Country Manager

THE COMPANY. MATCHDAY is the sports travel and hospitality arm of Setanta Sports, a broadcaster reaching 20M+ households across 14 countries in the CIS, Caucasus, and Central Asia. We deliver premium matchday experiences, hospitality packages, and bespoke sports travel to football’s biggest fixtures across Europe and beyond. We’re hiring a Country Manager for Kazakhstan to own our commercial presence in the market. This is a sales-first, fully remote position: your core mandate is building and growing a B2B client base — travel agents, concierge services, luxury travel providers, corporate clients, and premium hospitality partners — and turning those relationships into recurring revenue. You’ll also act as our voice in-market, advising HQ on how Matchday’s products should be positioned, adapted, and priced for Kazakh buyers. WHAT YOU WILL DO. Sales & Business Development — Primary Focus Identify, prospect, and close B2B partnerships with travel agencies, concierge companies, DMCs, MICE agencies, luxury travel providers, and corporate accounts through outbound outreach, referrals, and existing networks; Build and manage the sales pipeline, achieve revenue and volume targets, negotiate commercial terms, commission structures, and partnership agreements, and report on performance. Account & Relationship Management Manage and grow existing accounts through retention, upselling, and repeat business, serving as the primary point of contact throughout the booking and travel cycle; Ensure fast, high-quality service, resolve escalations, and coordinate with central operations to meet client expectations. Market Intelligence & Product Advisory Advise HQ on adapting products, pricing, and messaging for the Kazakh market, while sharing structured insights on demand, competitors, buyer behaviour, and seasonal trends; Maintain two-way communication between HQ and the local market, recommending the fixtures, destinations, and package types to prioritise. Marketing & Brand Presence Represent Matchday at trade events, industry gatherings, and partner meetings to strengthen the brand’s visibility and reputation within Kazakhstan’s travel and hospitality sector; Contribute local insights to marketing campaigns and support the localisation of materials and communication channels. Operations & Coordination Coordinate with central sales, operations, and finance teams to ensure smooth handovers, payments, fulfilment, and delivery; Maintain accurate CRM records, forecasts, and activity reports, while monitoring local regulatory, payment, and compliance requirements relevant to in-market travel sales. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. Proven B2B sales/account management experience, ideally in travel, hospitality, luxury, events, or sports; Established network within Kazakhstan’s travel trade (agents, concierges, corporate/MICE) is a strong advantage; Self-starter who thrives working remotely and independently, with a hunter mentality; Strong commercial instinct and comfort with targets, pipelines, and CRM tools; Excellent relationship-building and negotiation skills; Fluent Kazakh and Russian; working English for HQ coordination; Passion for football / sport is a plus. WHAT WE OFFER. Fully remote role with a fast-growing international brand; Competitive base plus performance-based commission; Autonomy to build and own a market; Access to world-class sports events and hospitality products. Application deadline: 11 September, 2026. If you don't progress to the resume selection stage, the hiring team will keep your application for upcoming openings and connect with you when appropriate.