Director, Air & Car Rental Partnerships

About Engine

Engine is the AI-native platform for intelligent travel. For a decade, Engine has built the proprietary technology and supply behind modern business travel, serving over 40,000 customers and nearly 2 million travelers, along with leading travel and AI companies that build on Engine's infrastructure. One system powers business travel, group travel, human agents, and AI agents. That work has earned Engine recognition as TravelTech's Reservation Platform of the Year (2026), a spot on Inc.'s Power Partners list (2026), and one of Built In's Best Places to Work (2020–2026). We're looking for bold, ambitious people to help redefine how businesses manage and experience travel. Working here, you can expect exponential growth, an ambitious pace, full ownership, and high-caliber colleagues who push you to do the best work of your career. Every hire raises the bar. Come outpace the ordinary and build the future of travel with us.

About the Role

As Director, Airline & Car Rental Partnerships , you will lead Engine’s strategy and execution across air and car rental supply — owning senior relationships with airlines and car rental partners and shaping how these suppliers are integrated into Engine’s platform.

This role serves as the senior external face of Engine to airline and car rental partners and is responsible for securing, growing, and evolving strategic partnerships that improve customer experience, coverage, and long-term economics. You will bring deep industry credibility, existing executive relationships, and strong judgment to help Engine scale Flights and Cars as core capabilities.

This is a senior role operating at the intersection of supply strategy, product, commercial, and pricing. You will act as the single-threaded owner for air supply initiatives, driving clear recommendations, execution, and outcomes across airline partnerships, connectivity models, and commercial alignment.

This role provides deep airline domain expertise, structured judgment, and execution leadership to inform and support those decisions as flights continue to scale as a core Engine capability.

What You’ll Do

Lead the strategy and execution for Engine’s air and car rental supply ecosystem aligned to 2026 priorities

Lead and deepen senior relationships with airlines and car rental partners, serving as a trusted executive counterpart

Identify, negotiate, and activate direct supplier agreements in partnership with executive leadership

Shape Engine’s preferred connectivity and partnership approach by carrier, rental brand, and market

Develop and maintain a strategic roadmap for supplier coverage, connectivity, and commercial alignment

Partner cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Pricing, and Operations to translate strategy into delivered outcomes

Provide clear recommendations on tradeoffs across customer experience, coverage, performance, and margin

Track and report on air supply KPIs to measure progress against strategy

Monitor industry dynamics across airline commercial, distribution technology, regulatory, and competitive landscapes to inform Engine’s long-term positioning

What We’re Looking For

10+ years of experience in airline distribution, supply strategy, partnerships, or commercial roles

Deep existing relationships with airlines (and ideally car rental brands), with demonstrated ability to engage credibly at the executive level

Strong understanding of airline distribution models (GDS, NDC, ancillaries, fare structures) and car rental commercial constructs

Proven track record negotiating and scaling complex supplier partnerships with meaningful commercial impact

Strong strategic judgment with the ability to balance experience, coverage, performance, and economics

Clear, executive-level written and verbal communication skills