Managing Director, Commercial Strategy & Network Development

Clear Destination Inc.; Westlake, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

CommuteAir is seeking a Managing Director of Commercial Strategy & Network Development to shape the airline's direction as it explores new business models and expanded networks. You will partner with senior leaders to develop, evaluate, and refine network scenarios from conception through price‑out, owning long‑term planning for the airline.

You will lead market analysis, route opportunities, and fleet options, while overseeing prorate negotiations and EAS bid development with major partners.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in route/network planning for US carriers or related fields.
• Ability to develop a compelling strategy and lead initiatives end-to-end.
• Expertise in airline data sources and forecasting models.

Responsibilities

• Define strategic direction for expansion into at-risk flying and new business models.
• Evaluate route opportunities, markets and fleet options with senior leadership.
• Lead long‑term planning, price-out scenarios and network design.
• Negotiate prorate agreements and participate in EAS bids with partners.
• Assess profitability by route, time horizon, and cost structures.
• Lead strategic projects aligned with business priorities.

Skills

Route planning

Network forecasting

Prorate negotiations

Data analysis

Excel

Power BI

Sabre / Amadeus

Cirium / OAG data

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in business, economics, aviation

Tools

Sabre

Amadeus

Zulu Systems

Cirium

OAG

Excel

Power BI

PowerPoint

Job description

What the position is:

The Managing Director of Commercial Strategy & Network Development plays a pivotal role in CommuteAir’s future success by helping to define the Company’s strategic direction as it expands into “at‑risk” flying through rigorous evaluation of new business models, network structures, route opportunities, and fleet options. The Managing Director partners with the Director, Network and Operations Planning to develop, evaluate, and refine alternative schedule and network scenarios from conception through price‑out. This position will be directly responsible for the long‑to‑medium‑term planning function for the airline.

Essential Functions:

• Contribute to thought leadership with respect to the evolving regional air travel landscape, competition, future passenger needs and behavior, and specific use cases for different aircraft technologies
• Work closely with Finance to evaluate the feasibility and profitability of different business models for regional air service, utilizing a variety of aircraft types and spanning both short- and longer‑term planning horizons
• Evaluate potential new route opportunities (including prorate and EAS markets) considering multiple factors, including competitive dynamics, demographic and economic drivers, and past and potential traffic and revenue volumes and patterns and make recommendations to the senior leadership team
• Contribute to prorate negotiations with major airline partners and the development of EAS bids, considering all sources of potential revenue and a detailed understanding of CommuteAir’s costs
• Regularly evaluate prorate flying flight‑and route‑level profitability and make recommendations for schedule adjustments
• Proactively identify, lead, and support other strategic projects based on business priorities and emerging opportunities

General requirements & qualifications:

• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in route/network planning at a US‑based mainline or regional (Part 121 or Part 135) carrier, airport authority, and/or consultancy
• Demonstrated ability to develop and articulate a compelling vision, challenge conventional approaches, and proactively lead initiatives from concept through execution with minimal direction
• Demonstrated expertise in airline industry, demographic, business, and emerging mobility data sources, including:
• Expert in the use and evaluation of airline industry data, including US government and GDS‑derived data sources
• Experience utilizing Zip code‑level demographic and business data sources for planning purposes.
• Familiarity with emerging data sources used to estimate market size, such as mobile device location data.
• Prior experience planning and negotiating prorate agreements with major carriers.
• Expert user of airline network forecasting models and scheduling software (e.g., Sabre, Amadeus, Zulu Systems, etc.), as well as airline industry data interfaces (e.g., Cirium, OAG)
• Must be able to independently create detailed new route forecasts/pro formas from modeled output and negotiate financial incentives with communities and airport authorities
• Prior experience evaluating alternative network structures and aircraft types, from conception and design through price‑out; experience evaluating and utilizing aircraft manufacturer cost information is a plus
• Solid understanding of airline cost structures and allocation methodologies, with an emphasis on route profitability analysis and decision‑making
• Excellent technical skills, including being an advanced user of the Microsoft suite of products, with particular emphasis on Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in business, economics, aviation, or related field, or equivalent work experience
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary Work:

Exerting up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body, sedentary work involves sitting most of the time and walking /standing occasionally

Visual Acuity

Includes inspection, close assembly, clerical administrative; This is a minimal standard for use with those whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, computer, extensive reading.

Environmental Conditions:

Inside environmental conditions; protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.

ADA Compliance:

CommuteAir is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and a workplace that is inclusive and accessible to all individuals. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable laws, CommuteAir ensure reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process and during employment. Our goal is to foster a respectful, inclusive environment that supports accessibility and equity.

The above constitutes the general expectations of the role and should not be considered all inclusive. While some things may change as the position evolves, we expect every Commute Air employee to act in the best interest of the company, our employees, and our passengers