Business Development & Travel Partnerships Associate – Asia

About this role

Travel Operations & Customer Experience Specialist – AsiaLocation: Penang, Malaysia
Employment: Full-time
Salary: RM4,000–RM6,500 per month, depending on experience and qualifications
Company: Pagoda Travel Limited

Build the Future of Travel Across Asia
Pagoda Travel is building a technology-driven marketplace that connects international travel advisors with independent local guides, drivers, tour operators and unique travel experiences across Asia.

Our vision is to make it easier for travel professionals around the world to arrange exceptional, personalized journeys by connecting them directly with trusted local experts. Rather than relying on traditional travel intermediaries, we combine technology, AI-assisted tools and local knowledge to make travel more flexible, accessible and personal.
Japan is our established market, and we are expanding our marketplace across Asia, with China, Taiwan and South Korea among our next destinations.
We are building our operations team in Penang to support this growing network and deliver a reliable, high-quality experience for travel advisors and their clients.This is an opportunity to join a growing international travel business at an exciting stage of its development.

The Role
We are looking for a proactive, organised and service-minded person to join our Travel Operations & Customer Experience team.Your role will be to help ensure that travel arrangements run smoothly before and during our customers' trips. You will communicate with international travel advisors, assist travellers when they need help, coordinate with local guides and operators, and take ownership of resolving problems.

Every day may bring something different. You might help a traveller locate their guide, confirm a meeting point, coordinate a last-minute itinerary change or work with a local operator to resolve an unexpected issue. You will use digital communication platforms, internal booking systems and AI-assisted tools to work efficiently, but good judgement, clear communication and personal responsibility will remain essential.

As Pagoda expands into more Asian destinations, you will have the opportunity to learn about different markets, local service providers and travel operations across the region.

This is a dual-role position combining travel operations with business development. You will help inbound travelers and international travel advisors plan their trips by connecting them with the right local guides, operators and service providers. Equally important, you will actively identify, approach and build relationships with new local partners across different Asian countries to expand Pagoda Travel’s marketplace. We are looking for someone who enjoys working with people, developing new business relationships, solving problems and taking ownership from the first conversation through to successful delivery.

What You Will Do
- Travel operations and coordination
- Support the delivery of private tours, transfers, experiences and other ground services across our Asian destinations.
- Coordinate with independent guides, drivers, tour operators and other local service providers.
- Assist with bookings, reservations, itinerary details and changes.
- Monitor upcoming travel arrangements and identify potential issues before they affect the customer.

Customer experience and problem-solving
- Respond to travel advisors and travellers through WhatsApp, email and our customer-support systems.
- Provide clear, helpful information before and during trips.
- Handle unexpected situations, urgent requests and last-minute changes calmly and professionally.
- Take ownership of customer issues, coordinate with the relevant people and follow through until there is a clear resolution or handover.

Communication and teamwork
- Maintain accurate records of conversations, decisions and outstanding issues.
- Hand over unresolved cases clearly between shifts so that customers receive consistent support.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues and local partners across different countries and time zones.
- Help improve the way we deliver customer support as the marketplace grows.

Technology and continuous improvement
- Learn to use Pagoda's internal systems, digital tools and AI-assisted workflows.
- Use technology to work efficiently without losing the personal touch that good travel service requires.
- Identify recurring problems and suggest practical improvements to our systems and procedures.
As the team grows, experienced employees may also take on responsibilities in training, quality control, escalations, shift coordination or team leadership.

Who We Are Looking For
We welcome applications from both experienced professionals and university graduates. You should be someone who communicates well, thinks practically, stays organized and enjoys helping people. You do not need to know every Asian destination already. We value curiosity, a willingness to learn and the ability to work through unfamiliar situations.

Essential qualifications
Applicants should meet at least one of the following criteria:
‍Professional route: At least two years of relevant experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, reservations, customer operations or a related service environment.
‍Graduate route: A completed university degree in tourism, travel management, hospitality or a closely related field. Relevant work experience is an advantage but is not essential.

All candidates should also have:
- Fluent written and spoken English.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Good organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Practical problem-solving skills and a sense of responsibility.
- Confidence using computers, online platforms and digital communication tools.
- The ability to remain calm and professional when plans change or problems arise.
- A willingness to work rotating shifts, including scheduled overnight shifts, weekends and public holidays.
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Experience that would be an advantage
- Experience arranging travel, supporting international customers or coordinating reservations.
- Knowledge of independent travel, private tours, tailor-made itineraries or destination management.
- Familiarity with Japan or other Asian travel markets.
- Mandarin and/or Korean language skills.
- Experience with booking platforms, customer-support software or AI-assisted tools.
These additional skills are desirable, not mandatory. We are interested in people with the potential to develop alongside the business.

Working Hours and Shift Structure

Pagoda aims to provide customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays.
The team will cover this service through three rotating eight-hour shifts: morning, evening and night. Employees will work according to an assigned rota, with scheduled rest days. Staffing will reflect expected customer demand. Because most of our travelers and travel partners are based in Asia, overnight demand is expected to be lower than during the day and evening. 

The night shift will generally be covered by one team member, rather than two, with staffing adjusted as operational needs develop. You must be comfortable with rotating shifts and working overnight, on weekends and on public holidays when scheduled. Each shift includes responsibility for documenting outstanding cases and handing them over clearly to the next colleague. This is a shift-based role, not a standard Monday-to-Friday office-hours position. Employees are responsible for their assigned shifts, not for being available around the clock.

What You Can Expect from Pagoda

‍An international environment:
- Work with travel advisors, travelers and independent local partners across Asia.
- A growing regional marketplace: Help support our expansion beyond Japan into a broader network of Asian destinations.

‍Technology with a human purpose:
- Work with modern systems and AI-assisted tools that help people deliver better travel experiences.
‍Meaningful responsibility:
- Take ownership of real operational challenges rather than simply following a call script.
‍Room to grow:
- Develop your travel knowledge, operational skills and potential for future senior or team-lead responsibilities as the business expands.

Career Opportunities

We want to build a team that can grow with Pagoda. As the marketplace develops, there may be opportunities to progress into senior travel operations, customer experience, quality assurance, shift supervision or team management.Progression will depend on performance, reliability, initiative and the ability to take responsibility.

How to Apply

Please send us:
- Your CV.A short video introducing yourself and explaining why this role interests you.
- Your current location.
- Your expected monthly salary in Malaysian ringgit (RM).
- Your availability and earliest possible start date.
- A brief description of your relevant professional experience or, if you are a recent graduate, relevant university projects, practical experience or activities.
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Shortlisted candidates may be invited to complete a practical exercise involving travel coordination, customer communication and problem-solving.

We are interested in how you think, communicate and approach problems—not just what is listed on your CV.

Please apply only if you are comfortable with the rotating-shift structure, including scheduled night shifts.

Pagoda Travel — Connecting the World with Local Asia.