Senior Manager Commercial Planning

Etihad Airways; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 420,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Manager Commercial Planning to turn strategy into coordinated action across Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Sponsorships and Alliances.

You will lead a team of 6, align priorities across markets, coordinate multiple functions, and translate priorities into actionable plans and requirements. The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution in a fast-moving airline environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in commercial strategy, planning or transformation within aviation or travel.
• Strong understanding of how commercial functions drive revenue performance.
• Proven track record leading cross-functional projects and translating strategy into execution.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across multiple levels.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in strategy, business transformation or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the commercial strategy and its implementation across the organization.
• Coordinate strategic priorities across multiple Commercial functions to ensure alignment.
• Proactively assess commercial activity and adjust strategies as needed.
• Lead strategic, cross-functional projects with senior stakeholders.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear business requirements, plans and actions.
• Facilitate stakeholder alignment when market conditions change.
• Monitor progress with meaningful metrics and drive improvements.
• Act as a catalyst for change to turn strategy into commercial outcomes.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Analytical capability

Change management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in strategy / transformation / related discipline

Job description

Etihad is entering an exciting period of growth as we continue to deliver against our Journey 2030 ambitions, expanding our network, strengthening our commercial performance and building an airline capable of competing at an increasingly global scale.

We’re looking for a Senior Manager Commercial Planning to play a pivotal role in turning our commercial strategy into coordinated action across the organization.

This is not simply a planning or reporting position. You’ll operate at the center of our Commercial organization, connecting strategy with execution and ensuring teams across Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Sponsorships, Alliances and other commercial functions are aligned behind the priorities that matter most.

You’ll bring together different perspectives, challenge thinking where needed and help translate our ambitions into clear, actionable commercial plans.

What you’ll do

A major part of your role will be helping define and drive our commercial priorities across markets while leading a team of 6 people.

You’ll work closely with Revenue Management and our wider Commercial teams to establish clear objectives for different countries and regions, then ensure the activities across Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Sponsorships, Alliances and other functions collectively support those objectives.

You will:

• Lead and contribute to the development and implementation of commercial strategy, using internal and external analysis to generate insights and recommendations.
• Coordinate strategic priorities across multiple Commercial functions, ensuring teams remain aligned around common objectives.
• Proactively assess commercial activity and challenge strategies, priorities or assumptions when the evidence suggests we should take a different direction.
• Lead strategic projects across the Commercial division, partnering with senior stakeholders across different business areas.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear business and technical requirements, project plans and implementation activities.
• Bring the right stakeholders together when priorities or market conditions change, helping the organization respond quickly and maintain alignment.
• Monitor progress and performance, establishing meaningful measures and identifying areas requiring intervention or improvement.
• Act as a catalyst for change, influencing stakeholders across different levels and functions to turn strategy into tangible commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

What we’re looking for

This role requires someone who can see the bigger commercial picture while still having the drive and discipline to make things happen.

You’ll be highly strategic, commercially minded and comfortable operating across organizational boundaries. You won’t necessarily own every initiative yourself; your impact will come from your ability to influence, challenge and steer multiple teams toward a common goal. That ability to coordinate teams while still having significant organizational impact is central to what we’re looking for.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

Significant experience (minimum 10 years)within commercial strategy, planning, transformation or a related discipline, ideally within aviation, travel or another complex commercial environment.

A strong understanding of how commercial functions work together to drive market and revenue performance.

Demonstrated experience leading strategic, cross-functional projects and translating strategy into execution.

Strong analytical capability and the ability to turn complex information into clear commercial recommendations.

Experience managing change and influencing stakeholders across multiple functions and levels of seniority.

The confidence to constructively challenge established thinking and bring teams together around a shared direction.

Strong project management, prioritization and execution skills in a fast-moving environment.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to simplify complex issues and build alignment.

Experience leading people, including teams operating across different locations.

A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field such as strategy, business transformation, process improvement, change management or a related discipline.

Additional Information

Etihad Airways is more than the UAE’s national airline - we’re shaping the future of global aviation. From our hub in Abu Dhabi, we connect people across continents and cultures, while driving our “Journey 2030” ambition to double our fleet, expand our network and grow our people for a new era of excellence. Join us and become part of a vision where the world is your workplace and extraordinary experiences take flight.