Dir Distribution Strategy - 90165893 - Washington
Washington, DC, US, 20001
Your success is a train ride away!
As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.
Are you ready to join our team?
Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.
Job Summary
The Director, Distribution Strategy provides strategic leadership for Amtrak’s third-party distribution ecosystem and owns the long-term roadmap for indirect sales channels, partner distribution models, channel economics, and business governance. This role is responsible for shaping how Amtrak expands reach, improves partner performance, reduces cost of sale, strengthens channel controls, and modernizes external distribution capabilities across corporate booking tools, travel agencies, tour operators, online travel agencies, GDS-related partners, technology aggregators, vacation partners, and other third-party points of sale.
This position leads the Distribution Strategy function within Corporate Partnerships, Distribution, and Revenue Technology. The Director partners closely with Corporate Partnerships (Sales), Revenue Management, Pricing, Commercial Strategy, Digital Technology, Cybersecurity, Finance, Legal, Customer Experience, Operations, and external distribution partners to align commercial objectives with scalable partner connectivity, reliable operations, data-driven insights, and future-state reservation capabilities.
The role is accountable for establishing distribution priorities, evaluating partner and channel opportunities, guiding integration strategy, shaping partner governance, supporting executive decision-making, and ensuring Amtrak’s third-party distribution strategy evolves with reservation technology, future commercial platforms, and changing travel retailing expectations.
Essential Functions
Distribution Strategy & Partner Management
- Define and execute Amtrak's third-party distribution strategy and roadmap.
- Evaluate channel opportunities, partnerships, and emerging industry trends.
- Lead strategic relationships with key distribution, vacation, and point of sale partners and support commercial negotiations and business cases.
Distribution Transformation & Integration
- Guide the distribution integration roadmap, including partner onboarding, migrations, and technology modernization initiatives.
- Ensure third-party impacts are considered for major reservation, payment, retailing, and servicing changes.
Performance & Analytics
- Establish channel performance metrics, partner scorecards, and executive reporting.
- Identify opportunities to grow revenue, reduce cost of sale, and improve customer and partner experiences.
Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Lead and develop distribution team members while driving alignment across Commercial, Technology, Finance, Legal, Operations, and external partners.
- Establish governance, prioritization, and operating processes to support effective portfolio management.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Economics, Information Systems, Engineering, Transportation, Hospitality, Data Analytics, or a similar field, or equivalent combination of training, education, and relevant experience.
- Minimum 11 years of progressive experience in distribution strategy, commercial strategy, partnerships, travel technology, sales channels, product management, revenue management, digital commerce, business analysis, or transportation/travel industry roles, with at least 3 years leading cross-functional initiatives, partner programs, commercial technology roadmaps, or channel strategy.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters’s Degree in Business, Economics, Information Systems, Engineering, Transportation, Hospitality, Data Analytics, or a similar field, or equivalent combination of training, education, and relevant experience.
- Plus 13 years of relevant work experience.
- Experience in rail, airline, hospitality, rental car, or other travel/transportation environments.
- Experience leading third-party distribution, B2B/API partner strategy, partner integrations, channel strategy, commercial platform transformation, or travel retailing initiatives.
- Experience with reservation systems, retailing platforms, offer/order management, payments, fraud controls, loyalty, pricing, revenue management, PNR/order management, or after-sales servicing.
- Experience developing partner scorecards, channel strategies, cost-of-sale recommendations, contract inputs, executive presentations, business cases, and multi-year roadmaps.
- Experience leading partner migration, certification, launch readiness, cutover planning, organizational change management, or stabilization activities for major technology transformations.
- Experience managing direct reports or leading matrixed teams across business, technology, analytics, and external partner functions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Experience developing and executing distribution, partnership, or commercial growth strategies.
- Strong understanding of travel, transportation, e-commerce, or related distribution ecosystems.
- Ability to translate business objectives into actionable plans, priorities, and roadmaps.
- Strong analytical and financial skills, with experience evaluating performance metrics, business cases, and growth opportunities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience presenting to senior leaders.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and collaborating across business, technology, and external partner organizations.
- Technical aptitude and ability to work effectively with digital platforms, integrations, and technology teams.
- Proven ability to identify and mitigate operational, commercial, and organizational risks.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching, team development, and prioritization.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with collaboration, analytics, or project delivery tools.
Environmental Conditions/Physical Demands
• On-site role; Washington, DC preferred with other locations along the northeast corridor available.
• Occasional on-site work may be required for executive reviews, partner meetings, vendor sessions, planning workshops, testing events, release/cutover activities, or major launch milestones.
• Up to 25% travel may be required to meet with internal stakeholders, external partners, technology vendors, industry forums, or commercial partners.
• Work may require coordination across multiple time zones, partners, vendors, and internal teams.
• Some work outside standard business hours may be required during partner launches, production incidents, release windows, cutover events, or significant channel disruptions.
The salary/hourly range is $163,000.00 – $211,140.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
| Health and Wellbeing | Financial and Retirement | Work and Family Life Support |
| Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance | 401K with Employer Match | Generous Paid Time Off |
| Wellness Programs | Railroad Retirement Benefits | Paid Caregiving Days and Backup Care |
| Health Savings Account | Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness | Fertility and Family Building Benefits |
| No-cost Personal Health Advocate | Student Loan Assistance | Adoption and Surrogacy Assistance |
| Medical Plan Opt-out Credit | Tuition and Education Reimbursement | Paid Family Leave |
| Life Insurance | Rail Pass Privileges | |
| Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance | Employee Assistance Program | |
| No-cost Financial Advisor Sessions | Commuter and Flexible Spending Accounts |
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:167009
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
You power our progress through your performance.
We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.
Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.
Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.
In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.
In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.
Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.
