VP, Transport Partnerships

Job Description

The Vice President, Transport Partnerships holds the pivotal role of spearheading global sourcing strategies for airline, car rental and rail services, elevating the transport partnerships function to a strategic powerhouse within the organization.

Reporting directly to the SVP, Travel Partnerships, this position is tasked with crafting and executing initiatives that transform our position within the air, car and rail industries while maximizing value across all internal and external stakeholders.

The candidate will orchestrate both strategic and tactical procurement efforts and will leverage extensive industry expertise to secure best in-class content, contracts and commercials.

With a focus on fostering a strategic network of supply partners, the VP will capitalize on profit-generating opportunities and ensure sustained growth.

Collaborating closely with global airline partners, the VP will drive the development and implementation of a best-in-class purchasing model aimed at maximizing commissions and incentives.

Moreover, the role entails proactive identification of value creation opportunities through data analysis, process enhancement, and strategic problem-solving initiatives.

As a visionary leader, the VP will play a crucial role in shaping the company's transport programs to optimize productivity and revenue streams.

This involves not only spearheading cross-departmental initiatives but also ensuring seamless integration of strategic plans across various organizational functions such as advisory services, sales, finance, and marketing.

The ideal candidate for this role is an exceptionally skilled and adaptable professional, capable of assuming a hands-on approach and driving results in a fast-paced environment as well as one who can manage a fast-growing team in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

This role represents an exciting opportunity for a seasoned professional to lead and drive transformative change within the air procurement domain, contributing significantly to the company's overall success.

Responsibilities / Key Accountabilities :

• Lead global negotiations for airline, car rental and rail contracts and maintain comprehensive contract records.
• Regularly review and renegotiate existing contracts to optimize profitability, while also evaluating rates, commissions, and services to mitigate supply risks.
• Achieve annual revenue targets through strategic negotiations and renewals with key airline partners.
• Cultivate and nurture relationships with suppliers to ensure sustained engagement and optimal revenue structures.
• Oversee service level agreements and contract terms with partners, including market assessment, selection, and contracting.
• Develop and standardize an efficient onboarding process for new partners, ensuring adherence to brand standards.
• Conduct business reviews with transport partners to drive continuous improvement and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to optimize distribution of supplier contracts and achieve shared objectives.
• Support cross-departmental initiatives and provide strategic analytics on partner performance, forecasting, and opportunities.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10+ years commercial experience negotiating air, car and / or rail contracts on a global basis in a complex, multi-stakeholder company.
• Domain expertise of airline content, with understanding of various airline contracts including net fare filings, private fares and published commissionable fares.
• Proven track record of stakeholder engagement within the global travel industry
• Advanced negotiation skills with a focus on vendor engagement and contract management.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize large amounts of information for executive-level decision making.
• Excellent business judgment and strategic thinking skills.
• Highly effective project management, prioritization, multi-tasking, and time management skills to meet deadlines and manage a large volume of work in a fast paced, dynamic, high-performance environment.
• Proven business acumen with a systematic, mathematical, analytical approach to problem solving, negotiation and analysis.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills and an ability to communicate at all levels, both internally and externally with polish and professionalism.
• Advanced Excel Spreadsheet skills and proficient with PowerPoint, and Word.
• Demonstrated experience leading and building teams.

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