Solutions Engineer

The Solution Engineer owns and governs end-to-end connectivity solutions that enable distribution of rates and availability, intake of bookings, and sourcing of content with external partners (OTAs, wholesalers, GDS)-including connectivity that exists outside IHG's systems. Working across internal products, switch/technology vendors, and third‑party platforms, they translate business requirements into implementable technical designs and operational processes that ensure seamless data flow, surface and mitigate failure points, and align connectivity with IHG's strategic objectives for availability, revenue, partner interoperability, and guest experience.

While not expected to write production code, the role requires deep technical fluency, pseudo‑developer capability to test APIs and map complex data flows, deep industry knowledge, and trusted advisor capabilities; ultimately the Solution Engineer is accountable for ensuring third‑party connectivity is best‑in‑class and for optimizing revenue outcomes across a material portion of IHG's inventory.

Your day to day

* Own and define end‑to‑end solutions for transacting ARI, booking, and content data across IHG products, intermediaries, and external vendors-including system diagrams, deployment plans, data mappings, ETL/ELT, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and documented end‑to‑end workflow definitions.

* Map and analyze how data flows across systems: document API (automated) and manual (non‑API) touchpoints, data payloads, transformation logic, and error‑handling strategies to enable reliable integrations.

* Translate business objectives into strategic connectivity and system‑design decisions; evaluate technical and economic feasibility and recommend configuration vs. customization trade‑offs.

* Design, validate, and maintain lightweight sandbox configurations and use tools (e.g., Postman) to simulate partner API calls, troubleshoot failures, and validate payloads and assumptions without writing production code.

* Identify and proactively mitigate potential failure points in the end‑to‑end workflow; design or recommend visibility tools, logging, and monitoring to surface failures and reduce MTTR.

* Develop, document, and refine operational processes (runbooks, escalation paths, manual workarounds, and API‑driven processes) that support the technical solution and ensure operational efficiency and recoverability.

* Lead solution design across multiple external vendors and intermediaries; ensure vendor deliverables conform to agreed designs, schedules, and acceptance criteria through integration validation and formal sign‑off.

* Define and enforce non‑functional requirements-SLAs, security/compliance, scalability, performance, and disaster‑recovery/operational recoverability-across internal and partner systems.

* Act as the technical liaison between product managers, vendor support, and internal engineering teams; provide guidance, clarify technical requirements, and accelerate issue resolution.

* Produce and maintain connectivity roadmaps and evaluate emerging technologies and vendor solutions for commercial applicability; drive industry standardization and interoperability where appropriate.

* Analyze business systems and end‑to‑end processes to identify functional gaps, risks, and mitigation controls; capture lessons learned and feed recurring needs back into product and platform roadmaps.

* Demonstrate deep industry knowledge, and trusted‑advisor capabilities when engaging partners and internal stakeholders to influence technical strategy, partner negotiation, and program direction.

What we need from you

* Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field of work or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.

* A minimum of 10+ years of progressive work-related experience with demonstrated proficiency in multiple disciplines, technologies, or processes related to the position.

* Strong initiative to drive deliverables and projects with a strong attention to detail

* Strong competency in creation and maintenance of travel industry distribution solutions

* Strong proficiency in Business Process Analysis, Technical, and Standards…