong understanding of local tourism ecosystems, tour guide operations, or tourism-related communities is preferred.
• Proven ability to conduct structured interviews, candidate assessments, and partnership evaluations.
• Strong research capability with the ability to verify candidate backgrounds, certifications, customer reviews, and professional credibility.
• Excellent stakeholder management, networking, and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage universities, tourism associations, and independent professionals.
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to discuss partnership arrangements and basic commercial terms.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple recruitment pipelines simultaneously.
• Proficient in CRM systems, Microsoft Office, or other recruitment and database management tools.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
• Self-driven, proactive, adaptable, and comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
• Willing to conduct frequent field visits, partner meetings, and outreach activities as required.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English is required. Additional local language capabilities or multilingual communication skills will be considered an advantage.

Job Code: #746