Sr. Director, Lodging Supplier Strategy & Partnerships

Job Description

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Job Overview

The Sr. Director, Lodging Supplier Strategy & Partnerships is responsible for defining and executing Concur’s lodging supplier strategy, ensuring high‑quality, competitive lodging content across Concur Travel products. This role serves as the senior lodging subject matter expert, owning executive‑level supplier relationships, working with Product/Engineering on Concur’s hotel product strategy, and driving alignment across Product, Engineering, Procurement, Customer Success, and TMC/platform teams.

This position blends strategic leadership with hands‑on execution, requiring hotel product knowledge, strong executive stakeholder management, proven complex negotiations, and the ability to influence across a complex travel ecosystem. The role plays a critical part in protecting Concur’s market position, enabling platform innovation, reducing operational risk, and driving revenue through supplier partnerships, multi‑source strategies, TripLink, Hotel Connector (formerly CHS), and Trip Extras.

Reports to: President, Concur Travel

Open to candidates located in the Washington, DC area and across North America.

Key Outcomes

• Strong executive‑level supplier relationships that provide early visibility into lodging market and distribution changes
• Clear, aligned lodging supply strategy supporting platform priorities, customer requirements, and monetization goals
• Improved speed and quality of cross‑functional decision‑making across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Customer Success.
• Expanded and optimized lodging content access across direct suppliers, aggregators, GDS/TMC channels, and partner ecosystems
• Increased adoption and revenue impact from partner lodging programs and trip add‑ons

Core Responsibilities

Lodging Supplier Strategy & Executive Stakeholder Management

• Lead lodging supplier strategy for Concur Travel, acting as a senior internal authority on hotel supply, distribution, and product implications.
• Serve as the primary executive interface with senior hotel, aggregator, and distribution leaders, maintaining credibility and influence across the lodging ecosystem.
• Preserve and promote Concur’s independent perspective and strategic voice across the hotel and broader travel landscape.

Business Development, Prospecting & Contracting

• Prospect, source, and sign high‑value lodging supplier and ecosystem partnerships.
• Own negotiation and contracting of supplier and partner agreements, including commercial terms, performance expectations, and compliance requirements.
• Structure agreements that support content quality, integration readiness, scalability, and monetization objectives.

Product Partnership & Hotel Product Expertise

• Partner closely with Product to consult on hotel product strategy, ensuring supplier capabilities align with customer needs, competitive positioning, and platform roadmaps.
• Provide expert input into hotel product gaps, enhancements, and competitive opportunities.
• Support the evolution and execution of TripLink, ensuring supplier participation and alignment with broader lodging strategy.

Hotel Connector (formerly CHS) & Multi‑Source Strategy

• Work with Product and Engineering to guide the strategy, execution, and oversight of Hotel Connector, including:
• supplier integrations and prioritization
• multi‑source adoption and enablement
• supplier partnerships, training, and communications
• Ensure integrations meet business priorities and align with platform roadmap objectives.

Ecosystem Alignment (TMC, GDS, Alliances)

• Support strategic alliances (including Amex GBT Complete) while ensuring the new Concur Travel platform remains competitive and well‑supported
• Engage with distribution partners to explain product direction, understand gaps, and support customer migrations related to lodging.

Cross‑Functional Enablement & Operational Excellence

• Provide cross‑functional support to Product, Customer Care, platform, and Procurement teams by delivering:
• lodging market insights and supplier strategy context
• operational guidance related to hotel distribution and integrations
• support for invoicing, payments, and system integration workflows
• Reduce operational risk by improving supplier communication, financial accuracy, and integration alignment.

Revenue Growth & Trip Add‑Ons

• Drive monetization opportunities through supplier and partner negotiations, including trip add‑ons at the end of the booking path.
• Help increase customer adoption of Hotel Connector and partner lodging products that improve traveler experience and support partner integrations.
• Negotiate suppliers, aggregators, and partners to strengthen program economics.

Thought Leadership & Industry Presence

• Represent Concur at industry conferences, supplier meetings, and customer engagements.
• Support preparation and strategic context for CFO/CEO‑level meetings with lodging partners.
• Reinforce Concur’s position as a thought leader in lodging and travel distribution.

Compliance

• Ensure adherence to all corporate policies and standards.

Required Qualifications

Education

• BS/BA or equivalent relevant work experience.

Experience

• Proven experience managing executive‑level stakeholder relationships with hotel suppliers and/or lodging distribution partners.
• Deep hotel product knowledge, including how supplier capabilities, distribution models, and integrations impact customer experience.
• 5+ years experience in hotel supplier management within an OBT, GDS, TMC, OTA, meta‑search platform, aggregator, or on the supplier side partnering with these entities.
• 5+ years experience negotiating complex partner or supplier agreements and managing ongoing partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience with:
• target identification and business case development
• contract negotiation and supplier onboarding
• integration planning and cross‑functional execution
• Strong knowledge of:
• hotel distribution strategies and compensation models
• GDS/TMC/corporate travel distribution landscape

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to ~30%.
• Ability to pass a background check.

Critical Performance Competencies

• Executive presence and strong stakeholder management skills
• Strategic thinking paired with hands‑on execution
• Advanced negotiation and analytical skills
• Ability to operate autonomously in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment
• Strong relationship‑building skills across internal and external partners
• Ability to formulate strategy, influence without authority, and drive measurable results

Value Competencies

• Passion for and accountability to the customer
• Leadership through innovation
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Relentless commitment to winning
• Personal and corporate integrity

Physical and Cognitive / Mental Requirements

Concur is a dynamic, fast‑paced SaaS organization. Successful employees manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines and may work 40+ hours per week, with flexibility depending on role and business needs. Strong technical proficiency, communication skills, and discretion are required due to the customer‑facing and commercially sensitive nature of the role.

Bring out your best
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SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

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Compensation Range Transparency: SAP believes the value of pay transparency contributes towards an honest and supportive culture and is a significant step toward demonstrating SAP’s commitment to pay equity. SAP provides the annualized compensation range inclusive of base salary and variable incentive target for the career level applicable to the posted role. The targeted combined range for this position is 195500 - 332300(USD) USD. The actual amount to be offered to the successful candidate will be within that range, dependent upon the key aspects of each case which may include education, skills, experience, scope of the role, location, etc. as determined through the selection process. Any SAP variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount and any actual payout amount is dependent on company and personal performance. Please reference this link for a summary of SAP benefits and eligibility requirements: SAP North America Benefits.

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Requisition ID: 448156 | Work Area: Marketing | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid