--- title: 'Director, Partner Acquisition at Engine' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-partner-acquisition-engine-united-states-ps2ard56y2mq' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-28' --- # Director, Partner Acquisition at Engine - **Company:** Engine - **Location:** United States - **Compensation:** $160k–$185k - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-10-22 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-28 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/engine/jobs/8034570003 ## Job description ## About Engine Engine is the AI-native platform for intelligent travel. For a decade, Engine has built the proprietary technology and supply behind modern business travel, serving over 40,000 customers and nearly 2 million travelers, along with leading travel and AI companies that build on Engine's infrastructure. One system powers business travel, group travel, human agents, and AI agents. That work has earned Engine recognition as TravelTech's Reservation Platform of the Year (2026), a spot on Inc.'s Power Partners list (2026), and one of Built In's Best Places to Work (2020–2026). We're looking for bold, ambitious people to help redefine how businesses manage and experience travel. Working here, you can expect exponential growth, an ambitious pace, full ownership, and high-caliber colleagues who push you to do the best work of your career. Every hire raises the bar. Come outpace the ordinary and build the future of travel with us. Engine is building the travel and spend management platform for the businesses the rest of the industry overlooked — two products, one ecosystem, growing fast and already cash-flow positive. Partnerships are how we extend that reach, and this role runs the team that turns partnership opportunities into signed, activated, revenue-producing relationships. We're looking for a Director, Partner Acquisition to lead and scale our channel partnerships team across verticals — GPOs, trade associations, marketplaces, franchise networks and conglomerates, and technology partners — chartered to sign referral, co-sell, and co-marketing partnerships across Engine's full ecosystem. This is an operationally rigorous, enterprise-grade sales leader — a player-coach who installs discipline, builds the vertical playbook from the ground up, and personally drives complex deals across the line. Reporting to the VP, Business Development, this role owns the front end of partner-sourced growth: a high-throughput engine that prospects, signs, activates, and hands off producing partners to Partner Growth — across every vertical and product. ## What You'll Do - Lead the team and own the number. Build a team of channel professionals and scale it to 6–8 — at least one per vertical — against clear pipeline, signing, activation, and handoff targets. Set the standard, run the cadence, and hold the line on accountability. - Build the vertical playbook. This is a ground-up build with direct influence over vertical strategy and the GTM motion: define the ICP, sourcing mix, and deal structures for each vertical, and codify what works into a repeatable playbook the team runs. - Convert and executive-sponsor deals. Operate as a player-coach: step into live opportunities, unblock stalled deals, and personally push complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships across the finish line. - Run an operationally rigorous funnel. Install and enforce pipeline discipline — stage gates, time-in-stage, win rates by tier, sourcing channel mix, forecast accuracy, categorized loss reasons, and clean Salesforce hygiene. Make partner-sourced growth predictable, not anecdotal. - Sign quality across the full ecosystem. Drive referral, co-sell, and co-marketing agreements spanning Engine Travel and Spend — with at least one rep carrying the full platform into their vertical. Tier mix and committed volume matter as much as logo count. - Structure deals that hold up. Negotiate commercially sound, operationally executable partnerships — economics, mutual commitments, and activation plans that survive contact with reality. Own days-in-contracting as a number, not an excuse. - Drive activation and a clean handoff, not just signatures. Own time-to-activation, cohort activation rates, and the handoff trigger to Partner Growth — and hold your team accountable to production vs. projection at signing. A partner that signs but never produces is a miss, and the forecast your rep made is the forecast they answer for. - Execute cross-functionally. Align Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Legal to move deals from term sheet to live — fast. - Raise the bar on talent. Hire, ramp, and level up channel talent; build a team that compounds in output as it gains context. ## What We're Looking For - 10+ years in channel sales or partnerships, including 5+ years leading and scaling quota-carrying teams — ideally in high-growth SaaS, fintech, marketplace, or travel technology. - A closer and a coach: a proven record of personally converting complex, multi-stakeholder deals, and of building teams that consistently hit signing and activation targets. - A builder: has walked into a small team, figured out the build, created the playbook, and scaled it — not just inherited a machine that already ran. - Deep operational rigor — fluency in pipeline management, forecasting, stage discipline, and the metrics that make a partnership funnel predictable: conversion by tier, time-in-stage, activation cohorts, and production vs. projection. Salesforce proficiency expected. - Multi-motion range: comfort selling and structuring across referral, co-sell, and co-marketing — and across partner types from GPOs and trade associations to marketplaces, franchise networks, and ERP/technology partners. - Strong commercial negotiation skills with a bias toward partnerships that activate — not vanity logos. - A direct, data-backed communicator who gives and receives hard feedback without flinching. - Thrives on speed, high standards, and ambiguity; uses AI and automation to scale both personal and team output. - Bonus: experience with two-sided marketplaces, embedded / API distribution, or corporate cards and spend management. Applications for this role will be accepted through December 31, 2026 or until the role is filled. We encourage you to apply early, as we may begin reviewing applications before the deadline. ## Compensation Our compensation packages are based on several factors, including your experience, expertise, and location. In addition to