Commercial Strategy & Development Manager - Denver International Airport

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Working for the City and County of Denver offers competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, allowing employees to work with purpose. The organization is a diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members. Denver International Airport (DEN), opened in 1995, is one of the world’s busiest airports, ranking 4th in the U.S. and 10th globally in 2025 with over 82 million passengers. DEN is Colorado’s primary economic engine, generating $47.2 billion in annual economic impact, and is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace with Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) at its core. DEN is seeking a Commercial Strategy & Development Manager for its Concessions Department. This role is crucial for driving commercial growth by identifying, attracting, and onboarding world-class concession operators, and leading the airport’s sponsorship and advertising commercial programs. The manager will advance DEN’s vision for a renowned concessions program through market strategy, industry outreach, and partnership development to enhance customer experience and maximize revenue. This position involves close collaboration with leadership and across the enterprise to develop and execute strategies supporting DEN’s Vision 100 and long-term commercial goals, serving as a strategic, external-facing role to engage national, regional, and local operators, concepts, advertisers, and sponsors for innovative commercial partnerships.

Requirements

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in commercial strategy, business development, revenue growth, procurement, or a related field.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in market analysis, business case development, and strategic planning.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously and deliver measurable results.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and managing RFPs, and overseeing complex commercial contracts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated (proven) leadership skills managing professional and technical level staff.
• Experience with business process improvement activities.
• Experience in driving an organization to achieve measurable results through continuous improvement.
• Decision making experience including planning and organizing multiple programs, projects and operations simultaneously.
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management, which must have included management of professional individual contributors.
• FBI criminal background check is required for all positions at Denver International Airport (DEN).
• Employees are also required to report any felony convictions and/or moving violations to maintain this clearance and be eligible for continued employment.
• By position, a pre-employment physical/drug test may be required.
• Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality, retail, advertising, sponsorship, or commercial real estate preferred.
• The ideal candidate is a strategic, results-driven commercial strategy & development professional with strong commercial, negotiation, and procurement expertise and a proven ability to grow revenue in complex, high-traffic environments.
• This individual brings creativity, market insight, and entrepreneurial thinking, along with the ability to build and manage high-value commercial partnerships that support DEN’s long-term vision.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of the Concessions Master Plan by identifying growth opportunities and market gaps across concourses that align with airport operational and revenue goals.
• Develop and advance current and future concession opportunities through market research, industry benchmarking, and concept curation.
• Draft, write, publish, and manage Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for concession opportunities including outreach, evaluation coordination, recommendation development, and contract negotiations.
• Oversee sponsorship and advertising contracts, ensuring commercial performance, compliance with contract terms, and alignment with DEN’s standards, revenue objectives and customer experience goals.
• Serve as a liaison between prospective and existing concessionaires, sponsors, advertisers, and airport stakeholders on business opportunities, and commercial alignment.
• Collaborate with Finance and internal partners on revenue strategy, financial analysis, forecasting, and long-term commercial planning.
• Define, track, and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure commercial growth, revenue performance, and partner success.
• Manage the Joint Marketing Fund and the contracts supported by it, utilizing these resources to drive targeted marketing and promotional initiatives that elevate DEN’s existing concession partners, strengthen brand visibility, and both enhance customer engagement and experience across the airport
• Partner with concourse, development, and marketing teams to ensure alignment between commercial development strategies, capital planning, space availability, and advertising inventory.
• Review leases, sponsorship agreements, and advertising contracts to support revenue optimization, long-term partnership success, and compliance with DEN policies.
• Promote a business friendly operating environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and sustainable commercial partnerships.
• Manage complex stakeholder relationships and resolve commercial issues involving concessionaires, sponsors, advertisers, and internal partners.
• Prepare and present business cases, market insights, procurement recommendations, and performance reports to executive leadership.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year
• 12 paid holidays
• 1 personal holiday
• 1 Wellness Day
• 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees