Business Development Manager (PORTUGAL)

Freebird Club is a social travel & homestay club for the over 50s. It offers an accessible new mode of travelling for older adults, a fun way to meet and enjoy social & cultural interaction, and a means to unlock value in their homes and earn income in later life. Positioned at the intersection of traveltech and agetech, where the silver economy meets the sharing economy, Freebird addresses social issues such as loneliness and lack of opportunities for older adults through a tech enabled community model. Our mission is to connect, empower and enrich the lives of older adults through meaningful travel & social experiences.

Our ambitions are big, bold and global. We are looking to build a talented, mission-driven team that is excited at the prospect of enriching the lives of older people globally, and creating a more age-friendly and accessible world that we can all look forward to growing old in.

Freebird Club is backed by Founders Factory , Nesta and UKRI in the UK, and most recently Ageas Foundation in Portugal.

Portugal based; remote first.

We are looking for a talented and ambitious Business Development Manager to drive the growth of Freebird Club in Portugal, and lead our marketing and scaling efforts in the Portuguese market particularly. The ideal candidate will be motivated by the opportunity to create real value + impact in the world. They will join a small, talented team in a fast-paced, supportive, mission driven start-up, with lots of opportunities to partake in strategic and operational initiatives. This is a role for someone who wants to use their business development skills in an innovative and impactful context. If you’re motivated by shaping the future of ageing, and are not afraid to join us in the deep end for challenging but highly meaningful work, then this might be the role for you.

This position is a rare opportunity to join an exciting new impact venture in its early growth stage, and take on a central role in achieving our international scaling ambitions. As Business Development Manager in Portugal, you will drive our go-to-market positioning and growth as we scale Freebird Club in the Portuguese market and beyond.

Responsibilities include:

• Create, manage and implement strategic and operational plans for Freebird’s growth and expansion in Portugal.
• Build strong brand awareness in Portugal, availing of suitable marketing and public relations opportunities.
• Identify and liaise with key stakeholders, particularly in the travel/tourism and silver economy sectors, that can facilitate our business expansion.
• Develop collaborations and partnerships, particularly leading to new distribution and sales channels, and manage relationships.
• Liaise with governmental, private and non-profit organisations as appropriate, with the end-goal of acquiring more members and homestay hosts for our club.
• Research, develop and implement novel marketing plans tailored for the Portuguese market.
• Connect with the Portuguese start-up eco-system, leveraging supports for early stage ventures, and tapping into local funding & investment opportunities where possible.
• Develop and provide updates on KPI’s related to our business development in Portugal.
• Become a key point of contact for our Portuguese members and homestay hosts.
• Report findings from meetings with prospects and partners to the management team.
• Present monthly reports on progress for stakeholders.

• Minimum 4 years experience in a business development type role.
• Degree in marketing, business, or equivalent in related field (e.g. hospitality).
• Based in Portugal (no visa/relocation packages offered at this stage).
• Fluent in Portuguese and English; other languages are a bonus.
• Extensive experience of marketing/sales, including strategy development.
• Proven experience with partnership development and relationship management.
• Track record of successful business growth, ideally for early stage products/services.
• Proactive and self-motivated; always looking for the next opportunity to expand Freebird's reach and grow its community.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise.
• Ability to gather and collate data efficiently, and present back findings/recommendations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with ability to create quality content.
• Experience in travel/ tourism is a big plus; as is experience of the 50+ demographic market, 
• Startup experience is desirable, especially working at an early stage start-up.
• Demonstrate integrity, dependability, accountability, self-awareness, work ethic, empathy.

What’s in it for you?

• Coming in at an exciting early stage in an award-winning social impact start-up.
• Working directly with the Founders, gaining first-hand experience of bringing a high-growth startup to life and executing on our ambitions.
• Remote-first & flexible culture: we believe in outcomes over time-keeping.
• Be part of the Founders Factory and Nesta entrepreneurial ecosystem - with access to top class startup network and supports.
• Your work will have real & meaningful impact in improving the lives of older people.
• Personal development – you will have exposure to all aspects of the business with rare opportunities for learning and growth. 
• Work remotely from home – with very occasional team days in London.

We are committed to building a diverse culture and are eager to receive applications from all backgrounds. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination.