Solutions Engineer

The Solution Engineer owns and governs end-to-end connectivity solutions that enable distribution of rates and availability, intake of bookings, and sourcing of content with external partners (OTAs, wholesalers, GDS)—including connectivity that exists outside IHG’s systems. Working across internal products, switch/technology vendors, and third‑party platforms, they translate business requirements into implementable technical designs and operational processes that ensure seamless data flow, surface and mitigate failure points, and align connectivity with IHG’s strategic objectives for availability, revenue, partner interoperability, and guest experience. While not expected to write production code, the role requires deep technical fluency, pseudo‑developer capability to test APIs and map complex data flows, deep industry knowledge, and trusted advisor capabilities; ultimately the Solution Engineer is accountable for ensuring third‑party connectivity is best‑in‑class and for optimizing revenue outcomes across a material portion of IHG’s inventory.

Your day to day

• Own and define end‑to‑end solutions for transacting ARI, booking, and content data across IHG products, intermediaries, and external vendors—including system diagrams, deployment plans, data mappings, ETL/ELT, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and documented end‑to‑end workflow definitions.

• Map and analyze how data flows across systems: document API (automated) and manual (non‑API) touchpoints, data payloads, transformation logic, and error‑handling strategies to enable reliable integrations.

• Translate business objectives into strategic connectivity and system‑design decisions; evaluate technical and economic feasibility and recommend configuration vs. customization trade‑offs.

• Design, validate, and maintain lightweight sandbox configurations and use tools (e.g., Postman) to simulate partner API calls, troubleshoot failures, and validate payloads and assumptions without writing production code.

• Identify and proactively mitigate potential failure points in the end‑to‑end workflow; design or recommend visibility tools, logging, and monitoring to surface failures and reduce MTTR.

• Develop, document, and refine operational processes (runbooks, escalation paths, manual workarounds, and API‑driven processes) that support the technical solution and ensure operational efficiency and recoverability.

• Lead solution design across multiple external vendors and intermediaries; ensure vendor deliverables conform to agreed designs, schedules, and acceptance criteria through integration validation and formal sign‑off.

• Define and enforce non‑functional requirements—SLAs, security/compliance, scalability, performance, and disaster‑recovery/operational recoverability—across internal and partner systems.

• Act as the technical liaison between product managers, vendor support, and internal engineering teams; provide guidance, clarify technical requirements, and accelerate issue resolution.

• Produce and maintain connectivity roadmaps and evaluate emerging technologies and vendor solutions for commercial applicability; drive industry standardization and interoperability where appropriate.

• Analyze business systems and end‑to‑end processes to identify functional gaps, risks, and mitigation controls; capture lessons learned and feed recurring needs back into product and platform roadmaps.

• Demonstrate deep industry knowledge, and trusted‑advisor capabilities when engaging partners and internal stakeholders to influence technical strategy, partner negotiation, and program direction.

What we need from you

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field of work or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.

• A minimum of 10+ years of progressive work-related experience with demonstrated proficiency in multiple disciplines, technologies, or processes related to the position.

• Strong initiative to drive deliverables and projects with a strong attention to detail

• Strong competency in creation and maintenance of travel industry distribution solutions

• Strong proficiency in Business Process Analysis, Technical, and Standards Writing using MS Office Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and Excel (or similar tools)

• Experience in successfully facilitating and running large stakeholder meetings

• Systems thinking with the ability to visualize complex, multi-party systems.

• Technical mastery and competency in travel industry connectivity models, with broad knowledge of the capabilities and constraints of technologies supported. Ideal working areas of knowledge include: Push vs Pull, real time vs scheduled, cache vs direct connect

• Competency in hotel distribution research and development of maturity roadmaps including ability to evaluate products within a product family to determine best fit for a specific use case

• API proficiency with a strong understanding of REST/SOAP APIs, JSON, and XML.

• Prior experience with building, maintaining, or transitioning enterprise models which relied equally on 3rd party and internal solutions

• Working knowledge of hotel industry data standards (e.g., OTA, HTNG, IATA)

Location - Our hybrid work structure is an expectation of three (3) days a week in office. This expectation may be adjusted to evolve with the changing needs of the business.

The salary range for this role is $106,000.00 to $145,000.00. This role is also eligible for bonus pay. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401K, and other benefits to employees.

#LI-AA5

At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we work together to deliver True Hospitality for Good on a global scale. With corporate offices and over 6,000 hotel destinations worldwide, a career at IHG is the perfect way to broaden your horizons. You’ll experience our unique culture and brilliant colleagues who will support and inspire you. With a host of corporate opportunities to choose from, wherever you are on your career journey, and whatever you want to achieve there’s Room for You at IHG.

Over recent years, we’ve transformed our company. We have bold ambitions to drive performance and maintain our relentless focus on growth in order to be the hotel company of choice that guests & owners love.

We are a hospitality business at our core and value connections and being together helps us foster a unique sense of belonging that also supports productivity. That’s why here at IHG, we give our colleagues flexibility and balance – working in a hybrid way, blending office and remote working collectively. We recognise that every role is different, that’s why leaders work with teams to determine how and when they collaborate.

We provide a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life. These include impressive room discounts across our many properties, recharge days and volunteering days throughout the year. Through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace. We offer a unique and inclusive culture, where there is always Room for You to belong, grow and make a difference.

Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate difference and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by applicable laws. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance. Always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Don't quite meet every single requirement, but still believe you'd be a great fit for the job? We'll never know unless you hit the 'Apply' button. Start your journey with us today.

Important information :

• The salary range listed is the lowest to highest pay scale we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the pay range will be based on several factors, including relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs.

• No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until it is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or other form of compensation allocable to a particular employee remain in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

• EEO Is The Law - click here for more information about Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

• If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process, please click here .

• IHG does not accept applications, inquiries, or unsolicited CVs/resumes from staffing or recruiting agencies. Please click here for our agency policy.

• If you are a resident of or applying to a job opening in the State of Washington, please click here to read about applicable benefits.

At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We firmly believe that all our colleagues deserve to be treated equally and have the same opportunities to develop and grow their skills within our business and provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and colleagues without regard to an individual's, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or familial status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.