Partnerships Lead - Travel Industry Sales, Tour Operator/Supplier

Context Travel offers cultural and historical tours and experiences led by subject-matter experts in over 80 cities around the world. Our tours enrich travel with a deeper, personalized understanding of a city's history, art, and culture, covering both lesser-known locales and main city sites.

About the role

We're looking for an experienced, self-directed Partnerships Lead to identify, develop, and close new partnership opportunities that support our sales goals—including product partnerships, API/technology integrations, and relationships with travel consortia. You'll join our sales team as an individual contributor, working alongside a sales strategy lead, a BDR, and a bottom-of-funnel associate.

You'll own the full partnership lifecycle: sourcing and developing opportunities, carrying them from first conversation through signed agreement, and handing off to our team for implementation—while continuing to maintain the relationship at a strategic level over time. You'll also build on our existing product and API partnerships with tour operators, technology platforms, and other travel businesses.

This is a great fit for someone with existing relationships across the travel industry—tour operators, technology partners, and ideally travel consortia—who is motivated to find and close new opportunities with minimal oversight.

Responsibilities

• Identify, prospect, and develop new partnership opportunities—product partnerships, API/technology integrations, and travel consortia relationships—that support our sales goals
• Own the full partnership sales cycle, from first outreach through negotiation and signed agreement
• Hand off signed partnerships to our team for implementation, while continuing to own and maintain the relationship at a strategic level
• Build relationships with new travel consortia and brands to expand our advisor network
• Maintain and grow our existing product and API partnerships with tour operators, technology platforms, and other travel businesses
• Collaborate with sales, product, and delivery teams to shape partnership terms that support broader company goals
• Support the sales team's travel advisor road shows, office visits, and conferences as needed, including coverage for the BDR
• Track and report on partnership pipeline and performance using CRM tools (HubSpot)
• Represent Context Travel with prospective partners and at industry events

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or sales within the travel industry
• Existing relationships within the travel industry—tour operators, technology/API partners, and/or consortia—sufficient to open doors quickly
• Experience with, or strong interest in, travel consortia relationships (a plus)
• Proven ability to manage complex sales cycles from cold outreach to signed agreement
• Comfortable using CRM tools (HubSpot or similar) to manage pipeline and track performance
• Strong negotiation and relationship-management skills
• Organized and able to manage multiple priorities and a self-directed pipeline
• Willingness to travel (~25%) for partner meetings, conferences, and occasional team coverage

Who this role is for

This role is a great fit for someone who:

• Is an experienced, self-directed professional who thrives working independently and driving deals with minimal oversight
• Already has credibility and relationships within the travel industry—with tour operators, technology/API partners, and/or consortia
• Is comfortable owning a full sales cycle, from prospecting to close, and staying engaged afterward as the long-term relationship owner
• Enjoys building strategic, senior-level relationships as much as generating new business
• Is a team player who can flex to support the broader sales team when needed

Bonus points

• Existing relationships with major travel agency brands and/or consortia
• Experience with API or technology partnerships in the travel industry
• Have supported or led partnership implementation/onboarding processes
• Enjoy being in front of people and representing a brand
• Bring a positive attitude and sense of humor to your work

Schedule

Core U.S. business hours, Monday–Friday, with flexibility for partner calls across time zones and some nights/weekends for travel and events.

Pay

$80,000+ base, depending on experience, plus a performance-based incentive beginning with 2027 annual sales.

Travel

~25%, including partner meetings, industry conferences, and occasional coverage of travel advisor road shows/office visits for the BDR.

Benefits

• Unlimited access to digital lectures, audio guides, and in-person small group tours
• Annual enrichment stipend to pursue personal and professional interests
• Flexible PTO (with no caps, encouraged minimums, and parental leave)
• A remote-first work policy—colleagues based worldwide
• Annual company retreat to connect and celebrate with colleagues in person (past locations include New York City, Philadelphia, Lisbon, Rome, Mexico City, and Berlin)
• Health and 401k benefits

Preferred Systems Experience

• Google (Sheets, Docs, Slides, Meet, Gmail)
• HubSpot
• Front
• Slack
• Zoom
• Guru
• Basecamp