[Hiring] Director, Travel Agency Partnerships @Upgrade

Role Description

The Director of Travel Agency Partnerships is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving the full lifecycle of the Flex Pay Agent Program — from strategic vision to day-to-day execution. This individual will shape the program's commercial direction, modernize operational models, and deliver measurable growth across partnerships, agent engagement, and revenue. The ideal candidate is passionate about the Travel Agent community and brings deep expertise in the Travel Advisor and Call Center ecosystem, including backend operations and technology platforms. They combine a data-driven mindset with strong relationship management skills, and have a proven track record of building high-performing teams and executing complex, multi-stakeholder growth strategies. The ideal candidate possesses superior project management and communication skills with demonstrated experience collaborating with all levels of an organization and external partners.

This is a remote role based in the United States or Canada, but requires frequent travel that may include weekends and/or off-hours support, and may require on-site meetings with Partners as needed.

What You'll Do

• Partnership Growth & Management
  • Own and execute the Agent Program strategy, engaging Travel Advisors and Agencies through targeted marketing, incentive programs, and awareness campaigns.
  • Define and track key performance metrics across all Agent Program initiatives — including marketing campaigns, webinars, conferences, incentives, and trainings — and leverage data to continuously optimize program effectiveness.
  • Build and deepen relationships with top Agency Partners by expanding current program value, identifying growth opportunities, and pitching new Flex Pay solutions.
  • Own and actively manage business development pipeline for new Agency Partners and expansion opportunities within the existing portfolio.
  • Develop growth strategy with Agency Partners via multi-channel approach and tapping into partners’ technology offerings.
• Operations Efficiency
  • Define and continuously improve internal processes supporting account registration, maintenance, and performance reporting.
  • Identify actionable insights from data and agent feedback, and translate them into strategic recommendations and operational best practices.
  • Develop, maintain, and iterate on agent training materials and programs to improve engagement, product knowledge, and program adoption.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with internal Product team to streamline Agent Product Solutions with a focus on user experience and operational efficiency.
  • Collaborate with Marketing, Compliance, and Legal teams on campaign development, ensuring all deliverables meet partner specifications and timelines.
  • Serve as a key internal communicator, ensuring agent program targets and milestones are aligned with broader business goals.
  • Partner with Flex Pay Commercial teams to ensure up-to-date knowledge of Agent solutions for the broader partner portfolio.
  • Support other Commercial teams as needed on training.
  • Work closely with Customer Service to enhance operational processes and enable effective agent support.
  • Partner with Fraud Operations to monitor program activity and proactively mitigate risk.
• Team Development
  • Lead, develop, and retain the agent program team by setting clear goals, establishing accountability frameworks, and delivering consistent performance feedback.
  • Build and execute individualized development plans for each team member, identifying skill gaps and creating targeted opportunities for growth.
  • Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and results-oriented team culture that drives engagement and retention.
  • Set clear team priorities and manage workload distribution, ensuring resources are allocated effectively across concurrent initiatives.
  • Serve as an escalation point for team members on complex partner issues, providing coaching and guidance to build problem-solving capability.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of Travel Agency experience with a focus on strategy, technology, training, and business development.
• Deep knowledge of Travel Agencies’ booking systems, their UX and capabilities.
• Proven experience developing training materials and delivering training in-person or via webinar.
• Excellent analytical and presentation skills.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate user and partner feedback into actionable product requirements for non-partner-facing stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities calmly under pressure and ambiguity.
• Methodical problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently.
• Demonstrated experience managing direct reports, team development, and budget oversight.
• Nice to have: Bilingual in English and French or English and Spanish (oral and written).

Benefits

• Competitive salary and stock option plan.
• Medical, dental and vision insurance with employer paid options.
• Flexible PTO.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Paid parental leave.
• Health & wellness initiatives.