Airline & Product Strategy Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Airline & Product Strategy Lead

Company: SITA Switzerland Sarl

Location: Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Strategy & Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-13

Experience Level: Senior (10+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive strategic alignment and product adoption within the SITA-Manchester Airports Group (MAG) partnership, acting as the key customer-facing interface.

• Translate MAG's strategic objectives into tangible delivery and operational outcomes, ensuring successful execution of airline strategies.

• Lead the technology conversation for MAG's airline community, focusing on passenger processing innovations like biometrics and digital identity.

• Collate and manage business requirements from airlines, ensuring they reflect real-world operational needs and drive successful production deployments.

• Foster strong cross-functional relationships within SITA and externally with MAG and its airline partners to drive business growth and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a newly created, senior position within SITA, specifically designed to enhance the strategic partnership with Manchester Airports Group (MAG). It requires a blend of deep product strategy acumen and practical operational understanding within the aviation sector, particularly concerning passenger processing technologies and airline operations. The emphasis on customer-facing capability and bridging the gap between strategic vision and operational reality highlights its critical importance.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Support and actively contribute to the delivery of MAG's airline strategy by collaborating closely with MAG's operational and commercial teams.

• Translate MAG's strategic objectives into actionable delivery plans and operational outcomes, ensuring alignment with airlines.

• Lead the technology agenda for MAG's airline community, particularly in areas like biometrics and digital identity, fostering a shared vision for future passenger processing.

• Provide critical commercial and industry insights to support MAG's cost management and value objectives, including quarterly commercial insights for billing and allocation reviews.

• Collaborate with the General Manager on strategic planning, governance frameworks, and reporting, contributing to service and business reviews.

• Partner with the Project Manager on delivery execution, change management, and governance processes, ensuring operational readiness is integrated into daily service delivery.

• Build and nurture strong relationships across the wider SITA organization, especially within the Airports business unit, to identify and pursue growth opportunities with MAG.

• Support the delivery of a jointly governed innovation strategy, guiding the prioritization and allocation of the Innovation Fund through a structured pipeline of proofs of concept and co-innovation initiatives.

• Act as the primary, informed point of contact for MAG's airline community, engaging at station and central levels to build trusted, long-term relationships.

• Lead one-to-one airline engagement sessions and represent the partnership in key forums such as ITCG and AOC alongside MAG representatives.

• Coordinate and manage airline onboarding and change delivery processes in strict accordance with MAG standards, owning the collation of business requirements through to post-deployment review.

• Drive product adoption and self-service utilization across the MAG estate by proactively identifying onboarding needs rather than reacting to confirmed changes.

• Leverage SITA's global expertise and relationships with other airlines and airports to inform MAG and its partners, utilizing available data for informed decision-making.

• Interpret usage, adoption, and performance data to generate practical recommendations for MAG, helping them understand passenger needs and shape future products and services.

• Connect MAG to SITA's global product roadmap, R&D initiatives, and broader airline network, recognizing existing SITA-MAG airline relationships.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive, partnership-driven approach. The role is expected to not only execute MAG's strategy but also to actively shape and accelerate it through strategic insights and operational excellence. The detailed breakdown of responsibilities highlights the need for strong project management, business analysis, and relationship management skills within a complex, matrixed aviation environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Business, Aviation Management, Technology, or a related discipline is typically expected for a role of this seniority. Further certifications in product management or project management would be advantageous.

Experience: Significant experience (10+ years) is required, blending product strategy with deep operational understanding within the aviation sector.

Required Skills:

• Product Strategy & Management: Proven ability to develop and execute product strategies, manage roadmaps, and drive product adoption.

• Stakeholder Management: Extensive experience in building and maintaining strong, trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders, including airlines, airports, and internal teams.

• Business Analysis: Demonstrated capability in collating, translating, and owning business requirements, ensuring they are practical and deliverable in live operational environments.

• Aviation & Airport Operations: In-depth understanding of airline operations, ground handling, and passenger processing environments (e.g., CUPPS, CUSS, self-service bag drop, BRS).

• Project Governance & Delivery: Experience in managing delivery, change, and governance processes, ensuring successful project outcomes.

• Data Analysis & Interpretation: Ability to interpret operational and commercial data to support evidence-based decision-making and provide actionable insights.

• Commercial Acumen: Understanding of commercial principles relevant to airport and airline partnerships, including cost and value objectives.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively within a large, matrixed organization and build relationships that drive customer value.

• Consultative Approach: A partnership-led approach that combines strategic product thinking with practical operational insight.

Preferred Skills:

• Existing relationships within the UK airline and ground-handling community, particularly within the MAG estate.

• Familiarity with SITA's specific product suite, such as SITA Flex, and shared-use/self-service architectures.

• Awareness of emerging passenger processing technologies like biometrics, digital identity, and innovative passenger flow solutions.

• Experience in managing innovation funds or driving co-innovation initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must Have" and "Nice to Have" sections clearly delineate the core competencies required. The emphasis on direct experience with common-use passenger processing environments (CUPPS, CUSS, etc.) is a critical technical requirement for this role. The preference for existing relationships within the UK aviation sector suggests a strong advantage for local candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Detailed case studies showcasing successful product strategy execution, stakeholder alignment, and operational delivery within the aviation or transportation sector.

• Requirement Translation: Examples demonstrating how complex airline or customer requirements were captured, analyzed, and translated into successful, live operational solutions.

• Product Adoption & Utilization: Evidence of initiatives or projects that successfully drove product adoption and increased self-service utilization among end-users or partners.

• Data-Driven Recommendations: A portfolio demonstrating the ability to interpret operational and commercial data and translate it into practical, evidence-based recommendations for strategic or operational improvements.

• Relationship Management: Examples of successful long-term relationship building with key stakeholders, highlighting how these relationships contributed to achieving strategic objectives.

Process Documentation:

• Requirement Gathering & Validation: Documentation of processes used to gather, validate, and manage business requirements from airlines and other stakeholders, emphasizing alignment with operational realities.

• Onboarding & Change Management: Clear outlines of processes for coordinating airline onboarding and managing technology changes, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption.

• Innovation Pipeline Management: Examples of processes for managing an innovation pipeline, including proof-of-concept execution, co-innovation frameworks, and roadmap alignment with strategic objectives.

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Documentation of methods for interpreting usage, adoption, and performance data, and generating reports (e.g., monthly airline performance packs, quarterly commercial insights).

📝 Enhancement Note: While a formal portfolio isn't explicitly requested, candidates are expected to demonstrate their capabilities through their experience and track record. The emphasis on "translating strategy into delivered outcomes" and "collating business requirements into successful delivery" suggests that candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples of their work that illustrate these skills, akin to portfolio review discussions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the seniority (10+ years experience), strategic nature of the role, and location (Manchester, UK), a competitive salary range is expected. For a role of this caliber in the UK aviation technology sector, a range of £70,000 - £95,000 per annum is a reasonable estimate. This is derived from research into similar senior product strategy and operations roles within the aerospace and technology industries in major UK cities.

Benefits:

• Flex Week: Opportunity to work from home up to 2 days per week, depending on team needs.

• Flex Day: Flexibility to adjust workday timings to accommodate personal plans.

• Flex-Location: Ability to work from any global location for up to 30 days per year.

• Employee Wellbeing: Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and dependents, available 24/7/365. Access to Champion Health platform for personalized wellbeing support.

• Professional Development: Extensive learning opportunities including access to LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft's Enterprise Skills Initiative, Airport Council International, Pluralsight, Harvard Business Publishing, and Stanford programs, aligned with individual development plans and business priorities.

• Competitive Benefits: Benefits packages tailored to local markets and employment status.

Working Hours: The role is listed as FULL_TIME. While specific hours aren't detailed, standard professional working hours are implied, with flexibility offered through "Flex Day" options. The "Flex Week" suggests a hybrid arrangement where 3 days are likely expected in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior roles in the UK aviation technology sector and the specific responsibilities outlined. The benefits package is notably generous, with a strong emphasis on flexibility and professional development, aligning with SITA's "Great Place to Work" certification. The "Flex-Location" benefit is particularly attractive for global mobility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: SITA operates within the Aviation Technology and Services industry, providing critical IT and communication solutions to airports, airlines, and governments worldwide. Their technology is integral to global air travel operations, from airport management to passenger processing and border control.

Company Size: SITA is a global company with a significant presence, operating in 200 countries and employing a substantial workforce. While the exact number isn't provided in the raw data, their description as a major player in the air travel industry suggests a large enterprise, likely in the thousands of employees globally.

