POSITION SUMMARY 

The Senior Manager Air & Transportation programs is responsible for the planning, execution, and performance of Steamboat's air service programs, including airline partnerships, consultant oversight, financial stewardship, and program analytics. Working in partnership with resort leadership, this role develops recommendations and executes initiatives that support destination access, guest demand, and long-term business objectives at Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN).

The role serves as the primary day-to-day manager of airline and consultant relationships, overseeing program performance, evaluating market opportunities, and developing business insights to support air service planning and investment decisions. Through close collaboration with airline partners, community organizations, public agencies, and internal teams, the Senior Manager helps advance air service strategies that align with resort priorities and regional transportation goals.

This position manages significant airline program investments and monitors financial performance, partner outcomes, and program effectiveness. The Senior Manager provides data-driven analysis and recommendations, guides consultants, and supports leadership in evaluating opportunities to strengthen destination access and overall resort performance. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES 

Airline Program & Consultant Management 

• Manage and oversee Steamboat's airline programs, including all contracted and non-contracted air service into HDN. 

• Oversee third-party airline consultants, establishing priorities, coordinating work plans, reviewing analyses, and ensuring deliverables support resort and air service objectives. 

• Guide the development of air service proposals in partnership with consultants, including market analysis, schedule recommendations, capacity planning, and business case development. 

• Support airline negotiations in coordination with senior leadership and consultants, including schedules, capacity commitments, pricing frameworks, and minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) structures. 

• Oversee performance of entire airline program including forecasting, yield monitoring, capacity utilization, and MRG exposure tracking. 

Analytics, Reporting & Performance Insights 

• Oversee airline program budgets, incentive programs, and financial performance, including forecasting, MRG monitoring, yield analysis, and return-on-investment evaluation. 

• Develop business cases, program evaluations, and strategic recommendations to support leadership decision-making and annual planning processes.

• Develop, oversee, and evaluate performance reporting related to bookings, load factors, fares, yield, revenue contribution, and partner program results, utilizing both internal resources and consultant-generated analyses to monitor airline performance and manage MRG commitments and Local Marketing District (LMD) investments.

• Evaluate market performance, competitive access trends, demand indicators, and historical outcomes to identify opportunities and risks and support future air service development efforts.

• Translate performance data, consultant analyses, and market intelligence into actionable insights and recommendations for resort leadership, airline partners, community stakeholders, and Board-level discussions.

Air Service Development & Community Collaboration

• Lead collaboration with regional stakeholders, including the Local Marketing District (LMD), Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN), Airport Commission, City of Steamboat Springs, and Routt County to support air service development objectives and airline program investments.

• Serve as Steamboat's representative on the Yampa Valley Airport Commission (YVAC), including presenting air serviceupdates, participating in committee work, and contributing to discussions regarding airline service opportunities and market development initiatives.

• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Local Marketing District Board, coordinating meeting agendas, annual planning activities, program reporting, and stakeholder communications. Collaborate with the Director of Marketing and other departmental leaders to ensure timely presentation of marketing campaign performance, destination demand insights, air service results, and other initiatives relevant to Board decision-making.

• Represent the resort in public meetings, industry forums, stakeholder working groups, and airline-related discussions involving destination access, market development, and air service planning.

• Collaborate with community partners, public agencies, and industry organizations to advance air service initiatives that support destination demand, guest access, and long-term resort business objectives.

Relationship Management, Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with airline partners across network planning, revenue management, pricing, operations, and marketing teams. 

• Serve as the internal subject-matter expert on airline and transportation programs, supporting collaboration with Marketing, Advertising, Digital, PR, Revenue Management, and Central Reservations.

• Oversee airline consultant activities related to airline engagement, market analysis, performance reviews, and air service development initiatives, ensuring alignment with resort objectives and leadership priorities.

• Coordinate airline partner engagement opportunities, including headquarters visits, planning meetings, performance reviews, industry conferences, and stakeholder events designed to strengthen relationships and identify future service opportunities.

• Partner with Marketing and other internal stakeholders to align airline, destination, and promotional initiatives, ensuring airline-related information, schedules, fare programs, and partner messaging are accurate and consistently represented across guest-facing channels.

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between airline partners, consultants, community stakeholders, and internal teams to support successful execution of air service programs and related business objectives.

Transportation Program Support

• The primary responsibility of this position is the management and implementation of airline-related initiatives and partnerships. From time to time, the role may provide operational support for regional transportation programs, including transit, rail, and other mobility initiatives. The Senior Manager supports program delivery and coordination, while long-term strategy, planning, and external transportation partnerships remain the responsibility of the Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives.

Governance, Contract Administration & Compliance

• Ensure airline program activities comply with company policies, contractual obligations, Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) agreements, partnership commitments, and applicable regulatory requirements. 

• Monitor compliance with airline, consultant, and partner agreements, including performance requirements, reporting obligations, and financial commitments. 

• Maintain appropriate documentation, reporting records, and program governance practices to support financial accountability and stakeholder transparency. 

• Support leadership in the evaluation, negotiation, and administration of airline-related agreements and partnership investments. 

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in airline program managementor related transportation roles in the travel industry.

• Demonstrated experience managing third-party consultants and complex external partnerships. 

• Proven ability to oversee multi-million-dollar programs with direct accountability for performance analysis and reporting. 

• Strong working knowledge of airline economics, transportation systems, revenue management, pricing, scheduling, and service agreements (including MRG structures). 

• Advanced analytical, forecasting, and reporting skills; high proficiency in Excel and financial modeling. 

• Exceptional collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills across internal teams, airlines, and community organizations.