Job description
Role Overview
Head of Strategic Partnerships & Alliances at Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. This is a highly visible leadership role at the centre of the commercial organisation, responsible for developing, negotiating, implementing, and optimising Etihad's strategic airline partnerships.
Company Overview
Etihad Airways is the UAE's national airline, operating from its hub in Abu Dhabi and connecting people across continents and cultures. The company is pursuing its "Journey 2030" ambition to double its fleet, expand its network, and grow its people for a new era of excellence.
Role Purpose
Define and execute Etihad's partnership strategy by identifying and securing transformative airline agreements that expand global reach, strengthen the network, and deliver sustainable commercial value. Lead the development and optimisation of strategic partnerships to unlock new growth opportunities and maximise long-term performance across the airline's entire commercial operation.
Key Responsibilities
Partnership Development & Strategy
- Develop and execute Etihad's strategic airline partnership agenda in line with broader commercial objectives.
- Identify, evaluate, and secure new partnership opportunities including joint ventures, codeshares, interline agreements, capacity arrangements, and other innovative partnership models.
- Strengthen and expand existing partnerships into deeper, more strategic relationships.
- Expand partnership opportunities beyond passenger revenue into loyalty, cargo, ancillaries, and operational collaboration.
Negotiation & Governance
- Lead complex commercial negotiations and secure internal approval for major partnership investments.
- Implement and govern strategic partnerships to ensure delivery of agreed commercial outcomes.
- Build robust business cases and present recommendations to executive leadership and Board-level stakeholders.
Performance & Optimisation
- Monitor, evaluate, and optimise partnership performance through commercial and profitability metrics.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Drive cross-functional collaboration across Revenue Management, Network Planning, Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Cargo, Operations, Finance, and Legal teams.
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum of 12 years of industry experience in aviation.
- Deep expertise in airline alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, codeshares, or network cooperation agreements.
- Additional experience in one or more commercial disciplines such as Revenue Management, Network Planning, Sales, Commercial Strategy, or Pricing.
- Proven track record of developing and managing strategic airline partnerships.
- Strong record of leading complex negotiations and delivering commercially successful outcomes.
- Experience building compelling business cases and influencing senior executive stakeholders.
Skills & Competencies
- Outstanding stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Global network of airline industry contacts and relationships.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on in execution.
- Deep alliance expertise combined with broader commercial experience.