Director, Strategic Initiatives, Expedia Lodging

At Expedia Group, we help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. As a global travel company powered by passionate people, trusted partnerships, and leading technology, we connect travelers, partners, and advertisers through our consumer brands, B2B network, and travel advertising business. Here, you'll do meaningful work that helps millions of people discover, book, and experience travel with more ease, confidence, and joy. Our five Behaviors-Traveler First, Think Big, Operate with Excellence, Ownership Mindset, and Succeed Together-help foster a supportive environment where people can grow their careers and have the flexibility, benefits, and support to do their best work. Join us and build for travelers everywhere.

Director, Strategic Initiatives - Expedia Lodging

Expedia Group's consumer business operates through three flagship brands: Expedia®, the all-in-one travel platform; Hotels.com®, the hotels expert focused on rewards and flexible options; and Vrbo®, the trusted vacation rental brand. These teams set the strategic vision, operating plans, and investment priorities to create compelling and distinct traveler value and drive business growth. They partner across Marketing, Product, Technology, Supply, Advertising, Servicing, and Corporate Functions to deliver the best traveler and business outcomes.

Brand Expedia is seeking a Director, Strategy to lead the next chapter of growth for our Lodging business — spanning Hotels and Vacation Rentals.

This is a senior leadership role with full ownership of the lodging strategy: from defining the multi-year investment agenda, developing the annual plan and resolving in-year trade-offs, to driving end-to-end execution of the highest-priority bets across the business. You will be the strategic authority for Expedia's lodging marketplace — synthesizing market dynamics, competitive positioning, segment economics, and customer insights to shape where Expedia plays and how it wins. You will serve as a thought partner to the Senior Director of Expedia Lodging, represent the lodging strategy to executive leadership, and work collaboratively with cross-functional peers. You will have support from a team of strategic initiative managers and analysts. This is a high-ownership, high-visibility role at the heart of one of Expedia Group's most critical growth areas.

In this role, you will:

• Define the lodging strategy: Own the multi-year strategic agenda for Hotels and Vacation Rentals — including segment prioritization, investment allocation, and the key bets that will deliver profitable share growth. Bring clarity to complex trade-offs (e.g., value vs. premium hotels, short-term margin vs. long-term category positioning) and land decisions with executive stakeholders.
• Lead the highest-stakes strategic initiatives: Drive the portfolio of growth initiatives from diagnosis through scaled execution — including business case development, cross-functional workstream design, KPI frameworks, and go/no-go investment decisions.
• Own commercial outcomes: Accountable for the lodging P&L, including market share, NBV, gross profit, and conversion targets across hotel and vacation rental segments. Partner with Finance to translate strategy into operating plan commitments.
• Be the executive voice on lodging strategy: Develop compelling, insight-driven strategic narratives and present them to VP, SVP, and C-suite audiences. Ensure leaders are aligned on priorities, trade-offs, and progress against plan.
• Develop a high-performing team: Though an IC role, work closely with and help to build the team of strategists and analysts, setting a high bar for analytical rigor, structured problem-solving, and cross-functional influence. Create an environment where strong work gets done and strong people grow.
• Drive cross-functional alignment at scale: Operate as the connective tissue across Product, Marketing, Supply, Servicing, Analytics, and Finance — ensuring workstreams are coordinated, dependencies managed, and the strategy lands consistently across markets and functions.
• Develop market and competitive intelligence: Maintain a sharp, continuously updated view of the competitive landscape, category trends, and traveler behavior shifts. Translate intelligence into strategic implications and action.
• Shape the traveler experience roadmap: Identify and prioritize the highest-value friction points across the lodging journey (search, discovery, booking, post-trip) and partner with Product and Operations to drive scalable, measurable improvements.

Experience & Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in strategy, management consulting, or marketplace/e-consumer businesses, with a track record of owning complex commercial outcomes — or 10+ years with an MBA or equivalent advanced degree.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, cross-functional strategic initiatives from ambiguous problem to scaled execution, including building and presenting executive-level investment cases.
• Strong command of segment economics, P&L drivers, and multi-year business modeling; able to independently size opportunities, stress-test assumptions, and make data-grounded investment recommendations.
• Proven ability to influence and align senior stakeholders (VP+) across diverse functions on complex, high-stakes decisions.
• Experience managing and developing a team of high-performing strategists or analysts.
• Exceptional communication skills — able to distill complex analysis into a clear, compelling strategic narrative for executive audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in travel, OTA, marketplace, or consumer technology businesses with deep familiarity with lodging or vacation rental dynamics.
• History of driving measurable market share gains or category-level growth through strategic investment decisions.
• Track record of operating effectively in fast-moving, ambiguous environments with competing priorities and limited information.
• Familiarity with competitive dynamics and the supply economics of the lodging marketplace.

The total cash range for this position in Seattle is $207,500.00 to $290,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $332,000.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role.

The total cash range for this position in Austin is $207,500.00 to $290,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $332,000.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role.

Benefits and perks

• medical
• dental
• vision coverage
• paid time off
• Employee Assistance Program
• wellness and travel reimbursement
• travel discounts
• International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership

Accommodation requests

Expedia Group is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience. If you need an accommodation or adjustment due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please submit a request at https://expedia.service-now.com/askeg?id=job_accommodation.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group includes three flagship consumer brands - Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo - along with a leading B2B travel business and travel advertising offerings. Across our brands and business, we help travelers explore the world with confidence and ease. Our family of brands includes: Brand Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com.

Equal Opportunity

Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.

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