Founded: SITA was founded in 1949, indicating a long-standing history and deep expertise in the air transport industry. This longevity suggests stability and a well-established reputation.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within a dedicated partnership team focused on Manchester Airports Group (MAG).

• This team likely includes a General Manager (for strategy, governance, reporting) and a Project Manager (for delivery, change, governance).

• Collaboration with the Customer Operations team is essential for aligning airline priorities with day-to-day service.

• The role requires building strong relationships with SITA's wider organization, particularly the Airports business unit. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using usage, adoption, and performance data to inform decisions and develop recommendations.

• Partnership-Led Approach: Focus on building trusted, long-term relationships with clients (MAG and its airlines) and internal stakeholders.

• Strategic Alignment: Ensuring that technology delivery and innovation efforts are aligned with the client's strategic objectives.

• Operational Excellence: Commitment to translating strategic goals into practical, efficient operational outcomes.

• Innovation & Co-creation: Actively supporting innovation through a governed pipeline of proofs of concept and co-development initiatives.

Company Website: https://careers.sita.aero

📝 Enhancement Note: SITA's culture is described as diverse, inclusive, and supportive, evidenced by its "Great Place to Work" certification. The emphasis on "loving your job" and feeling "empowered, supported, and inspired to grow" suggests a positive and engaging work environment. The role's placement within a specialized partnership team highlights a focused, client-centric operational model.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior-level role, designated as a "Lead" position, requiring significant experience (10+ years). It sits at the intersection of product strategy, client partnership, and operational execution within the aviation technology domain. The role is instrumental in driving the success of a key strategic partnership.

Reporting Structure: The role reports locally to a General Manager (responsible for strategy, governance, reporting) and works closely with a Project Manager (focused on delivery, change, and governance). This dual reporting/collaboration structure ensures alignment across strategic and execution facets of the partnership.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on the success of SITA's partnership with MAG, a major airport group. By driving product adoption, facilitating innovation, and ensuring operational outcomes align with strategic goals, the role influences MAG's efficiency, competitive positioning, and passenger experience. It also contributes to SITA's revenue growth and strengthens its reputation within the aviation industry.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Potential to grow into broader leadership roles within SITA's Airports business unit or client partnership management, overseeing larger accounts or strategic initiatives.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of aviation technology, such as biometrics, digital identity, or next-generation passenger processing solutions.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to leverage experience in client-facing strategy and operations to move into product management, business development, or senior operational roles within SITA.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to shaping the future of passenger processing through innovation and strategic partnerships, gaining recognition within the global aviation community.

• Global Exposure: The "Flex-Location" benefit and SITA's global presence offer opportunities to gain international experience and exposure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career path for this role appears to be focused on deepening strategic client management within the aviation sector, with potential for broader leadership within SITA or specialized technical/product roles. The emphasis on partnership success and innovation suggests significant opportunities for impactful contributions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Manchester, UK, at Manchester Airport. While the specific office setup isn't detailed, the "Hybrid" work arrangement (3 days in office, 2 days remote) suggests a modern office environment designed for collaboration and focused work. Being located at the airport implies proximity to operational environments and airline stakeholders.

Office Location(s): Manchester Airport, Manchester, M90 1QX, United Kingdom. This location provides direct access to the operational hub of Manchester Airports Group and its airline partners.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and the nature of the role necessitate significant collaboration with the local SITA team (GM, Project Manager) and external stakeholders (MAG, airlines). The office space likely supports team meetings, client interactions, and focused individual work.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to SITA's suite of collaboration and productivity tools is expected, along with specialized aviation technology platforms relevant to passenger processing.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with the local SITA team and frequent engagement with airline representatives at the airport and potentially at their central offices.

Work Schedule: The role is FULL_TIME, with a hybrid arrangement allowing for up to 2 days of remote work per week. "Flex Day" options provide additional adaptability, suggesting a supportive approach to work-life balance within a demanding industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The physical location at Manchester Airport is a key aspect of this role, enabling close proximity and easy engagement with the primary client and their airline community. The hybrid and flexible work arrangements are designed to balance operational presence with employee well-being and productivity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely conducted by HR or a Talent Acquisition specialist to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A detailed discussion with the General Manager or a senior leader from the Airports business unit to delve into strategic thinking, operational experience, and suitability for the partnership role. This may involve discussing past projects and challenges.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with the Project Manager, Customer Operations team members, and potentially representatives from MAG or key airline partners to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to build relationships.

