General Manager

About Pagoda Travel

Pagoda Travel is building a B2B travel marketplace connecting travel advisors and host agencies with trusted local guides and tour operators across Asia.

We currently operate in Japan and are preparing to expand into Southeast Asia and other key Asian markets, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and China.

Through Pagoda Pro, host agencies and their advisors gain access to our technology, local partners, destination expertise and marketplace.

The Role

Location: Remote - US (West Coast Preferred) or Asia

Projected Start: October/November 2026

Travel: Some international and domestic travel may be required

We are looking for a General Manager with extensive travel experience to take over a significant part of the day-to-day management of Pagoda Travel. The Founder & CEO will remain focused on the company's overall strategy, major partnerships, fundraising, product vision and long-term growth.

The General Manager will be responsible for turning that strategy into action and ensuring that the company operates efficiently and continues to grow. This is a hands-on role for someone who takes ownership, solves problems and gets things done.

Key Responsibilities

Day-to-Day Management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the company
• Set priorities and make sure projects and tasks are completed
• Coordinate employees, contractors, developers and partners
• Establish clear processes and accountability
• Identify and solve operational problems

Team Management

• Recruit and manage employees and contractors
• Establish responsibilities and KPIs
• Manage performance and communication
• Build a culture of accountability and ownership
• Coordinate a remote, international team

Growth & Expansion

• Contribute to new host agency and new travel advisor outreach and development
• Manage new host agency and new travel advisor onboarding
• Maintain relationships with existing host agencies and travel advisors
• Lead live group and individual webinars for host agency decision makers and travel advisors
• Help establish operations in new destinations
• Build systems that allow Pagoda to scale internationally
• Represent Pagoda when appropriate at industry events and meetings

Marketplace Operations

In coordination with the Operations Manager, you may provide back up in the following areas:

• Oversee travel advisor, host agency and local partner operations
• Manage supplier onboarding and relationships
• Ensure quality and responsiveness across the marketplace
• Oversee booking, invoicing and operational processes
• Handle escalations and solve problems when they arise

Product & Technology

In coordination wiith the Operations Manager, you may provide back up in the following areas:

• Coordinate with developers and technology partners
• Prioritize bugs, improvements and new features
• Test new functionality and gather user feedback
• Ensure technology projects remain aligned with business priorities

Working With the Founder

The General Manager should gradually take over a large portion of the Founder’s operational responsibilities.

The Founder will primarily focus on:

• Strategy and company vision
• Major host agency relationships
• Strategic partnerships
• Fundraising
• Product vision
• Major commercial decisions
• Long-term expansion

The General Manager will primarily focus on:

• Execution
• Operations
• Team management
• Partner management
• Project management
• Internal accountability
• Day-to-day decision making

The ideal relationship is simple:

The Founder sets the direction. The General Manager makes sure it happens.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly organized and proactive
• Commercially minded
• A strong communicator and problem solver
• Comfortable working independently
• Experienced managing remote teams
• Technology literate
• Comfortable working across different cultures
• Strong at prioritizing and following through
• Willing to take ownership rather than wait for instructions

Required Experience

• Minimum 10 years in the travel industry
• Strong understanding of the global travel agency/tourism ecosystem
• Experience working with host agencies and/or travel advisors
• Ability to perform overall competencies in the job description
• Fluent English

Additional Experience

• While fluent English is required, fluent Mandarin Chinese is a plus
• Marketplaces, SaaS, startups, or international business experience is a plus

What Success Looks Like

Within 6 months, the General Manager should have taken over much of the day-to-day management of Pagoda, allowing the Founder to focus on strategy and major growth opportunities.

The goal is to build a company with clear responsibilities, reliable processes, a strong team and the ability to operate without the Founder having to personally manage every detail.