Sales Manager - Agency

United Airlines; Chicago (IL); Remote; USD 79,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

United Airlines is seeking a Sales Manager, Agency to manage and grow strategic agency partnerships, including loyalty travel, with responsibility for driving revenue and customer value across corporate, leisure, and loyalty channels.

You will develop data-driven growth strategies, negotiate agreements, analyze performance, and lead cross-functional collaboration to optimize programs and investments. Remote work is allowed with preference near Hub locations; travel up to 50% may be required.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in sales, account management, CRM, or related commercial role.
• Experience in B2B2C marketing and selling.
• Strong understanding of airline sales, travel agency sales, loyalty travel programs, and corporate travel management practices.
• Demonstrated skills in CRM, account management, sales management, and commercial negotiation.
• Experience analyzing customer data, booking trends, financial performance, and market opportunities to support revenue growth and investment decisions.
• Strong communication, partnership-building, and contract management capabilities.
• Working knowledge of new distribution capabilities (NDC), content aggregators, direct-connect models, and digitally-enabled travel retailing.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as a primary commercial point of contact for assigned accounts.
• Develop and execute commercial growth strategies that drive revenue, share gains, customer retention, and measurable business outcomes.
• Develop and execute business plans for strategic agency partnerships, including emerging growth channels such as loyalty travel.
• Analyze customer performance, market trends, and investment effectiveness to identify growth opportunities, forecast results, benchmark performance, and inform commercial decision-making.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to design, negotiate, launch, and optimize commercial programs and customer investments.
• Lead contract negotiations, renewals, and commercial recommendations that maximize business performance.
• Monitor account health, identify risks and opportunities, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Build credibility across customer organizations and influence decision-makers at multiple levels.
• Create and deliver compelling executive-level presentations, proposals, and business reviews.
• Collaborate across Revenue Management, Distribution, Digital, Finance, Legal, and Sales teams to align strategies and maximize growth opportunities.
• Champion innovation across digital and advisor-led channels, including modern retailing, direct-connect, and merchandising opportunities.
• Leverage executive engagement, joint customer initiatives, industry events, and advisory forums to strengthen strategic relationships.
• Provide end-to-end ownership of assigned strategic partnerships, including strategy development, investment governance, execution, and performance management.

Skills

Sales experience

Account management

Customer relationship management

Commercial negotiation

Data analysis

Presentation skills

NDC knowledge

Tools

BI reporting

Data visualization tools

CRM systems

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

About the Job

The Sales Manager, Agency is responsible for managing and supporting some of United’s most strategic agency partnerships, including emerging and growing sectors such as loyalty travel, representing approximately $700 million to more than $1 billion in annual United revenue. The role provides dedicated ownership of one or more strategically important agency partnerships while supporting broader partnership strategies across corporate, leisure, and loyalty travel channels. Serving as a primary commercial point of contact, the Sales Manager develops data-driven growth strategies, negotiates commercial agreements, evaluates investment performance, and strengthens partner engagement to drive sustainable revenue growth and customer value.

The Sales Manager advances United’s commercial objectives by developing mutually beneficial agency partnerships that drive sustainable revenue growth, customer engagement, and long-term business value. Success in this role requires strategic thinking, analytical rigor, strong commercial acumen, and effective relationship management to deliver measurable results for both United and its partners.

The role also advances United’s commercial and distribution priorities by applying a digital-first mindset and facilitating adoption of modern retailing capabilities, including NDC and direct-connect opportunities through preferred distribution channels. Through strategic account ownership, customer engagement, rigorous financial analysis, persuasive brand and value proposition selling, and effective use of sales tools and incentives, the Sales Manager improves account performance and delivers sustainable commercial results.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as a primary commercial point of contact for assigned accounts.
• Develop and execute commercial growth strategies that drive revenue, share gains, customer retention, and measurable business outcomes.
• Develop and execute business plans for strategic agency partnerships, including emerging growth channels such as loyalty travel.
• Analyze customer performance, market trends, and investment effectiveness to identify growth opportunities, forecast results, benchmark performance, and inform commercial decision-making.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to design, negotiate, launch, and optimize commercial programs and customer investments.
• Lead contract negotiations, renewals, and commercial recommendations that maximize business performance.
• Monitor account health, identify risks and opportunities, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Build credibility across customer organizations and influence decision-makers at multiple levels.
• Create and deliver compelling executive-level presentations, proposals, and business reviews.
• Collaborate across Revenue Management, Distribution, Digital, Finance, Legal, and Sales teams to align strategies and maximize growth opportunities.
• Champion innovation across digital and advisor-led channels, including modern retailing, direct-connect, and merchandising opportunities.
• Leverage executive engagement, joint customer initiatives, industry events, and advisory forums to strengthen strategic relationships.
• Provide end-to-end ownership of assigned strategic partnerships, including strategy development, investment governance, execution, and performance management.

Note: This position provides a remote work arrangement, with preference towards candidates living within 50 miles of a United Airlines hub location (Chicago, Houston, Dulles, Newark, Denver, Los Angeles, or San Francisco). Travel required up to 50% of the time (both domestic and international).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in sales, account management, customer relationship management, or a related commercial role
• Experience in B2B2C marketing and selling
• Strong foundational understanding of airline sales, travel agency sales, loyalty travel programs, and corporate travel management practices
• Demonstrated skills in customer relationship management, account management, sales management, and commercial negotiation
• Experience analyzing customer data, booking trends, financial performance, and market opportunities to support revenue growth and investment decisions
• Strong communication, partnership-building, and contract management capabilities
• Exceptional analytical, financial, sales, and negotiating skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear commercial recommendations
• Ability to create and deliver exceptional client- or executive-facing presentations
• Working knowledge of new distribution capabilities (NDC), content aggregators, direct-connect models, and digitally-enabled travel retailing
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in sales, account management, customer relationship management, or a related commercial role
• Experience with competitive intelligence and business intelligence reporting
• Demonstrated digital mindset and curiosity, with experience identifying and advancing technology-enabled commercial opportunities
• Proficiency in data visualization and presentation storytelling
• Experience supporting customer experience management initiatives
• Background owning large, complex strategic partnerships or agency sales relationships with accountability for growth, investment, and measurable business outcomes
• Demonstrates an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of generative AI tools and effectively leverages them to support research, analysis, content creation, and problem-solving. Applies critical thinking to validate AI-generated outputs while adhering to organizational policies for responsible AI use, data privacy, and security.

The base pay range for this role is $78,755.00 to $102,598.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]