• Case Study/Presentation: Candidates may be asked to prepare and present a case study on a relevant topic, such as a product adoption strategy, a complex requirement translation, or how they would approach a specific challenge within the MAG partnership. This would assess strategic thinking, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior executive to confirm fit and finalize the offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Strategic Impact: Highlight examples where your product strategy or operational insights directly led to significant improvements in client outcomes, such as increased adoption, efficiency gains, or revenue growth.

• Demonstrate Requirement Translation: Prepare specific examples of how you gathered complex operational requirements, translated them into actionable plans, and oversaw their successful implementation, emphasizing the challenges overcome and the results achieved.

• Quantify Achievements: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to illustrate the impact of your work. For instance, "Increased product adoption by X%," "Reduced onboarding time by Y days," or "Contributed to Z% cost savings for the client."

• Highlight Relationship Building: Be ready to discuss how you built and maintained strong, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, particularly airlines and airport authorities, and how these relationships facilitated strategic goals.

• Aviation Context is Key: Tailor your examples to the aviation industry, demonstrating a deep understanding of airline operations, passenger processing, and the unique challenges of this sector. Discuss familiarity with technologies like CUPPS, CUSS, and self-service solutions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Scenario: Be prepared for questions asking how you would approach specific challenges within the MAG partnership, such as driving adoption of a new technology, resolving conflicting airline requirements, or contributing to the innovation pipeline.

• Operational Problem-Solving: Anticipate questions about how you've handled complex operational issues in past roles, focusing on your analytical approach, solution design, and implementation process.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Prepare to discuss strategies for aligning diverse stakeholder interests, managing expectations, and communicating effectively to achieve consensus.

• Industry Trends: Familiarize yourself with current trends in aviation technology, passenger processing, biometrics, and digital identity, and be ready to discuss their implications for SITA and MAG.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, focusing on both strategic acumen and practical operational experience. Candidates should prepare to articulate their achievements with concrete examples and quantitative results, demonstrating a deep understanding of the aviation technology landscape and partnership management.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• CRM System: While not specified, a robust CRM system (e.g., Salesforce) is likely used for managing client relationships, tracking interactions, and pipeline management.

• Project Management Software: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Microsoft Project would be used for managing delivery, change, and governance processes.

• Collaboration Suites: Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, Office Suite) or Google Workspace for daily communication, document sharing, and collaboration.

• Business Intelligence/Analytics Platforms: Tools for data analysis and reporting, potentially including Tableau, Power BI, or SITA's own analytics solutions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or similar for creating dashboards and reports on product adoption, performance, and commercial insights.

• Reporting Frameworks: Experience in generating regular reports such as monthly airline performance packs and quarterly commercial insights.

CRM & Automation:

• SITA's Proprietary Systems: Familiarity with SITA's specific aviation technology platforms, including:

  • SITA Flex: A key platform for managing shared-use and self-service solutions.
  • Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS): Industry standard for airport check-in and gate systems.
  • Common Use Self-Service (CUSS): Kiosk technology for passenger self-service.
  • Self-Service Bag Drop: Solutions for automated baggage handling.
  • Airline Integration Architectures: Understanding how SITA's solutions integrate with airline systems.

• Automation Tools: While not explicitly mentioned, understanding workflow automation principles would be beneficial for optimizing processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with SITA's core aviation technology platforms, particularly SITA Flex and common-use systems, is a critical requirement. The role also demands strong capabilities in data analysis and reporting to support strategic and commercial decision-making.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and meeting the needs of MAG and its airlines, acting as a dedicated partner.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Emphasis on working closely with internal teams and external stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation & Future-Forward Thinking: Commitment to exploring and delivering new technologies and solutions that enhance passenger processing and airport operations.

• Operational Excellence: Driving efficiency, reliability, and first-time success in the delivery and adoption of technology solutions.

• Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing data and industry insights to inform decisions and demonstrate value.

• Integrity & Trust: Building and maintaining trusted, long-term relationships with clients and partners.

Collaboration Style:

• Consultative and Partnership-Led: The role requires a consultative approach, working collaboratively with MAG and airlines to co-create solutions and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with SITA's General Manager, Project Manager, Customer Operations, and wider Airports business unit teams is essential.

