Lead Manager, Strategic Partnerships – Seoul in Melbourne

At Agoda, we bridge the world through travel. Our story began in 2005, when two lifelong friends and entrepreneurs, driven by their passion for travel, launched Agoda to make it easier for everyone to explore the world. Today, we are part of Booking Holdings [NASDAQ: BKNG], with a diverse team of over 7,000 people from 90 countries, working together in offices around the globe. Every day, we connect people to destinations and experiences, with our great deals across our millions of hotels and holiday properties, flights, and experiences worldwide. No two days are the same at Agoda. Data and technology are at the heart of our culture, fueling our curiosity and innovation. If you’re ready to begin your best journey and help build travel for the world, join us.

The Strategic Partnerships team is responsible for identifying, building, and scaling high-impact partnerships that expand Agoda’s reach, improve customer acquisition, and create long-term business value. In Korea, financial institution (FI) partnerships represent a strategic growth channel. This role will focus on developing and managing relationships with banks, card issuers, digital wallets, and other financial ecosystem partners to drive customer engagement, commercial growth, and mutually beneficial partnership outcomes. You will work cross-functionally with teams across Commercial, Marketing, Product, Finance, Legal, Analytics, and Operations to take partnership opportunities from idea through execution and optimization.

We are looking for a Lead Manager, Strategic Partnerships to lead Agoda’s Korea FI partnership strategy and execution. In this role, you will identify new partnership opportunities, manage key strategic accounts, negotiate commercial agreements, and drive performance across Agoda’s financial institution partnerships in Korea. You will help shape Agoda’s local partnership roadmap, unlock joint business opportunities, and ensure effective execution of campaigns and initiatives with partners. The ideal candidate brings strong business development and partnership experience, sound commercial judgment, analytical rigor, and the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders. This role calls for someone who is strategic while also willing to work hands-on to deliver measurable outcomes.

• Account Management & Growth
  • Own and grow a portfolio of key FI partners in Korea, building strong relationships and long-term strategic alignment.
  • Develop joint business plans to drive customer acquisition, transaction growth, brand visibility, and partnership profitability.
  • Monitor partner performance and identify growth opportunities, optimization levers, and operational improvements.
  • Ensure timely execution of campaigns, product integrations, and partner initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders across Marketing, Product, Analytics, Finance, Legal, and Operations to launch and scale partnership initiatives.
  • Translate partner needs into clear internal requirements and drive execution across multiple teams.
  • Influence decisions through clear communication, strong stakeholder management, and data-backed recommendations.
  • Support improvements to processes, reporting frameworks, and operating models to improve scalability and partner experience.
• Analytics & Optimization
  • Analyze partnership performance, customer behavior, campaign effectiveness, and commercial outcomes to generate actionable insights.
  • Use data to identify trends, guide investment decisions, and improve partnership ROI.
  • Build business cases for new initiatives and present recommendations to senior stakeholders.
  • Track key success metrics and maintain clear visibility into pipeline, performance, and impact.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Experience
  • 7+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, account management, consulting, or a related commercial role.
  • Strong experience managing external partners and driving commercial outcomes in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.
  • Experience working with or within financial institutions, payment companies, loyalty ecosystems, or digital consumer platforms is highly preferred.
  • Experience in e-commerce, travel, fintech, payments, or internet platforms is a strong plus.
  • Proven track record of leading cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution.
• Skills & Competencies
  • Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to structure mutually beneficial partnerships and negotiate effectively.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to turn data into clear business insights and actions.
  • Strong project management skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
  • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders.
  • Self-starter with a bias for action and the ability to work independently in an ambiguous environment.
  • Comfortable working hands-on while also thinking strategically.
• Technical / Functional
  • Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills; experience with SQL, Tableau, or data visualization tools is a plus.
  • Ability to develop business cases, commercial models, and performance reporting frameworks.
  • Familiarity with campaign execution, co-marketing partnerships, loyalty mechanics, or payment-related partnership models is beneficial.
• Language
  • Fluent in Korean and English is required.

Why This Role Matters

This role is critical to Agoda’s growth in Korea. Financial institution partnerships are a strategic channel that can unlock scalable customer demand, deepen brand presence, and create differentiated value for travelers and partners. As Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, you will play a central role in shaping Agoda’s FI ecosystem in Korea and delivering high-impact partnerships that drive sustainable business growth.