Director, Global Travel Technology & Services

Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specialising in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organisation comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 58 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with 2,800 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Annual sales of (U.S.) $35 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit. The Director, Global Travel Technology & Services leads the Global Travel Technology & Services vertical within the Virtuoso Partnership organization. The vertical comprises travel technology, air(commercial and private), land transportation, education, insurance, and other ancillary travel services that support the advisor workflow and the traveler experience. The position exists as a dedicated vertical discipline so that these categories receive the depth of expertise, program development, and partner cultivation they require.This role serves as Virtuoso’s authority on its assigned categories. It defines category strategy, leads partner procurement and the negotiation of commercial terms, designs the programs and benefits partners participate in, and equips Account Management, Membership, Product, and Marketing with the category knowledge required to serve partners and advisors well. Consistent with the Partnership operating model, Directors and Account Managers hold the direct partner relationship and accountability for securing partner investment. This position supplies the expertise that makes those relationships more productive and the portfolio more valuable. The vertical spans every Virtuoso region. This position carries accountability for partner coverage, category performance, and advisor support in each of them rather than in the market where the position is based.Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.Category Strategy and Portfolio DirectionDefine and maintain a multiyear strategy for the Global Travel Technology & Services vertical, aligned to enterprise priorities, regional market conditions, and evolving advisor and traveler expectations.Lead the composition of the category portfolio, identifying growth opportunities, coverage gaps, and strategic risks across all regions.Set the criteria used to select partners in the category, the terms on which partners participate in Virtuoso programs, and the contract structures applied to category agreements.Maintain consistent quality standards and governance across the global category portfolio while allowing the regional flexibility required to remain relevant in each market, consistent with the Globally Consistent and Regionally Relevant standard.Work with Business Intelligence and fellow vertical leaders to anticipate market movement and build a qualified partner pipeline.Partner Procurement and Commercial TermsLead partner procurement for the vertical in partnership with Development, including identification, evaluation, selection, and onboarding of new partners.Negotiate program participation and commercial terms that secure favorable economics for Virtuoso and measurable value for members and partners.Manage RFP and RFI processes for category partners, applying consistent evaluation criteria and governance across regions.Coordinate with Finance, Operations and Legal on contracting, and transition each confirmed partner to the assigned Account Manager with a complete account briefing.Air, Ground Transportation, Insurance, and Education PartnershipsLead global partnerships across established categories that represent significant and recurring network revenue, working principally with large global corporations whose scale, brand, and reach align with Virtuoso’s positioning.Work through the multiple decision makers inside large partner organizations, including corporate leadership, procurement, and distribution, and structure multiyear agreements that hold in every region rather than requiring separate negotiation market by market.Understand the global distribution and settlement mechanics of each category, including air content distribution and ticketing, commission and remuneration structures, and how value reaches member agencies, and reflect those mechanics in commercial terms.Identify global growth opportunities within these categories, including new partner types, expanded regional coverage, and program structures that increase advisor engagement and network production.Work with Legal and Finance to confirm that products in regulated categories can be distributed by member agencies in each region, and identify where regional variation limits what Virtuoso may offer.Hold global service delivery partners in aviation and ground transportation to defined standards for operator credentials, safety, insurance coverage, and duty of care, consistent with the endorsement Virtuoso extends.Technology Partner Evaluation and IntegrationEvaluate prospective global technology partners on product capability, integration architecture, data security and privacy posture, implementation burden, support model, and vendor viability.Assess whether a technology partner will still be operating, and still supporting its product, for the life of the agreement. Most travel technology companies are venture backed or early stage, so ownership, funding position, leadership, and customer base are practical questions about survival rather than an investment analysis.Structure technology agreements to account for continuity risk, including acquisition, product discontinuation, and service failure, and define what protects member agencies and advisors if a partner does not survive the term.Assess how partner platforms connect to the systems member agencies already operate, including booking, mid office, back office, and client relationship systems, and judge whether adoption is realistic at network scale.Work with Technology and Product to validate technical claims, confirm integration requirements, and identify dependencies before a partner advances to commercial terms.Translate technical assessment into clear recommendations for senior leadership and into practical guidance for advisors evaluating the same tools.Establish measurement for technology partnerships covering advisor adoption, user experience, and financial return, and apply it to renewal and portfolio decisions.Maintain a current view of travel technology, distribution, and data developments, and bring it into category planning cycles and Product roadmap discussions on a defined schedule.Partner Value Proposition and Return on InvestmentDefine and steward a differentiated value proposition for the vertical that delivers measurable return and