Business Development Manager (Direct Travel Maritime & Superyacht)

About the role
Direct Travel is looking for an experienced, highly connected Business Development Manager to accelerate growth across our already established Maritime and Superyacht business in South Florida. This is a locally based, market-facing role for someone who knows the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach maritime ecosystem, can open doors, build trusted relationships and convert opportunities into long-term client partnerships.

Key responsibilities

• Own the new-business development plan for South Florida, focused on Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
• Build and manage a high-quality prospect pipeline across superyacht owners and representatives, yacht management companies, captains, crew management businesses, ship managers and the wider maritime ecosystem.
• Use an established local network to generate introductions, meetings and qualified opportunities while continuously developing new relationships.
• Lead the full sales cycle from prospecting and discovery through solution design, proposal, RFP response, commercial negotiation and close.
• Partner with Direct Travel Operations, Account Management, Digital and specialist teams to develop compelling travel solutions around client needs.
• Represent Direct Travel at relevant maritime, yachting and business events, building visibility and commercial opportunity.
• Maintain disciplined CRM pipeline management, forecasting, next steps and sales activity; provide market intelligence on competitors, trends and opportunities.
• Support smooth implementation and handover of new clients to drive early adoption, service confidence and retention.

The candidate we are looking for

• At least 5 years' successful business development / B2B sales experience within Travel Management.
• Must be based in South Florida - ideally within the Miami, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach corridor - with strong local market knowledge.
• A credible, active network within the maritime and/or superyacht community and the confidence to use that network to create opportunities.
• Demonstrable track record of winning new business, growing revenue and delivering against commercial targets.
• Strong consultative selling skills and credibility with senior decision-makers, owners' representatives, captains, procurement and operational stakeholders.
• Commercially astute, resilient, self-motivated and comfortable working independently in a field-based role.
• Strong presentation, proposal-writing, negotiation and relationship-building skills, supported by disciplined CRM and forecasting practices.
• Willingness to travel within Florida and elsewhere as business needs require.

Highly desirable

• Experience selling specialist corporate, crew or marine travel services, ideally within a Travel Management Company.
• Knowledge of superyacht crew travel, marine fares, complex itineraries, last-minute travel and high-touch service expectations.
• Existing relationships with yacht management companies, captains, crew managers, ship managers or maritime service providers in South Florida.

How success will be measured

• Growth in qualified pipeline and prospect engagement across South Florida.
• New client wins, contracted annual sales value and conversion to live trading accounts.
• Revenue growth across Maritime and Superyacht business generated from the territory.
• Quality and accuracy of CRM pipeline, forecasting and sales activity.
• Strength of market presence, referrals and strategic relationships across the local maritime community.

Why Direct Travel

This role joins an established specialist business rather than starting from zero. The successful candidate will build on Direct Travel's existing Maritime and Superyacht presence, supported by experienced operational and account management team, specialist travel capability and an international network.

• A strong existing platform in maritime and superyacht travel to build from.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial environment with direct access to senior leadership and the opportunity to make a visible commercial impact.

Benefits Summary

In addition to Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits Direct Travel offers a Total Rewards Package which includes Retirement Plans, Wellness, Rewards and Recognition, Sustainability, DE&I initiatives, and Mental Health Support.

About Direct Travel

Direct Travel is one of the world’s largest travel management companies. With a long history of proven market expertise, we blend advanced technology, superior service, and expert insight to drive tangible value and meaningful savings across Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, Meetings & Events and specialty travel businesses. Through Avenir, our intelligent travel management platform, we reduce obstacles and give clients more direct access to content, trusted data, intelligence and global expertise. What truly sets us apart is the human care behind the technology, delivered by an experienced, passionate team dedicated to anticipating needs and delivering exceptional service at every step. For more information about Direct Travel, visit www.dt.com.

Direct Travel is an equal opportunity employer

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