• Proactive Communication: Maintaining open and regular communication channels with all stakeholders, including proactive engagement with airlines to anticipate needs.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages feedback exchange to continuously improve processes and solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: SITA's stated values and its "Great Place to Work" certification suggest a culture that prioritizes employee well-being, professional growth, and a collaborative, inclusive environment. The specific team culture for this role will be heavily influenced by the partnership dynamic with MAG and the airline community.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating potentially diverse and competing requirements from MAG and various airlines while ensuring alignment with SITA's strategic objectives.

• Driving Adoption in a Matrixed Environment: Encouraging the adoption of new technologies and processes across a complex ecosystem of airlines and operational teams, some of whom may be resistant to change.

• Translating Strategy to Operational Reality: Bridging the gap between high-level strategic goals and the practical, on-the-ground operational implementation, ensuring solutions are viable and effective.

• Keeping Pace with Innovation: Staying abreast of rapid technological advancements in areas like biometrics, AI, and digital identity, and translating these into tangible benefits for MAG and its airlines.

• Managing Evolving Client Priorities: Adapting to potential shifts in MAG's strategic direction or airline operational needs, requiring agility and proactive planning.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Aviation Sector Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of airport operations, airline strategies, and passenger processing technologies within a leading global aviation technology provider.

• Strategic Partnership Management: Developing advanced skills in managing complex, high-stakes client partnerships within a critical industry.

• Innovation Leadership: Contributing to and influencing the direction of innovation within airport technology and passenger experience.

• Global Business Exposure: Leveraging SITA's international presence and the "Flex-Location" benefit to gain global perspectives and experience.

• Formal Training: Access to SITA's extensive learning ecosystem, including platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative, Pluralsight, and specialized leadership programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges inherent in this role are significant but also represent prime opportunities for professional growth. Successfully navigating these complexities will build invaluable experience in strategic client management and operational transformation within the aviation industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a strategy for increasing the adoption of self-service bag drop solutions across multiple airlines operating at MAG?"

• "Describe a time you had to translate complex operational requirements from multiple stakeholders into a single, deliverable product roadmap. What was the outcome?"

• "Imagine MAG wants to accelerate its digital identity strategy. What would be your first steps in engaging airlines and SITA's product teams to support this?"

• "How would you leverage data analytics to demonstrate the ROI of SITA's passenger processing solutions to MAG and its airline partners?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding, what are the key operational challenges facing airports and airlines today, and how can SITA's technology help address them?"

• "How would you foster a collaborative environment between SITA's technical teams and MAG's operational staff to ensure successful product deployment?"

• "What does 'customer-centricity' mean to you in the context of a strategic partnership like the one between SITA and MAG?"

• "Describe your experience working within a large, matrixed organization. How do you ensure alignment and drive results?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each example, clearly outline the challenge, your role and approach, the solutions implemented, the metrics used to measure success, and the key learnings.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Instead of saying "improved efficiency," say "reduced check-in times by an average of 2 minutes per passenger, impacting X number of passengers daily."

• Demonstrate Operational Credibility: Use specific aviation terminology and discuss practical operational considerations that were critical to the success of your projects. Show you understand how airlines actually operate.

• Highlight Stakeholder Management: Detail how you engaged with, managed expectations of, and built consensus among diverse stakeholders, particularly airlines and airport authorities.

• Connect to SITA's Offerings: Where relevant, draw parallels between your past successes and how SITA's technologies and services can deliver similar value to MAG.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic vision, operational pragmatism, and strong relationship-building skills. Candidates should be ready to discuss specific examples of their work, using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and quantifying their impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Airline & Product Strategy Lead position:

• Submit your application through the SITA careers portal at https://careers.sita.aero/jobs/10927.

• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight your extensive experience in aviation technology, product strategy, operational delivery, and stakeholder management. Emphasize any experience with passenger processing systems (CUPPS, CUSS, self-service) and your track record of translating requirements into successful operational outcomes.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Examples: Be ready to discuss specific projects and achievements that demonstrate your capabilities in strategic planning, business analysis, product adoption, and relationship management within the aviation sector. Think about concrete examples of successful requirement translation and operational implementation.

• Research SITA and MAG: Thoroughly research SITA's role in the aviation industry, their key technologies (especially SITA Flex), and their partnership approach. Understand Manchester Airports Group's strategic priorities, their airline community, and the current landscape of airport operations.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare answers to common interview questions, focusing on behavioral examples that showcase your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships within the aviation context. Practice articulating your value proposition clearly and concisely.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.