Partnership Manager

Job Description

PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

London HQ | Reports to: CEO & Founder

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Navigator is an AI-native travel media and Commerce Media Network. We use exclusive first-party data from the world's leading airlines and OTAs to deliver precision-targeted advertising to hundreds of millions of travellers at the moment they're most likely to book. With the greatest scale and depth to our data, we have access to over 2 billion searches and bookings globally.

Most media networks are trying to retrofit commerce media principles onto infrastructure that was never built for it. We started from scratch — AI-native architecture, proprietary data partnerships, agentic buying capabilities, and a demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) ecosystem built specifically for travel. That's a meaningful difference, and it's why the biggest names in travel advertising are coming to us.

Series A funded and growing fast, Navigator is at an inflection point. The partnerships are live, the platform is proven, and we're scaling hard. This role sits at the centre of that.

ROLE SUMMARY

We're looking for a Partnership Manager to own and grow the relationships that Navigator's platform is built on — airline and OTA data partners, demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), and the wider technology ecosystem that powers our agentic buying infrastructure.

This is a commercial and operational role for someone who understands how the programmatic and commerce media landscape fits together and wants to help build something genuinely new in travel advertising. You'll report directly to the CEO & Founder and work closely with our Chief Product Officer and the wider senior leadership team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Partnership Management

• Own the day-to-day management of all existing data partnerships with airlines and travel brands

• Maintain and strengthen partner relationships to ensure data quality, compliance, and commercial performance

• Monitor partner performance and get ahead of issues before they become problems

• Support the CEO & Founder in identifying, negotiating, and closing new data partnerships

DSP, SSP & Vendor Ecosystem Management

• Own Navigator's relationships with demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) partners — the commercial and operational backbone of our media network

• Manage and develop our agentic buying partnerships as Navigator continues to push into AI-native campaign execution

• Own vendor contracts, renewals, and commercial terms in collaboration with legal and finance

• Evaluate and onboard new technology partners as our Commerce Media Network infrastructure evolves

• Build scalable processes for managing a vendor ecosystem that is growing in both size and complexity

Commercial & Operational Excellence

• Develop and maintain partnership frameworks, agreements, and operational playbooks

• Track and report on partnership KPIs, vendor spend, and commercial performance

• Identify opportunities to improve data quality, reduce costs, and drive efficiency across the partner ecosystem

• Work closely with our Chief Product Officer (CPO) and product teams to keep technical integrations running smoothly

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work directly with the CEO & Founder on strategic partnership decisions and key negotiations

• Collaborate with the CPO and product team on platform integrations, technical requirements, and roadmap dependencies

• Coordinate with finance on vendor budgets, forecasting, and payment processes

• Partner with legal on contract reviews, compliance, and risk management

• Work with commercial teams to understand data and inventory requirements for client campaigns

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Essential

• 3+ years in partnership management, vendor management, or a commercially focused operational role in adtech or media

• Working knowledge of the programmatic landscape — demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), data partnerships, and how they connect

• Strong commercial acumen — you understand contracts, negotiate confidently, and think in terms of value and risk

• Operationally sharp — you build processes, hit deadlines, and keep things moving

• Comfortable working directly with a founding CEO and senior leadership team in a fast-moving environment

• Clear, confident communicator with internal and external stakeholders at all levels

Desirable

• Experience in commerce media, retail media, or travel media network environments

• Familiarity with agentic buying platforms or AI-native advertising infrastructure

• Experience managing first-party data partnerships and data licensing agreements

• Background in a scaling adtech or media technology business

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Commercially Sharp: You understand how deals work and how to protect Navigator's interests

• Collaborative: Works well across the CEO, CPO, product, and commercial teams

• Resilient: Handles setbacks and difficult negotiations without drama

• Detail-Oriented: Nothing falls through the cracks

• Growth-Oriented: Energised by the challenge of building something new

• Self-Sufficient: Gets on with it — doesn't need hand-holding

• Trustworthy: Handles sensitive commercial information with discretion

WHAT NAVIGATOR OFFERS

• Real impact: You're managing the relationships the whole platform depends on

• Direct access: You'll work daily with the CEO & Founder and have genuine influence on how Navigator's partner ecosystem develops

• Ownership: Your partnerships, your vendor ecosystem, your processes

• Something to build: We're not iterating on an existing model — we're building a new category in travel advertising

• Competitive package: Market-rate salary plus performance incentives

• London HQ: Based in our London office as part of a high-performance team

• Career progression: Clear path to Senior Partnership Manager and beyond as the network scales

REPORTING & COLLABORATION

• Reports to: CEO & Founder

Works closely with:

• Chief Product Officer (CPO): Platform integrations, product roadmap, technical requirements

• Senior Leadership Team: Commercial strategy, legal, finance, and operations

• Commercial Teams: Data and inventory requirements for client campaigns

Navigator is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team