Distribution & Commercial Strategy Lead, Amazon Travel & Events - Arlington | Amazon Job

Job Description

At Amazon, we're working to be the most customer-centric company on earth. Amazon Travel & Events (AT&E) operates a global corporate travel program spanning 60+ countries and serving hundreds of thousands of employees. The Supplier & Category Strategy (SCS) team owns all supplier relationships within AT&E, driving enterprise-wide savings while continuously improving the traveler experience.

We are seeking a Distribution & Commercial Strategy Lead to own the commercial agreements, distribution economics, and channel strategy that govern how Amazon's negotiated supplier inventory reaches the booking tools and platforms travelers use. This role sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, supplier economics, and the broader travel ecosystem. This individual is responsible for defining the commercial terms, cost structures, and contractual frameworks through which employees access travel inventory across channels. This role also interfaces across Amazon business units, partnering with AWS, Advertising, and Operations teams to ensure commercial agreements and distribution strategies reflect the full breadth of Amazon's supplier relationships and leverage our collective scale.

This is a buyer-side role with a seller-side vocabulary: the ideal candidate understands GDS economics, NDC content flows, agency models, and rate parity structures, and uses that knowledge to negotiate from strength, optimize distribution costs, and ensure Amazon's program captures maximum value from every supplier relationship. The travel industry is undergoing a structural transformation as NDC and direct distribution reshape content access and legacy intermediary models evolve. This role develops the distribution and commercial strategy that positions Amazon to lead through that transformation.


Key job responsibilities
Commercial Strategy & Distribution Economics
- Own the commercial strategy for how distribution agreements are structured across TMCs, OBTs, GDS providers, and content aggregators — defining the contractual frameworks that govern transaction fees, incentive structures, content access terms, and commercial economics across channels
- Define commercial term segmentation by channel type, supplier tier, and category, ensuring terms are tailored to the economic profile and strategic value of each distribution relationship
- Design and manage the portfolio of supplier relationships that drive the content into our booking channels across distribution solutions
- Define channel segmentation by travel type (air, hotel, ground) and traveler population, and set adoption targets by channel based on cost, compliance, and traveler experience
- Own channel-level cost of distribution: transaction fees, GDS segment costs, OBT licensing, TMC service fees, and technology overhead
- Model total cost of acquisition by channel, incorporating direct costs, compliance rates, policy savings, and traveler productivity impact
- Ensure distribution agreements complement — not conflict with — supplier-direct negotiated rates, allotment commitments, and exclusivity terms
- Manage contract lifecycle: renewals, amendments, SLA enforcement, and performance-based renegotiation triggers for distribution suppliers
- Monitor channel leakage and develop strategies to drive bookings toward preferred managed channels
- Evaluate emerging distribution models (NDC-native aggregators, direct-connect platforms, AI-powered booking interfaces) for fit within the AT&E ecosystem
- Develop the annual distribution budget and forecast; present channel economics to AT&E leadership

Content, Data & Accreditation
- Partner with Tech & Data Solutions (T&DS) team to integrate connecting Amazon's inventory and booking systems to distribution channels via APIs, NDC, GDS, and XML feeds
- Ensure negotiated rates, corporate fares, and preferred supplier content load correctly across all distribution channels monitor content load accuracy and troubleshoot gaps
- Partner with T&DS on the connectivity roadmap: NDC adoption, GDS optimization, direct-connect buildout, and data pipeline architecture
- Partner with TD&S to ensure booking data flows back from all channels for spend visibility, policy compliance reporting, duty-of-care tracking, and travel risk management
- Evaluate and manage content aggregation strategy (ATPCO, third-party content sources) to maximize fare and rate coverage
- Develop a holistic understanding of travel ecosystem economics — how distribution channels, payment mechanisms, accreditation models, and supplier agreements interconnect, and where Amazon can unlock value by operating differently
- Partner with Legal, Finance, and Compliance to understand accreditation requirements, costs, and benefits across jurisdictions

Pan-Amazon Commercial Development
- Support quarterly pan-Amazon strategy sessions with AWS, AB, Ads, and Operations, particularly where distribution and commercial decisions intersect with BU-specific supplier economics
- Identify cross-Amazon synergies where enterprise-wide supplier relationships create leverage for both content and distribution strategy as well as our business partners (AWS, Ads, etc)
- Align with Supplier Strategy to ensure distribution terms and channel architecture reinforce — rather than undercut — category-level supplier negotiations
- Represent distribution and commercial strategy in AT&E leadership planning, vendor QBRs, and cross-functional program reviews

Basic Qualifications:

- Experience communicating effectively with senior leadership
- 5+ years of progressive experience in travel distribution, corporate travel program management, TMC/OBT operations, or travel technology
- Deep understanding of travel distribution economics — GDS, NDC, direct connects, content aggregation models, and the cost structures of intermediary layers
- Demonstrated track record negotiating distribution agreements with GDS providers, TMCs, OBTs, or content aggregators
- Strong analytical skills — comfortable building and interpreting channel performance models, cost analyses, and business cases

Preferred Qualifications:

- Existing relationships with major GDS providers, TMCs, OBTs, or content aggregators
- Hands-on NDC implementation or migration experience (airline or corporate buyer side)
- Experience evaluating or managing agency accreditation processes and their commercial implications
- Revenue management or pricing background that informs channel-specific rate strategy
- Experience at a large-scale corporate travel program (Fortune 100 or equivalent volume)
- Understanding of centralized payment mechanisms (virtual cards, lodge cards, ARC/BSP settlement)
- Familiarity with duty-of-care data requirements, travel risk management, and how distribution architecture supports both
- Knowledge of Spotnana, BCD, Concur, or similar corporate travel platforms
- MBA or advanced degree preferred but not required
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Statistics, Business, or a related field
- Direct ownership of channel-level P&L or distribution cost management
- Experience operating at the intersection of commercial strategy and technical connectivity
- Familiarity with agency accreditation frameworks (ARC, IATA, BSP) and how they relate to distribution economics

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, VA, Arlington - 139,100.00 - 184,000.00 USD annually