Executive Director, Airport Lounge Experience

About the role

Help set a new standard for premium travel experiences. In this role, you will shape how Sapphire Lounges deliver exceptional hospitality and seamless digital engagement across every guest touchpoint.

Job responsibilities

• Lead the overall strategy, development, and execution of the Sapphire Lounge roadmap across guest experience, operational excellence, hospitality, marketing, and digital experience.
• Define and evolve the hospitality vision and service standards to deliver premium, consistent experiences across lounge locations.
• Own lounge network performance, using guest feedback, audits, research, and operational metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with lounge operating partners, airport authorities, hospitality vendors, and strategic partners to ensure consistent execution.
• Establish operating standards, service protocols, and performance frameworks that improve service quality and operational excellence.
• Lead food and beverage strategy, culinary partnerships, wellness offerings, and experiential programming that differentiates the lounge experience.
• Oversee the end-to-end guest journey, identifying opportunities to improve service, personalization, digital engagement, and operational efficiency.
• Partner with digital and product teams to develop and enhance digital experiences supporting lounge access, member engagement, travel benefits, and customer communications.
• Lead integrated marketing and communications strategies to increase awareness and utilization, including long-term planning, investment prioritization, and business case development.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators across guest satisfaction, utilization, service quality, digital engagement, employee engagement, and business outcomes.

  Required Qualifications, Capabilities, And Skills

  • Ten or more years of leadership experience in hospitality, guest experience, operations, premium travel, experiential marketing, luxury services, or related customer-focused industries.
  • Deep understanding of hospitality operations, service excellence, customer experience design, and premium customer expectations.
  • Proven success leading large-scale, customer-facing experiences and operational programs across multiple locations.
  • Experience managing operating partners, service providers, and external vendors in hospitality or service environments.
  • Strong understanding of digital customer experiences, product development, and omnichannel engagement strategies.
  • Demonstrated ability to use customer insights, operational data, and performance metrics to drive meaningful improvements.
  • Exceptional leadership, partnership, and influencing skills within highly matrixed organizations.
  • Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to balance vision and operational execution.
  • Outstanding executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Bachelor's degree required.

    Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities, And Skills

    • Master of business administration or related advanced degree.
    • Experience in airport lounges, luxury hospitality, premium travel, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, or experiential service environments.
    • Experience leading food and beverage strategy, hospitality programming, or premium service operations.
    • Demonstrated success building and scaling hospitality or guest experience programs across multiple locations.
    • Passion for hospitality and delivering exceptional experiences for premium and high-net-worth clients.