a competitive base salary, all roles receive equity. Depending on the role, total compensation may also include an annual bonus. Your recruiter will share your complete compensation package as you move through the process. Base Pay Range $160,000—$185,000 USD The Engine Edge: Perks & Compensation We believe in rewarding great work with great benefits: - Compensation: Competitive base pay tied to role and experience, with equity for all employees. Some roles are also eligible for bonuses or commissions. - Benefits: Check out our full list at [engine.com/culture](https://engine.com/culture) - Environments for Success: Different roles have different needs in terms of the environments that drive success which is why we have a hybrid-hub model. Whether you are in one of our amazing offices or fully remote, we'll make sure you have what you need to succeed. Perks and benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and more ## About Engine ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Engine (formerly Hotel Engine) provides an all-in-one travel management platform that lets businesses book flights, hotels, and cars, with exclusive rates and no booking fees. - **Entity Type**: Private (funding stage: Series C, 2024) - **Headquarters**: Denver, Colorado, USA (implied by job locations and history) - **Founded**: 2018 (as Hotel Engine, spun off from Travelers Haven) - **Founders**: Elia (full name not provided in search results; CEO Elia stepped down from Travelers Haven to focus on Hotel Engine in 2021) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Business travel management / Travel technology (SaaS platform) - **Target customers**: B2B – small to large businesses, groups, event teams, crews; also serves individual business travelers - **Mission statement**: “To make travel effortless and give businesses, big and small, the opportunity to enjoy the journey again.” ## Products & Services - **[Engine Platform]**: All-in-one booking platform for flights, hotels, and cars. Includes consolidated billing (DirectBill), flexible cancellation (FlexPro), spend controls (Engine X virtual cards), and reporting/insights. Free to use with no contracts; revenue from commissions and premium features. - **[Engine Rewards]**: Loyalty program that stacks with hotel loyalty points, offering up to 10% back. - **[Engine X]**: Corporate card and spend management solution integrated with the booking platform. - **[Partner Hub / Groups]**: Tools for group travel coordination and partner integrations. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Triple-digit growth; trusted by over 1,000,000 travelers and 20,000+ businesses; average travel savings of up to 60%. - **Notable Investors**: Blackstone, Elefund, Telescope Partners, Permira (industry-leading investors) - **Growth Signals**: Rebranded from Hotel Engine to Engine in 2024, expanding beyond hotels into flights and cars. Added 100+ new features in recent period. New executive leadership team. Remote-first hiring across US and LATAM. ## Competitive Advantages - **Exclusive rates and no fees**: No booking fees, no contracts – saves businesses up to 60% on travel. - **All-in-one platform**: Combines booking, expense management, and reporting in a single solution. - **Flexibility**: FlexPro allows free changes/cancellations; DirectBill simplifies invoicing. - **Scale and trust**: Over 1 million travelers and 20k+ businesses use the platform. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Continued platform expansion (flights, cars, groups), deepening integrations (ERP, HR, workplace tools), and scaling the sales and engineering teams. Emphasis on data-driven insights and automation to simplify trip management. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: High-agency, ownership-driven environment. Core values: “Drivers, not Passengers,” “Customer Obsessed,” “Speed with Precision,” “Deliver Results.” Described as electric, with a bias for action and high standards. - **Remote/Hybrid**: Fully remote roles for US and LATAM (some sales roles in Chicago, Denver, Tempe). Remote-first culture. - **Benefits**: Unlimited PTO, stock options for all full-time employees, 401(k) with company match, medical/dental/vision, mental health support, family leave, global lodging discounts, paid volunteer time. - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on innovation, high standards, and moving fast without cutting corners. Open roles include senior and staff engineers, data scientists, product managers. ## Sources 1. [engine.com](https://engine.com/) – Company homepage with product details 2. [engine.com/about-us](https://engine.com/about-us) – Company history, mission, investors 3. [engine.com/careers](https://engine.com/careers) – Careers page with open positions and benefits 4. [engine.com/culture](https://engine.com/culture) – Culture memo, operating principles, DNA 5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/engine](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/engine) – Current job listings (59 roles) ## Other roles at Engine - [Manager, Implementation Management](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-implementation-management-engine-united-states-vgnrbahkx5py) — United States - [Director, Distribution Strategy](https://feeny.ai/job/director-distribution-strategy-engine-united-states-fyt7ygmt2dx2) — United States - [Principal Creative](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-creative-engine-united-states-g4kkjq4eespa) — United States - [Sales Training Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-training-manager-engine-denver-hvka7stz86nm) — Denver, CO - [Director, Sales Strategy & Operations - Groups](https://feeny.ai/job/director-sales-strategy-operations-groups-engine-united-states-mnz4y8z5ctk4) — United States - [Senior Manager, Software Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-software-engineering-engine-united-states-k4jndss3hrpa) — United States - [Manager, Revenue Enablement](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-revenue-enablement-engine-united-states-rbz9p6fdnq3p) — United States - [Sr. Lead OBT Implementation Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-lead-obt-implementation-manager-engine-united-states-858hc9wjeyyq) — United States - [Senior OBT Success Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-obt-success-manager-engine-united-states-p0javn3aj2y1) — United States - [Director, OBT Partnerships](https://feeny.ai/job/director-obt-partnerships-engine-united-states-rn56a850qpat) — United States