Senior Director, Brand Marketing NORAM

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is a leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We’re also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.

As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is in our DNA and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

KAYAK is looking for a strategic, commercially minded Senior Director, Brand Marketing to lead NORAM brand efforts for KAYAK! This role will shape how our brand shows up across the region—driving culturally relevant, insight-led campaigns that deliver measurable business impact.

Reporting to the SVP, Brand Marketing, you will own the NORAM brand budget and investment strategy, partnering closely with the NORAM GM and cross-functional teams (Creative, Media, PR, and Product Marketing) to prioritize resources, optimize performance, and unlock regional growth.

This role will be required to work from our Norwalk, CT office 3 days per week.

In this role, you will:

• Define and lead a full‑funnel, audience‑first brand strategy across NORAM that balances short‑term performance and long‑term brand building.

• Shape how KAYAK shows up culturally ensuring a modern, relevant, and differentiated voice.

• Localize global brand positioning and messaging so it resonates across NORAM.

• Lead integrated, cross‑channel campaigns across TV, online video, OOH, audio, social, and owned channels.

• Partner with the Sr. Director of Creative to deliver a dual‑track approach that balances storytelling and conversion.

• Co‑develop messaging frameworks, tone, and CTAs to ensure consistency and clarity across assets.

• Move planning from broad demographics to intent‑ and audience‑driven strategies, with channel‑specific creative approaches.

• Set NORAM media priorities, own budget allocation decisions, and work with internal and agency teams to execute and optimize plans.

• Work with Brand Strategy & Measurement to run experiments, media‑mix modeling, and incrementality testing to prove impact.

• Mentor, and grow brand leaders, fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture focused on clear priorities and scalable execution.

• Strong growth in direct traffic and branded search volume across NORAM

• Measurable improvements in brand awareness, consideration, and preference

• Highly effective, insight-driven campaigns that deliver both performance and brand impact

• A scalable, full-funnel brand marketing engine embedded across markets

• A high-performing team with strong cross-functional alignment

Please apply if you have:

• 12+ years of experience in brand marketing, with significant leadership experience across North America.

• Proven track record of building and scaling full-funnel brand strategies that drive measurable business impact

• Experience developing of integrated campaigns across online and offline channels

• Comfort working in performance-driven environments with an understanding of measurement, testing, and attribution

• The ability to balance creative ambition with commercial objectives

• Experience managing and developing teams and collaborating across functions and influencing at senior levels

• Experience in consumer tech, travel, or digital marketplace businesses is a plus

Benefits and Perks

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year

• Focus on mental health and well-being:

  • Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth

  • Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace

  • Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)

• No meeting Fridays

• Paid parental leave

• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday

• Paid volunteer time

• Focus on your career growth:

  • Development Dollars

  • Leadership development

  • Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings

• Travel Discounts

• Employee Resource Groups

• Competitive retirement and health plans

• Free lunch 2 days per week

There are a variety of factors that go into determining a salary range, including but not limited to external market benchmark data, geographic location, and years of experience sought/required. The range for this Connecticut based role is $185,000-230,000.00, not inclusive of annual bonus and recurring RSU grants.

We offer a competitive base salary and benefits including: health benefits; flexible spending account; retirement benefits; life insurance; paid time off (including PTO, paid sick leave, medical leave, bereavement leave, floating holidays and paid holidays); and parental leave benefits.

Inclusion

At KAYAK, we want everyone to have the space to grow, share ideas and do great work. That’s why we’re focused on hiring the best talent from all walks of life and experiences, supporting them well and making sure no one feels like they have to fit a mold to belong here.

Need any adjustments for the interview, application or on the job? No problem - just give us a heads-up. We’ve got you.