supports partnerships that last.Design and evolve the benefits, programs, and engagement models available to category partners as advisor behavior and market conditions change.Support Directors around the world in developing partner strategies and account plans that connect partner investment to business outcomes.Assess category program performance on a defined cycle and retire offerings that no longer earn their place in the portfolio.Subject Matter Expertise and Internal EnablementServe as Subject Matter Expert on the category, available to Directors and Managers in every region, on complex partner scenarios, negotiation strategy, account planning, investment strategy, portfolio positioning, and opportunity development.Serve as Subject Matter Expert to Membership, informing advisor engagement strategy and developing category specific training and selling tools.Work with Product to establish product solutions that return value to the advisor, the network, and Virtuoso.Work with Marketing and Events to ensure accurate and differentiated category positioning, and to align messaging and programming with category priorities.Data and Decision MakingApply performance data, market insight, and trend analysis from every region to category strategy and portfolio decisions.Translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leadership and cross functional colleagues.Establish category metrics and strategic KPIs that measure category health over time alongside current period production.Cross Functional and Regional AlignmentConnect category sales strategy across Partnerships, Regions, Product, Marketing, Events, Finance, and Operations so that direction is clearly understood and consistently executed.Collaborate with regional leadership so that global category strategy reflects local market realities while holding to a unified standard.Work with the Regional General Managers on category priorities, partner activity, and advisor demand in their markets, so that category direction is informed by regional conditions and regional teams know what the category is doing in theirs.Maintain deliberate coverage across all regions, including partner engagement, program availability, and advisor support outside the market in which the position is based, and work in the time zones required to sustain it.Contribute category perspective and forward looking analysis to enterprise planning cycles, leadership forums, and advisory committees.Growth and InnovationMonitor global industry movement, competitive dynamics, and emerging partnership models, and shape the category roadmap accordingly.Identify new partnership structures and engagement models that create incremental value, differentiation, and growth.Influence and RepresentationInfluence outcomes through clarity of direction, executive communication, and cross functional collaboration rather than positional authority.Represent Virtuoso’s category direction internally and, where appropriate, with senior partner stakeholders externally.Contribute to the development of colleagues across Partnership through knowledge transfer, coaching, and shared category insight.Educational and Skills Requirements:Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.7+ years of experience in travel technology, travel, hospitality, or a directly relevant category such as aviation, ground transportation, or insurance, with demonstrated success in category leadership, partner development, or portfolio management.Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category strategy within a complex, matrixed, global organization.Strong commercial acumen, including direct experience negotiating partner agreements and commercial terms.Direct experience selling, or leading commercial partnerships for, technology products in a business to business environment.Demonstrated experience evaluating third party platforms and vendors, including technical assessment, vendor viability, and implementation risk.Experience assessing early stage or venture backed technology companies preferred, including commercial diligence on funding position and organizational viability.Working knowledge of software integration concepts, including APIs, data exchange, and authentication, and the practical requirements of connecting third party platforms to systems already in use.Familiarity with data security, privacy, and compliance considerations relevant to travel technology and traveler data.General knowledge of the insurance category preferred.Knowledge of the aviation and ground transportation categories preferred, including how global operators approach distribution and partnership agreements.Understanding of travel distribution and settlement mechanics, including commission and remuneration structures and how they vary by category.Deep understanding of partner evaluation, RFP and RFI processes, and governance frameworks.Strong analytical capability, with experience translating data into executive level decisions.Proven ability to influence across teams and geographies without direct authority.Demonstrated experience building partnerships across multiple regions and time zones, with cultural fluency and a record of results outside the market in which the candidate is based.Exceptional written, verbal, and executive presentation skills.Proficiency with CRM and workflow systems; familiarity with Zoho and Smartsheet preferred.Travel Requirements:Travel is required approximately 35% to 50%.Travel includes international travel to partner markets, and attendance at category events and industry forums across regions for market intelligence and partner development.Travel is allocated across regions in proportion to category presence rather than concentrated in a single market.Type/Nature of Contacts:External: Regular contact with senior executives at current and prospective partner organizations across travel technology, aviation, ground transportation, education, and insurance, together with technology vendors, industry associations, and category forums.Internal: Regular contact with Partnership leadership, Directors and Account Managers, and colleagues across Membership, Product, Marketing, Events, Finance, and Regional leadership, including senior leaders across divisions.We offer a competitive salary and full benefits package, including medical/dental/vision/life, 401(k) savings plan, and more. Virtuoso is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to promoting a diverse workforce.Pay ranges are intended to cover roles based across the United States. An individual's base pay depends on various factors including geographical location, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant.