Director Alliances & Airline Partnerships

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you. 

The Director, Alliances & Airline Partnerships sets the long-term strategy and oversees the financial performance of alliances and airline partnerships at Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Horizon Air. As a people leader, this role establishes strategic goals and direction for a team of leaders to execute, grow and sustain alliances and partnerships, ensuring Alaska maximizes the value of its partnership portfolio to drive revenue, build guest loyalty, and ensure a seamless guest experience. 

• Establish strategic goals and direction for Alaska’s alliances and partnerships team, steering viable potential partner agreements and providing strategic recommendations to leaders across the organization to improve revenue capture, advance guest loyalty and eliminate operational pain points.
• Set long-term strategy and planning for the partnerships portfolio, determining the type and level of co-operation in line with competitive strategy, and cultivating relationships with executives at partner airlines and companies, along with the oneworld management company.
• Serves as Alaska’s senior delegate to the oneworld alliance and the subject matter expert for oneworld stakeholders, with day-to-day ownership of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air’s relationship with the oneworld management company. 
• Owns the strategy for maximizing the value from Air Group’s multi-billion West Coast International Alliance (WCIA).
• Evaluates existing partnership agreements to determine value, and partners cross-functionally to achieve partnership objectives. Influences across loyalty, marketing, sales and ecommerce teams to deliver on objectives. 
• Responsible for success of alliances and partnerships platform, including establishing and implementing codeshare and interline infrastructure and communication processes within Alaska Airlines and partners, and managing project’s budget and timelines.
• Negotiates alliance and partner agreements, including interline, codeshare, frequent flyer, partner loyalty, and other agreements that drive over $500M a year of Air Group revenue. Ensures partnerships are sustainable and mutually beneficial.
• Grows Alaska Mileage Plan’s portfolio of airline partners to increase member loyalty through greater program relevance and increased opportunities to earn and redeem miles and engage with Alaska. 
• Applies deep understanding of the competitive environment both domestically and globally to remain cognizant of second-order effects from shifting allegiances that could impact Alaska.
• Develops people through effective performance management and ongoing feedback, focusing on fostering strategic and systems thinking, development of talent, and succession planning across team.
• Shapes culture of the team through action, presence, and reforming of behaviors.  

Required 

• 8 years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships/alliances or related area.
• 5 years of leadership experience, with at least 2 of those years directly leading people.
• Bachelor’s degree, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Robust knowledge of alliance and partnership structures.
• Awareness of global development trends.
• Exceptional analytical background with proven ability to navigate complex datasets.
• Strong communication skills (e.g., verbal, written, and listening) with an ability to communicate clearly and concisely to both internal and external constituencies.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to create collaborative relationships that drive outcomes in the best interest of the company, with others in the organization, and key external business partners.
• Detail oriented and highly organized, with ability to multi-task and work independently.
• Sense of urgency to complete assignments quickly and thoroughly.
• Able and willing to travel at least 20% of the time to meet with airline partners. 
• High school diploma or equivalent is required. 
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. 

Preferred 

• Airline industry knowledge/experience. 

Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be kind-hearted, deliver performance, and be remarkable. 
 

The pay range and total target compensation package listed above is the expected pay offered for this position at the start of employment. Your pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, your relevant experience/level, experience level, and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Horizon employees. Alaska/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.

Note: We don't typically hire at the top of the range. 

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air with high priority status 
• Select number of confirmed travel credits provided annually 
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Quarterly and annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off 

For more information about Alaska/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement  

It is the policy of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.   

We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.  

We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”).  All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.   

To implement this policy, we will: 

(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories; 
(2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and 
(3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories. 

Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions  of VEVRAA. 

Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations 
Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.