{"id":3841288,"url":"https://alion.io/job/api-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae","title":"Account Director - UAE","company":{"id":2602590,"name":"API – Accommodations Plus International","domain":"apiglobalsolutions.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/apiglobalsolutions","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Rippling","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":6,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":27,"computed_at":"2026-11-08T05:47:12Z"}},"role":"Marketing","role_family":"Marketing","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"],"countries":["AE"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Salesforce","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Excel","optional":true},{"name":"Microsoft Office","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-05T20:52:13Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-05","last_verified_at":"2026-11-08T18:10:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"Who We Are\nAccommodations Plus International (API) is a technology and services company focused on driving innovation across the travel and transportation industry. We partner with organizations in the airline, cruise, and rail sectors to deliver solutions that improve layover operations, enhance customer experience, and support long-term growth.\nOur mission is to make layovers simpler and more efficient for crew members-and we bring that to life through deep industry expertise and a practical, results-driven approach.\nToday, API’s platform powers over 18 million crew room nights each year for 100+ airlines and travel operators worldwide. Our Global Reach ensures that airline crews are rested, transported, and connected so global aviation runs on time.\nAt API, we’re building a culture rooted in succeeding and thriving together. It’s a place where people are encouraged to take ownership, develop their skills, and contribute to work that matters.\nIf you’re looking to grow your career in a company that values steady progress, real impact, and long-term development, we’d like to meet you!\nAccommodations Plus International (API) is the recognized industry leader in providing crew hotel and ground transportation travel technology & service solutions to commercial airlines. Established in 1984 as a small regional company, API has grown into a global provider serving 100+ airlines globally supported by 23 locations around the world and employing over 1000 full time associates.\nAs a result of increased demand for our services, we are experiencing great growth and will be looking to add a professional individual who would like to join us in our new office in Abu Dhabi.\nSummary/Objective\nAPI is currently seeking an experienced Account Director to join our company. The responsibilities include establishing and maintaining existing client relationships within our growing network of Airline and Hotel partners with the sole purpose of generating strategic growth, through exceptional procurement delivery.\nThis position requires strategic vision to identify and interpret market trends and set appropriate hotel sourcing strategies. Along with excellent negotiation skills, extensive contracting experience and strong team management you will be able to deliver aggressive savings targets to provide maximum value to our customers whilst developing and maintaining progressive supplier relationships.\nWe would expect you to be a leader who is a strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen, customer focus and the ability to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders and partners to deliver business outcomes and the ability to communicate at a senior level. You will have 7+ years’ experience in procurement performing sourcing initiatives.\nYou’ll need to demonstrate a strong understanding of supplier relationship management, including supplier continuous improvement processes, tools and techniques with current knowledge of best practice strategic sourcing and the hotel marketplace.\nEssential Functions: (Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)\nClient Relationship\n·Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders at all levels within the airline and hotel partners.\n·Communicate and meet with major clients on a regular basis to ensure that API deliverables are met.\n·Create client sourcing strategy based on solid market insights\n·Report on strategy and savings matrix for nominated accounts\n·Strive to create increased value for the client by providing new points of view and recommendations that are aligned with desired business goals.\n·Develop and deliver strategic account objectives.\n·Suggest solutions and innovative ideas to meet client needs\n·Handle complaints and problems in a timely and effective manner.\n·Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports and budget forecasts for client.\nSite Inspections\n·Prepare and conduct site inspections domestically and international when required to ascertain suitability for airline in line with minimum requirements.\n·Where necessary, conduct virtual site inspections to assess a hotels suitability\n·Effectively manage union relationships as part of the site inspection process\nDay to Day Account Management\n·Provide strategic leadership to expand opportunities within assigned accounts.\n·Communicate to the Vertical Leader on client performance, strategies and needs.\n·Coordinate and manage weekly meetings with designated airline to ensure sourcing deliverables remain on target and airline sign off approval processes are followed.\n·Maintain action log to ensure all parties are aware of action points and follow up resolve points are understood, leading weekly meeting to review with the airline and internally\n·Support and help prepare client communications ranging from weekly performance meetings to business reviews.\n·Assist the Research & Sourcing team in ensuring all details of a destination presentation are accurate and offered to the airline for review.\n·Document, trouble shoot and resolve operational and sourcing events\n·Become knowledgeable with API’s technology platforms for the Account Management department.\n·Maintain spreadsheets and update databases as required.\n·Support Director or Account Management on assigned projects as requested in line with the growth of the business.\nResponsibilities\n·Support other Account Managers/Directors to ensure the correct process, client focus, and communication is conveyed to create exemplary performance for the client.\n·Manage multiple projects and facilitate their success from the original concept to the final implementation.\n·Provide organization, direction and coordination for business reviews, ensure savings matrix is maintained accurately .\n·Support Vertical Leader by providing coaching of other Account Managers/Directors and identifying areas for growth and training opportunities.\n·Hold weekly planned individual conference call with team members to review current work load\nKey accountability's\n·Develop and implement strategic category management plans\n·Manage the central repository for contracts (salesforce), including activity planning and the timely execution of contracts.\n·Obtain data from varied sources to identify and support fact-driven opportunities. Ensure analysis is accurate, comprehensive and robust.\n·Conduct market analysis to drive hotel sourcing strategies.\n·Conduct risk analysis to continually review contracts and market opportunities and take action as required.\n·Share market knowledge and experience with other team members to support the success of other airline accounts.\n·Develop, implement and manage an appropriate SRM Strategy across your clients hotel and ground transport supplier programme\nSystems requirements\nMyCrewCare\n·Manage crew member feedback via our online portal for all assigned accounts ensuring any complaints are addressed in a timely fashion accordingly with our hotel partners and documented.\n·Identify where supplier performance management is required and implement performance improvement plans where necessary\n·Ensure the team add new hotels to the system and ensure all information is accurate.\nHotelExpress\n·Actively seek opportunities and negotiate on preferred rates for Crew, Business and Leisure Travel. Ensure they are loaded and maintained properly on HotelExpress for clients.\nACES\n·Verify all hotel contract information is loaded correctly into ACES for OPS and for Accounting.\n·Review ACES schedules monthly to ensure hotels are downloading their schedules and identifying any risk in advance. Assist OPS department with follow up to the hotels to ensure that their schedules are accepted, and trouble shoot any issues.\n·Verify client back up list is accurate and loaded into ACES for OPS.\nSalesforce\n·Ensure all opportunities (upcoming contract expirations and/or new destinations) are in Salesforce with accurate business start dates and revenue projections\n·Ensure contracts are entered into Salesforce prior to contract start date.\n\nPosition Type and Expected Hours of Work\nThe role has a need for the employee to operate and be available from Monday through Friday, normal core business hours. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.\nTravel\nThis position requires 30% travel.\nPerson Specification: Account Director\nThis specification sets out the qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills and personal attributes needed to perform the role of Account Director at Accommodations Plus International (API)\nEssential criteria must be demonstrated by all candidates.\nDesirable criteria will strengthen an application but are not required.\nCriteria\nEssential\nDesirable\nQualifications and education\nBachelor’s degree in business administration or a similar discipline\nMCIPS qualification\nExperience\nAt least 7 years’ experience in a category manager procurement role, performing sourcing initiatives\nProven track record of negotiating major, strategic and complex deals that delivered significant commercial outcomes\nExtensive contracting experience\nStrong governance and change management experience\nExperience managing and leading teams, cross-functional remote teams and large stakeholder groups\nExperience in the travel industry, particularly the airline, crew accommodation or hotel sector\nExperience delivering aggressive savings targets in a hotel or travel sourcing environment\nExperience working with international or multicultural suppliers and customers\nExperience of dealing directly with trade unions, including managing union relationships\nKnowledge\nSound understanding of category management principles and processes\nWorking knowledge of contract law\nStrong understanding of supplier relationship management, including supplier continuous improvement processes, tools and techniques\nCurrent knowledge of best-practice strategic sourcing\nCurrent knowledge of the hotel marketplace and its market trends\nUnderstanding of airline operations and crew travel requirements\nSkills and abilities\nStrong negotiation and commercial skills\nAbility to identify and interpret market trends and set appropriate sourcing strategies\nStrong results focus, with a continuous improvement skill set\nStrong Microsoft Office skills, with an emphasis on Excel\nExceptional verbal and written communication skills, including at a senior level\nCustomer service and client relationship skills\nAttention to detail and the ability to produce high-quality work\nAbility to manage workload in a fast-paced environment, using sound judgment to plan and accomplish goals\nAdvanced Excel skills, such as data modelling and savings analysis\nExperience with e-sourcing or procurement tools\nExperience working with salesforce\nPersonal attributes\nStrategic thinker and leader with strong commercial acumen\nCustomer-focused, able to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders and partners\nOrganised self-starter who works proactively and independently\nAbility to work with and understand diverse cultures, locally and abroad\nAbility to present API positively in customer-facing situations\nAbility to build progressive, long-term supplier relationships\nCompensation:\nBasic Salary: 193,200 - 220,200 AED\nHousing Allowance: 80,400 - 91,800 AED\nTransportation Allowance: 32,400 - 36,600 AED\nFlexible Allowance: 16,200 - 18,600 AED\nTotal Cash Package: 312,000 - 367,000 AED\nDiscretionary Target Bonus available\nBenefits available\nOther Duties\nDuties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time according to business needs.\nThe performance of additional responsibilities if you are designated as a Data Protection Champion (DPC), Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) or Information Assurance Accounting Officer (IAAO).\nWork Environment\nThis position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.\nPhysical Demands\nThe phy...","description_format":"text","description_chars":13263,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United Arab Emirates","iso":"AE","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Business Travel"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-05T22:56:57Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":2,"expected_fill_days":27,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-08T05:47:12Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/api-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/api-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-08T21:31:41Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":44907,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-09T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2602590},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2602590"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fapi-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fapi-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fapi-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/api-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fapi-accommodations-plus-international-account-director-uae"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3841288}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"apiglobalsolutions.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3841288},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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