Partnerships Lead, Product Partnerships (contract)

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals in more than 100, 000 cities and towns located in 220+ countries and regions across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and one-of-a-kind activities that make it possible for guests to experience the world in a more authentic, connected way.Airbnb was born with a creative spirit, and it’s one of the most defining parts of our culture. We use our curiosity and imagination to come up with unconventional solutions. These are the ideas at the core of Airbnb:

• Our community is based on connection and belonging.
• Our creativity allows us to imagine new possibilities for people.
• Our responsibility is to all of our stakeholders.
• It takes a unified team committed to our core values to embody these ideas, and our fast-moving team is committed to leading as a 21st century company.

Job OverviewWe are looking for an experienced and strategic Senior Partnerships Lead to join our Platform Partnerships team, focused on product and technology partnerships that directly enable and accelerate Airbnb's product roadmap. In this role, you will serve as the primary BD partner to Airbnb's Product Marketing (PMM) organization, identifying and securing the third-party data, API, and technology partnerships that underpin new and upcoming Airbnb products.Unlike more outward-facing BD roles, this position sits at the intersection of product development and external partnerships. You will need to deeply understand Airbnb's internal product roadmap, translate those needs into a proactive external partnership strategy, and execute with the speed and precision that product timelines demand. Many of the partnerships you pursue will be foundational to products that guests and hosts rely on every day, even if the partnerships themselves are invisible to the end user. This is a high-ambiguity, high-impact role suited to someone who is as comfortable in a product strategy conversation as they are at the negotiating table.ResponsibilitiesPartnership Strategy:Define and own the BD strategy for product enablement. Work closely with PMM and Engineering to develop a deep understanding of the product roadmap and identify where third-party partnerships can unlock, accelerate, or improve planned products. Build a proactive pipeline of partner opportunities rather than waiting for inbound requests. Contribute to the broader Platform Partnerships strategy and help define how the product enablement category evolves over time.Roadmap Alignment:Act as the primary BD liaison to the PMM organization. Develop trusted relationships with PMM leads and maintain ongoing visibility into the product roadmap so that partnership needs are anticipated well in advance of product timelines.Deal Execution:Lead the end-to-end BD process for priority partnerships: from initial outreach and scoping through negotiation, term sheet, and contract execution. Develop and refine commercial frameworks across a range of deal types, from data licensing and API agreements to broader technology and service partnerships. Structure deals that reduce cost and vendor dependency over time while protecting Airbnb's strategic flexibility.Technology Partner Strategy:Develop a clear point of view on build vs. buy vs. partner tradeoffs across Airbnb's technology stack and bring well-reasoned recommendations to Product and Engineering leadership. Continuously evaluate the partner landscape to ensure Airbnb is working with the best available solutions, negotiating commercial structures that reflect the strategic value of each relationship and position both parties for long-term success.Cross-Functional Leadership:Work closely with Finance, Legal, Product, and Engineering to align on partner profiles, model costs and revenue opportunities, define success metrics, and develop contracting frameworks. Represent the partnership opportunity clearly and compellingly to senior internal stakeholders and build the consensus required to move quickly on priority deals.Market and Category Expertise:Develop deep expertise in the data, technology, and service provider landscapes most relevant to Airbnb's product roadmap. Anticipate market shifts, competitive dynamics, and emerging capabilities that could create new partnership opportunities or risks. Use that expertise to proactively shape the product and partnership roadmap.Program Development:Define the KPIs, reporting frameworks, and partner feedback loops needed to evaluate and iterate on new partnerships. Capture learnings from early pilots to inform the playbooks, commercial templates, and onboarding processes that will allow product partnerships to scale globally over time. Ensure that partner feedback is continuously surfaced to PMM and Engineering to inform the product roadmap.REQUIREMENTS:10+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or a related field, with a track record of independently owning and closing complex, multi-stakeholder dealsExperience partnering closely with product and engineering organizations to identify and execute technology or data partnerships that directly enable product developmentFamiliarity with data licensing, API agreements, and technology vendor negotiations; comfort evaluating build vs. buy vs. partner tradeoffsDemonstrated ability to develop and execute partnership strategy proactively, not just manage inbound opportunitiesStrong commercial instincts and experience structuring deals across a range of partner types and commercial modelsComfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where product priorities can shift quickly; able to maintain focus and momentum across a diverse portfolioExperience working cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Finance, and Legal to align on strategy and move deals forwardExceptional communication and influence skills; able to synthesize complex product and technical context into a compelling external narrative and bring senior stakeholders along internallyExperience in travel, marketplace, or consumer technology is a plusEDUCATION:Bachelor's degree or equivalentBelonging & Accommodations:Airbnb is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We believe a diversity of ideas fosters innovation and engagement, and allows us to attract the best people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. If you need assistance, or reasonable accommodation during the application and recruiting process, please connect with your talent sourcing partner.Pay Rate Range: $85-$100/hrBenefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K

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