Director, DMO Sales

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is a leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We're also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.

As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is in our DNA and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

KAYAK is seeking a Director, DMO Sales to lead our partnerships with tourism boards and destination marketing organizations. You will build and run the DMO sales function within KAYAK Media, working closely with NORAM Commercial leadership in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.

This is a leadership role with ownership of the NORAM DMO revenue number. You will lead a team of sellers, set the strategy for how KAYAK sells to destinations, and personally lead the most strategic DMO relationships and executive-level deals. You will report to the Senior Director NORAM Ad Sales and partner with Product, Client Success, and KAYAK Media leadership. This role is for a proven sales leader with an established network of senior contacts in destination marketing.

This role is required to work from our Norwalk, CT office 3 days a week.

In this role, you will:

• Own the DMO revenue target. Be accountable for the DMO quota, including forecast accuracy, pipeline health, and attainment across your team.
• Set the DMO go-to-market strategy. Define territory plans, account segmentation, pricing, and packaging across regions, and iterate on our playbook to grow DMO revenue across NORAM
• Lead the most strategic accounts and deals. Personally own executive relationships with top DMOs and their agencies, and step in on complex, multi-stakeholder negotiations.
• Drive new business and growth. Set the prospecting strategy, open new markets, and push renewals, upsells
• Shape the offering with Product and KAYAK Media. Bring market feedback, a competitive read, and business cases for new products, pricing changes, and investment decisions.
• Champion data-driven selling. Set the standard for media plans that tie KAYAK data to destination outcomes like visitation and incrementality, across custom, programmatic, OOH, and influencer.
• Partner with Client Success on performance. Make sure insights turn into optimizations that drive renewals and growth.
• Represent KAYAK in destination marketing. Speak at industry events, lead executive pitches, and present results and strategy to senior leadership.

Please apply if you have:

• Required: prior experience selling to or working directly with DMOs or tourism boards, with existing relationships in the space.
• 8+ years of media sales experience, ideally in Travel/Tourism or Content/Integrated Media.
• Proven track record of exceeding high quotas, including consistently generating new business.
• Expert-level data storytelling skills, including a strong understanding of incrementality, visitation trends, and how to connect campaign results to destination outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to independently launch and sell new-to-market products.
• Strong public speaking skills and experience presenting at industry events, conferences, and to senior stakeholders.
• Expert-level negotiation and communication skills, with experience closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Prior experience working directly with media agencies, including planning and buying teams.
• High level of fluency with custom executions, programmatic, OOH, influencer campaigns, and other integrated media.
• Strong analytical skills and a strategic approach to solving complex business problems.
• Industry knowledge and contacts within the online media landscape and the travel search ecosystem.
• Ability to thrive in an unstructured, fast-paced environment, with a collaborative, results-oriented approach.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.
• A relevant BA/BS degree is desirable.

Benefits and Perks

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
• Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
• Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
• Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
• No meeting Fridays
• Paid parental leave
• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth:
• Development Dollars
• Leadership development
• Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
• Travel Discounts
• Employee Resource Groups
• Competitive retirement and health plans
• Free lunch 2 days per week
• Fun quarterly events such as boat trips, arcades, ski trips, Thursday happy hours, and more

Compensation

There are a variety of factors that go into determining a salary range, including but not limited to external market benchmark data, geographic location, and years of experience sought/required. The range for this Conneticut based role is $140,000-170,000, not inclusive of annual bonus and recurring RSU grants.

We offer a competitive base salary and benefits including: health benefits; flexible spending account; retirement benefits; life insurance; paid time off (including PTO, paid sick leave, medical leave, bereavement leave, floating holidays and paid holidays); and parental leave benefits.

Inclusion

At KAYAK, we want everyone to have the space to grow, share ideas and do great work. That's why we're focused on hiring the best talent from all walks of life and experiences, supporting them well and making sure no one feels like they have to fit a mold to belong here.

Need any adjustments for the interview, application or on the job? No problem - just give us a heads-up. We've got you.

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