Contracting Manager – Hotels

We’re seeking an experienced Hotel Contracting Manager to join our dynamic DMC team in the UAE. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hotel contracting or sales within the UAE or GCC leisure market, with proven experience building and maintaining supplier relationships. You’ll be responsible for negotiating competitive rates, securing exclusive offers, and ensuring our product portfolio remains market-leading. A deep understanding of regional market trends, contracting processes, and supplier dynamics is essential.

Job scope:

Hotel Sourcing & Qualification

• Support the identification, evaluation, and onboarding of hotel partners across all categories (from luxury to midscale).

• Assist in gathering and reviewing property details, rate sheets, and special offers.

• Maintain an updated database of contracted hotels and liaise with internal teams for missing documentation or updates.

Contract Negotiation & Lifecycle Management

• Assist the Senior Manager in negotiating competitive rates and favourable terms, including allotments, supplements, release periods, and cancellation policies.

• Manage renewals, extensions, and amendments in line with company policies.

• Ensure all contract versions, supporting documents, and communication are properly filed and version-controlled.

Rate Loading, Validation & Compliance

• Coordinate with the Loading team to ensure hotel rates, seasons, and conditions are accurately reflected in the DMC’s reservation systems.

• Validate contract data and ensure compliance with internal audit standards.

• Support with troubleshooting rate or availability discrepancies raised by Sales, Reservations, or Operations.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Act as a day-to-day point of contact for assigned hotel partners.

• Support relationship maintenance through timely communication and follow-up on operational or commercial issues.

• Coordinate collection of special offers, value adds, and tactical campaigns.

Market Intelligence & Benchmarking

• Monitor competitor rates and market trends to support strategic decision-making.

• Prepare benchmark reports comparing rate levels, inclusions, and conditions by market segment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Product, Pricing & Analytics, Sales, and Operations to ensure contracts support commercial objectives and guest experience standards.

• Liaise with Finance and Legal to ensure supplier compliance and documentation accuracy.

Process & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to the enhancement of contracting templates, workflows, and tools.

• Support the implementation of contract management systems and reporting dashboards.

• Suggest improvements for more efficient communication, documentation, and data accuracy.

Ideal Candidate Should Have:

• Degree in Tourism, Hospitality, Business, or a related field.
• Advanced qualifications in Tourism Management, or Hospitality.

Years of Experience

• Minimum 3-5 years of relevant experience in a similar role within DMCs, Tour Operators, OTA’s, Bed Bank, or management consulting.
• Experience in a DMC or start-up setup, with exposure to multi-market contracting or digital distribution.
• Experience in start-up, fast-paced, dynamic, high-growth environment.
• Skilled in supplier liaison, document follow-up, and basic negotiation under supervision.

Desirable:

• Experience working with internationally renowned DMC is preferred.
• Ability to identify, prioritize, and drive improvements in operational processes and supporting technology implementation.

If you have a strong network across UAE hotels and a passion for driving commercial results through strategic partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.