Director, Concessions & Partnerships

Allegheny County Airport Authority•Moon Township, PA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Concessions & Partnerships will shape the commercial strategy for Pittsburgh International Airport’s retail, dining, and passenger services portfolio, leading major brand partnerships and overseeing the performance of the concessions program. This role involves working with national brands, emerging operators, and distinctive regional concepts to ensure the airport’s commercial environment remains fresh, compelling, and commercially successful. The position combines commercial strategy, brand engagement, and complex contract negotiation with strong stakeholder leadership. It is ideal for a commercially driven leader who excels at building partnerships, influencing across large organizations, and delivering strong commercial results in a high-traffic consumer environment. The Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) manages Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Allegheny County Airport (AGC), aiming to transform Pittsburgh’s airports to reflect, connect, and serve the community, inspire the industry, and advance the region’s role as a world leader.

Requirements

Significant experience in retail, food & beverage, hospitality, or commercial real estate within high-volume consumer environments.
Proven track record of identifying and delivering new business opportunities and driving commercial revenue growth.
Strong experience negotiating complex commercial partnerships and contracts with third-party operators.
Experience identifying, engaging, and securing new brands or operators within competitive commercial environments.
Strong commercial acumen supported by analytical capability and strategic thinking.
Excellent interpersonal, networking, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at senior levels across large organizations.
Demonstrated leadership experience building and developing high-performing teams.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to travel 5%.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
Significant leadership experience within retail, food & beverage, hospitality, commercial real estate, or other high-traffic consumer environments.
Demonstrated experience driving revenue growth through commercial partnerships, brand development, and negotiation of agreements with third-party operators.
Proven ability to manage commercial performance within a multi-unit or portfolio business environment, delivering against revenue or financial targets.
Possess or obtain prior to employment a valid Pennsylvania Class C driver’s license and maintain it throughout employment.
Extensive knowledge of commercial development revenue growth strategies.
Strong communication and organizational skills, with attention to detail.
Tech-savvy, with proficiency in Microsoft Office suites, and other modern productivity tools such as Teams, Asana, SharePoint, etc.
Ability to deal professionally with internal and external partners at all levels.
Self-motivated; able to work with little or no guidance and make sound decisions under pressure.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and innovative environment.
Ability to travel occasionally.
Flexibility to be available after hours/on weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

CRM tools such as Salesforce preferred.
Master’s degree in Business Administration or a related field.
Experience managing relationships and growing product lines in a complex commercial environment.

Responsibilities

Own the revenue performance of parking and ground transportation programs, including forecasting, pricing strategies, demand management, and yield optimization.
Define and lead the long-term commercial strategy for PIT’s retail, dining, and passenger services portfolio.
Protect and grow the airport’s non-aeronautical revenue base through strategic contract negotiation, commercial initiatives, and the introduction of innovative concepts that improve margin and Revenue per Passenger (RPP).
Personally lead the development and negotiation of major commercial partnerships, including national brands, anchor operators, and high-profile regional concepts.
Oversee the concessions contract lifecycle including tender strategy, proposal evaluation, negotiation, and contract award, providing commercial leadership on major agreements.
Provide strategic direction to the Business Development & Product Manager to maintain a strong pipeline of prospective operators and innovative concepts aligned with the airport’s commercial strategy.
Accountable for the commercial performance of the concessions portfolio, holding concession partners responsible for sales performance, service standards, and brand execution.
Provide leadership to the Performance & Logistics Manager to ensure concession partners are supported and challenged to maximize trading performance and operational alignment with passenger flows.
Ensure the Commercial Insights function delivers high-quality analytics, forecasting, and reporting to support strategic decision-making and performance improvement.
Ensure the concessions function is engaged early in airport development and operational projects that may impact commercial performance, advocating for commercial requirements to be embedded within project scope, design, and funding.
Act as a strong internal advocate for the airport’s commercial business, influencing teams across Finance, Legal, Operations, Marketing, Brand & Communications, IT, and Planning to ensure concessions considerations are integrated into decisions affecting passenger flow, access, sightlines, and commercial performance.
Guide the design and activation of commercial spaces and oversee concession development projects and operator fit-outs.
Lead and develop the concessions team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

Two plan options for healthcare coverage from high-quality insurance carriers.
ACAA-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) to help offset the cost of many medical expenses.
ACAA employees pay almost $1,200 less per year in healthcare contributions than the average employee in other companies.
Health-plan deductibles paid by ACAA employees are about $1,200 lower on average than the costs paid by employees of other companies when HRA funding is included.
ACAA does not require that employees meet a separate deductible for pharmacy expenses before prescription-drug coverage kicks in.
ACAA’s dental plans (included with healthcare coverage) offer an option covering children’s orthodontia.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to help pay for health care and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.
All eligible full-time ACAA employees participate in the Allegheny County Employees Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan that vests after 10 years of service.
Deferred Compensation Plan, which allows employees to contribute part of their pay on a pre-tax basis into long-term retirement investments.
Robust Employee Assistance Program (including access to free counselling sessions, financial guidance, and care coordination).
Life insurance options.
Wellness program.
Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Employees may enroll their children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age in our on-site preschool and childcare center, La Petite Academy, at Pittsburgh International Airport.