Senior Director, Strategic Distribution & Mobility Partnerships

About the Role

Engine is looking for a Senior Director, Strategic Distribution & Mobility Partnerships to lead and scale the air and ground transport side of our travel ecosystem.

This role is focused on building deep, long-term partnerships with major airlines, car rental groups, and key distribution technology partners. You will unlock differentiated access, support international growth, and enable supplier-facing capabilities on the Engine platform. You will sit at the intersection of supply strategy, product, and commercial alignment, acting as the "mini-CEO" of your vertical.

You will operate as a senior leader working across Partnerships, Product, Operations, and Finance—serving as a primary external face of Engine in high-stakes, executive-level partner relationships. You’ll help shape how Engine shows up as both a powerful distribution channel and a modern technology partner for the global suppliers on our platform.

What You'll Do

• Lead and grow Engine’s strategic air and mobility partnerships across global airlines, car rental brands, and key connectivity partners.
• Serve as a senior external representative of Engine in complex, multi-stakeholder relationships, engaging directly with C-suite and executive-level counterparts.
• Develop and execute distribution strategies (including NDC and direct connect models) aligned with Engine’s 2026 growth and customer experience goals.
• Work closely with Product and Engineering to inform supplier-facing capabilities and workflows, translating partner needs into platform opportunities.
• Bring commercial rigor to partnership structures, evaluating tradeoffs across coverage, performance, margin, and long-term durability.
• Shape Engine’s positioning as a technology partner, enabling new capabilities to allow suppliers to connect directly to our 20,000+ corporate customers.
• Build scalable operating approaches for partner engagement, onboarding, and ongoing relationship management.
• Stay ahead of industry trends across airline commercial models, distribution tech (GDS/NDC), and regulatory landscapes to inform Engine’s long-term positioning.

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of experience leading complex, high-impact partnerships in travel distribution, airline strategy, fintech, enterprise SaaS, or API-driven marketplaces.
• A proven track record structuring and scaling strategic partnerships that balance near-term growth with long-term trust and incentive alignment.
• Experience working with large, sophisticated partners at the executive level, such as global airline groups, major rental brands, or ecosystem technology players.
• Strong strategic and commercial judgment with the ability to evaluate complex tradeoffs and make sound decisions under ambiguity.
• Comfort engaging on platform- and technology-adjacent topics (e.g., API integrations, NDC connectivity, workflows) without needing to own the technical roadmap.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functionally through influence in fast-scaling, matrixed organizations.
• Executive presence and clear communication skills, with the credibility to represent Engine in high-stakes negotiations and industry forums.