Director of Experience

Job description / Role

Description

At Gathern, we’re not just a platform, we’re the homegrown Saudi success story that built and leads the alternative hospitality sector across the Kingdom. As the largest peer-to-peer vacation rental marketplace in Saudi Arabia, Gathern enables travelers to explore the country through authentic stays hosted by local residents while directly supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by boosting tourism, empowering communities, and expanding accommodation supply.

Backed by our SAR 270 million Series B funding round led by Sanabil Investments (PIF-owned) and valuing Gathern at over SAR 1 billion, we’re entering an exciting new chapter of growth, innovation, and regional expansion as we prepare for a future Tadawul listing.

With 5 million plus users, guests from over 150 nationalities, a network of more than 72,000 hospitality units, and more than SAR 2 billion paid to over 33,000 Saudi hosts, Gathern stands as one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the Kingdom, holding a 44% national market share and 53% in Riyadh.

This is your opportunity to join a company that’s redefining travel and shaping the future of tourism in Saudi Arabia!

Job purpose

Lead the creation and growth of Gathern’s Experiences vertical — a new business line designed to offer travelers cultural, adventure, and entertainment activities powered by local hosts and partners. The role is responsible for defining strategy, securing supply, driving demand, building commercial models, and ensuring operational excellence to establish Experiences as a sustainable and scalable business within Gathern’s ecosystem.

Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the Experiences vertical strategy, including positioning, growth plan, and roadmap aligned with Gathern’s business objectives and vision.
• Build and scale the supply base of Experience Hosts and partners, ensuring diversity, quality, and coverage across key Saudi regions and experience categories.
• Develop and own the commercial and monetization model, including commissions, upsells, and partnerships, to achieve vertical revenue and profitability targets.
• Collaborate with Product, Marketing, and Growth to design and launch the Experiences platform, ensuring seamless user journeys for both hosts and guests.
• Lead go-to-market execution in partnership with Marketing and Growth teams, driving awareness, bookings, and repeat usage through data-driven campaigns.
• Establish and monitor performance KPIs, including bookings, conversion, take rate, and satisfaction metrics, to track business health and scalability.
• Build and lead a high-performing cross-functional team, fostering collaboration between Business Development, Operations, and Product to ensure sustainable growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, or related field; MBA preferred.
• 10 plus years in Business Development, operations, or strategy within hospitality, travel, or marketplaces.
• Proven record in launching or scaling new business lines.
• Deep understanding of Saudi tourism and Vision 2030 goals.
• Strong leadership, analytical, and communication abilities; Arabic and English proficiency preferred.
• Strategic leadership – Shapes and drives the Experiences vision from concept to scale.
• Commercial acumen – Strong grasp of revenue models, pricing, and P&L performance.
• Team leadership – Builds and motivates cross-functional teams to deliver results.
• Partnership management – Builds strong relationships with partners and tourism entities.
• Customer focus – Ensures superior customer experience across all touchpoints.