Connectivity Specialist – Hotel Distribution (Channel Managers & Switches)

About the role

lastminute.com is looking for a Connectivity Specialist for its Global Hotel division, which manages direct contracts with 23,000+ hotels worldwide. You will act as the technical and commercial bridge between Global Hotel and channel managers, switches and connectivity providers, and serve as subject-matter expert on ARI flows, booking delivery, content and mapping, and rate and availability push and pull.

Key responsibilities

• Engage directly with channel managers, switches and aggregators (e.g. SiteMinder, D-EDGE, Cloudbeds, RateGain, DerbySoft, Availpro) to understand their capabilities, limitations and roadmaps, and benchmark them against distribution requirements.
• Read and interpret partner API documentation and integration specifications to assess fit.
• Identify technical gaps affecting content quality, availability, competitiveness, conversion or operational efficiency, and diagnose recurring connectivity issues to find the root cause.
• Translate technical findings into business cases justifying upgrades, replacements or new onboarding, quantifying impact on coverage, competitiveness, error reduction and operational savings.
• Support commercial and partnership conversations that need technical depth, and partner with Product and Engineering during discovery and integration.

Required profile

• 4+ years of hands-on experience with hotel connectivity (channel managers, switches, aggregation platforms) on the OTA, bedbank, channel manager or hotel-tech side.
• Deep practical understanding of ARI flows, booking delivery, content mapping and connectivity protocols (XML/JSON, push/pull).
• Commercial awareness: able to frame technical gaps as clear business cases.
• Strong communication skills to bridge technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Eligible to work in the country of employment without needing visa sponsorship.

Required skills

• ARI distribution, booking delivery, content mapping and connectivity protocols (XML/JSON)
• Desirable: basic SQL and data literacy, exposure to GDS, OTA integrations or PMS, additional European languages

What we offer

• Shorter working week (36 hours full-time) with a half day off on Fridays in applicable locations.
• Flexible start and end times, with core hours 10:00 to 16:00.
• Remote work for a period each year, depending on local regulations.
• Friday deep-work time, professional and managerial training paths, and e-learning platforms.
• Volunteering days off, occasional social events, travel industry discounts and staff fares.