About the Accommodations Business Unit
Booking.com's Accommodations Business Unit (ABU) is responsible for the end-to-end performance of our accommodations vertical, driving growth by developing, building, and operating products and services for travelers and accommodation partners worldwide. ABU brings together Product, Tech & Data, Local Partner Services, and Commercial Growth & Operations (CoGO) to deliver a seamless experience across the full customer and partner journey, from search and booking to stay and post-trip.
Within ABU, CoGO (Commercial Growth & Operations) is the central "commercial engine & cockpit" for the business, operating under the vision of "Run the business; Deliver the growth." CoGO defines and steers ABU's commercial strategy across all partner and traveler segments, acting as the bridge between relevant stakeholder teams to ensure coherent, data-driven growth plans and consistent execution across drivers & regions. Organized into specialized teams, CoGO combines strategic steering with operational execution to drive sustainable, segment-specific growth at global scale.
About the Role
Reporting into the VP Commercial Growth & Operations, the Director of Commercial Operations, you will lead a cross-functional organization of 70+ FTEs dedicated to the success and operational excellence of the partner facing teams & partners globally.
You will oversee the end-to-end operations lifecycle - from internal operating models and CRM transformation to global inbound support and centralized operations.
Your mission is to modernize our operations ecosystem, inclusive of leading a multi-year transition to Salesforce while ensuring our 1,500+ global colleagues working with partners daily have the tools, knowledge, and processes to drive world-class partner relationships through AI acceleration.
Within this role, you are responsible for 3 key domains;
1. Development & Enablement of Local Partner Services (LPS) operating model. We have 1500+ colleagues globally that manage the relationships with our top partners. The Development team manages the core Processes, CRM, ways of working, & learning; whilst the Enablement team is responsible for Change Mgt, Comms & Knowledge mgt. These teams currently manage a transformational program focused on LPS way of operating for the next 3+ years, inclusive of a move from internal to outsourced tooling such as Salesforce.
2. Partner inbound experience. That team leads how we serve Partners across Partner facing departments, including services differentiation, continuous improvement on inbound performance & management specifically for the LPS channel.
3. Global Operations, This team directly supports operational support for our top Partners, across the globe, e.g. bulk tooling & activities, as well as centrally led operational activities such as partner contracting, tooling support etc.
This is a unique opportunity to steer a massive organizational shift. You aren't just managing a team; you are rebuilding the engine that powers our global partner relationships for the next decade.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Transformation & Account Management Development
- Set and lead the Operational Excellence strategy across Process & Systems, Reporting and Performance.
- Direct the 3+ year transformation program focused on the LPS operating model, specifically overseeing the transition from legacy internal tools to Salesforce.
- Develop a multi-year roadmap and annual objectives that maximize the performance and impact of the 1,500+ global colleagues using these systems.
- Partner with Product and Tech teams to embed LPS processes into CRM workflows (Salesforce).
- Own, develop and operationalize KPI frameworks and incentive schemes that align LPS teams with business priorities.
- Ensure Commercial Learning frameworks are in place that enable Partner Facing teams in their day to day, this function is also supportive to Central ABU commercial teams.
- Ensure robust reporting is in place for all layers of leadership, providing a 360° view of productivity, partner satisfaction, and performance.
2. Global Enablement & Change Leadership- Lead the Enablement team responsible for Change Management, Communications, and Knowledge Management to ensure high adoption of new "Ways of Working" for our Partner facing teams,whilst enabling Management & central ABU teams with methodologies to deliver against these changes,
- Proactively drive a strategic approach to change, ensuring the global & regional organization understands the "why" and "how" behind large-scale tooling and process shifts.
3. Partner Inbound Experience & Performance- Lead the strategy for how we serve Partners across all partner-facing departments: CS, Finance & LPS. Define service differentiation models.
- Drive continuous improvement on inbound performance (SLAs, resolution quality) specifically for the LPS channel.
- Ensure inbound demand is routed to the right channel with high-quality service and fast resolution time.
4. Centralized Global Operations- Manage the team providing direct operational support for top Partners, including bulk tooling, partner contracting, and centralized technical support.
- Define annual FTE and capability needs to ensure global business objectives are met, working closely with Finance and People teams.
- Identify and automate repetitive operational tasks to allow regional teams to focus on relationship management and portfolio growth.
6. Cross-Functional & Regional Leadership- Serve as the primary bridge between Regional Directors and Global functions, ensuring feedback loops from the field reach the central strategy.
- Partner with the Director Commercial Regulatory Compliance and the Senior Director of Revenue Management to ensure all processes, incentives, and bonus frameworks remain compliant with local regulations.
- Work with various Business Units, such as CS and Finance to remove operational friction and drive sustainable improvements & drive experience excellence,
- Lastly, as a member of the Commercial Growth & Operations Leadership Team, support the seamless delivery of that organisation's overall objectives; and contribute to the longer-term commercial growth strategy definition and execution.
Key Skills
Requirements of special knowledge/skills
- Experience: 12+ years in Commercial Operations, Sales Ops, or Operational Excellence within large, complex organizations.
- Leadership: Proven track record of managing large, geographically diverse teams (70+ FTE).
- Transformation Expert: Demonstrated experience leading large-scale CRM migrations (Salesforce) and multi-year organizational change programs.
- Operational Excellence: Deep expertise in Business Process Management (BPM), Knowledge Management, and Performance/Reward frameworks.
- Strategic Influence: Ability to manage complex stakeholder landscapes and influence executive-level decision-making.
- Analytical Rigor: Ability to interpret complex data to make strategic recommendations and drive "first-time-right" resolution strategies.
- Industry: Exposure to online travel, technology, or e-commerce is highly preferred.
Leadership & Impact- Team Leadership: Directly manage and mentor 4 (Senior) Managers, providing career development and strategic direction for a total organization of 70+ & indirectly the LPS teams.
- Stakeholder Management: Act as a key advisor to executive leadership on the health and efficiency of our partner-facing operations, including the enablement of regional leadership & key stakeholders such as CS & Finance leadership.
Transformation Lead: Serve as the primary architect for the 3+ year LPS transformation roadmap.
Pre-Employment Screening
If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.
