VP, Air Strategy & Partner Relations

Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 100,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries.  Click here for more information about Internova Travel Group.

The VP, Air Strategy & Partner Relations develops and executes long-term strategic initiatives to drive revenue growth, branch growth and competitive advantage in line with our corporate mission. As a strategic leader, the role will require an individual to serve as the strategic lead and trusted advisor for a portfolio of high-value partnerships. Requiring a blend of leadership, analytical expertise, and strong communication skills to align cross-functional teams, the role will be responsible for leading strategic initiatives through the planning process, from initial research and analysis to execution and performance tracking. This includes working closely with leadership sponsors, C-level executives, and department heads to align the business units with the company's overall strategic objectives to establish partnerships and sustainable revenue streams for the company.

Develop and implement strategic plans to drive the highest levels of customer service combined with operational consistency & efficiency. Support client satisfaction, retention and business profitability objectives as measured by key performance indicators and department goals. Candidate will play a critical role in driving commercial outcomes and elevating the clients’ experiences. Working collaboratively with internal global and local stakeholders with a focus on delivering measurable value through proactive program management, consultative engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

The position is a remote/work‑from‑home role. Preference will be given to candidates located in New York with the ability to work from our 1633 Broadway headquarters as needed. 

• Client Relations: Serve as main point of contact with high-profile partnership clients, cultivating and expanding strong, long-term relationships with senior executives and staff to become a trusted strategic partner.
• Strategic planning: Design and implement strategic initiatives focused on customer acquisition, retention, and expansion. Use market expertise and data-driven insights to develop new growth strategies for clients and provide sustainable revenue streams.
• Strategic initiative management: Lead the execution of strategic initiatives, working with cross-functional teams to ensure projects are executed on time and within scope.
• Business growth: Drive revenue growth within the client portfolio by identifying opportunities for upselling and expanding services. Participate in the business development process for new clients.
• Performance monitoring: Establish key performance indicators (KPls) and track business performance against the strategic plan. Use data and analytics to evaluate the efficacy of strategies and recommend adjustments as needed.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Build strong relationships and collaborate with stakeholders across different business units, including finance, marketing, and operations to ensure seamless execution of strategic objectives.
• Communication and reporting: Effectively communicate strategies and progress to key stakeholders, including leaders and staff.
• Resource allocation: Provide strategic insight into financial planning and resource allocation to ensure investments are prioritized for initiatives with the highest potential return.
• Change management: Champion and operationalize change management strategies to ensure new initiatives are successfully integrated into the company's processes and culture.
• Team leadership: Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of strategists and account leads. Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment, providing guidance and support to promote professional growth and engagement.
• Market expertise: Stay up-to-date on industry trends, market factors, and competitive threats to provide forward-looking advice to clients and internal teams.

Education:

• A bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or a related field is required. Or equivalent work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, strategic sourcing, procurement, or vendor management, within the travel industry.
• 7+ years of delivering corporate air growth strategy
• A proven track record of successful strategic planning, negotiation, and high-level vendor relationship management.
• Experience leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams and complex projects.

Skills:

• Strong executive presence with excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to secure favorable terms and build win-win partnerships.
• Proficient in financial analysis, data interpretation, and using metrics to drive decision-making.
• Strong understanding of vendor risk assessment and mitigation.
• Strong understanding of technology aligned with businesses and perspective client partnerships.
• Proficient understanding of revenue growth rates, return on investment and customer lifetime values.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving abilities
• Knowledge of GDS

Leadership Abilities:

• Develop a clear, compelling, and long-term strategic vision for the organization that inspires and motivates others.
• Demonstrates strong desire to build sustainable revenue opportunities for businesses and communicates this vision to leaders and staff.
• Demonstrates forward-thinking through expertise in understanding market forces and anticipating future trends and challenges.
• Provide a holistic perspective with the capability to analyze how decisions and strategies impact different departments and the overall organization.
• Possess executive presence to communicate with conviction and poise, effectively telling a data-driven story to clients, stakeholders, and Internova leaders.
• Build trust and cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and external.
• Adaptable to pivot and adjust strategies in response to client requests, changing circumstances, emerging opportunities, or unexpected challenges.
• Demonstrates strong change management skills, ability to understand and contribute to the formulation of strategic decisions and support them.
• Foster a positive and productive work environment by mentoring, building trust and fostering autonomy to create an environment where staff feel capable and valued.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback to partners, peers and leaders when appropriate.
• Maintain a collaborative spirit by focusing on building and maintaining effective partnerships across the organization and among client partnerships.

Ability to travel as needed

PAY AND BENEFITS

Our benefit offerings include choice of two medical plans and two dental plans, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), company-paid life insurance and AD&D, optional additional life insurance and AD&D, disability insurance, paid parental leave, paid time off, 401k Plan with company match, discounted employee travel options, access to LinkedIn Learning webinars and courses. Discounted pet insurance and auto, home, & renters insurance.

The salary range on this job posting/advertising has been developed to give applicants a wide range to comply with pay transparency laws in all states and geographical areas.  Many factors, such as years of experience, geographical location, budget etc. are considered when determining the starting rate of pay.  The salary range posted represents the pay range for U.S. candidates.  If the job posting indicates that the role is available for international candidate consideration, the salary range will be based on the local market for the country where the candidate would be working.

This role may be eligible for an incentive, commission, bonus, or a discretionary bonus program based on the company’s financial goal achievement and individual performance.

Internova Travel Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We make employment decisions without regard to age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation and gender identity or any other protected class.

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