Senior Director, Flights Commercial Partnerships

Role Overview

• Develop and execute KAYAK’s NORAM flight commercial strategy across airlines, OTAs, consolidators, and emerging distribution models
• Drive revenue and marketplace competitiveness through optimized commercial models, leading complex negotiations from strategy and goal alignment to execution
• Identify growth opportunities across both OTAs and direct airline partnerships, including NDC, EDIFACT/GDS channels, direct APIs and hybrid distribution models
• Analyze performance at route, carrier, and point-of-sale levels to inform negotiation strategy and commercial prioritization
• Solve marketplace challenges with creative, data-driven commercial strategies that go beyond standard industry playbooks and create mutual value for KAYAK and its partners
• Work with internal teams and external partners to improve connectivity, content parity and accuracy, fare mapping and competitiveness and merchandising performance
• Build and maintain strong relationships with executives and key decision-makers at our most important current and prospective partner companies
• Collaborate with product and marketing teams to improve user experience and conversion, while driving results for our partners including yield, attachment, up-sells and more
• Lead and develop a high-performing flight and ancillary commercial team
• Provide strategic guidance and insights to the executive team on market trends, competitive intelligence, and new opportunities for growth
• Represent KAYAK as a senior commercial leader in industry forums and strategic partner engagements

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in airline distribution, OTA commercial leadership, travel technology, or flight marketplace strategy
• Solid understanding of the air industry and economics across the value chain
• Proven track record negotiating complex, high-value commercial agreements
• Strong analytical capability with experience in financial modeling, revenue forecasting, and performance optimization
• Technical fluency in airfare distribution systems and branded fare merchandising
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence C-level stakeholders
• Strategic thinking skills to balance long-term partnership value with near-term performance impact
• Experience leading high-performing teams

Benefits

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
• Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
• Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
• Company-wide week off a year
• the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
• No meeting Fridays
• Paid parental leave
• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth:
• Development Dollars
• Leadership development
• Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
• Travel Discounts
• Employee Resource Groups
• Competitive retirement and health plans
• Free lunch 2 days per week
• Fun quarterly events such as boat trips, arcades, ski trips, Thursday happy hours, and more