REPORTING TO: HEAD PF EVENT TRAVEL- UK, DE & AU
OFFICE LOCATION: LONDON
Reed & Mackay leads the global travel and event management arena with extraordinary service and proprietary, client-led technology. Ranked first in the Sunday Times International Fast Track 2020, we are a business that is always looking forwards, while ensuring that we’re everything that our clients need today. In May 2021, we became part of Navan (formerly TripActions), and together we are setting the agenda for the future of business travel.
Overall Purpose of Role
his varied role requires a team leader with strong leadership skills who can influence, mentor and guide a team of Event Travel Managers as well as demonstrating excellent relationship, communication and commercial skills, who will develop industry leading relationships. The Team Leader has direct responsibility for the quality, performance and output of the Event Travel Managers. The responsibility extends to assisting the Head of Event Travel with the management of the daily operation through multiple inbound/outbound channels including phone and e-mail in the creation of all group travel reservations.
About you:
The successful candidate will have a proven track record in managing a team of people as well as booking group travel logistics, driving income levels into the business at every opportunity as well as possessing strong attention to detail and organisational skills, and be able to demonstrate value to both clients and suppliers.
Knowledge Skills and Experience
- Experience of operational management preferably within the global travel and/or events industry
- Strong leadership, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Excellent communications skills both written and verbal.
- Outstanding relationship building skills.
- Ability to understand and act on the key metrics and business drivers.
- Experienced in people development and management.
- Proven experience in the travel industry, specifically booking and ticketing group travel
- GDS experience
- Cvent and/or understanding of event registration tools.
- Excellent fares and ticketing knowledge including Published, Net, Group, and Consolidator fares.
- Working knowledge of MS Office Suite, with a focus on Excel and Outlook
- Experience working in a high pressured environment.
- Knowledge and experience of the air/travel industry and key contacts
- Excellent geographical and airline schedule knowledge
- Project management expertise with the ability to handle multiple projects at the same time.
- Ability to present facts in a concise document.
- Manage processes from conception to final reconciliation.
- To assist and support other Team Lead’s and Head of Event Travel as and when required.
- Outstanding organisational skills
- A caring and passionate person who shares a vision in developing strong relationships.
Responsibilities
- A Main point of contact for both internal and external clients and suppliers
- Qualification of new requests received within the Event Travel team.
- Distribution and/or allocation of projects and/or tasks to the team.
- Daily operational updates with peers escalating issues where appropriate.
- Daily line and performance management, motivation, and development of the team
- Identify and deliver any training requirements and performance improvement measures, including the
development of training plans for your team in conjunction with the Head of Event Travel - To investigate escalated customer complaints or issues to satisfactory resolution
- To work in conjunction with the Head of Event Travel and HR team in optimising staffing levels, including
shift patterns, overtime and out of hours to meet the business demand and personnel records are kept up
to date. - Conduct regular one to one meetings with direct reports.
- Managing HR issues in accordance with Managers Guide on employment practices.
- Makes it fun by creating an environment in which people feel comfortable and which generates a positive
approach and a feeling of achievement. - Leads by example, inspiring others to achieve high standards.
- Works through conflict constructively, finding opportunities to resolve difficulties.
- Regularly takes strengths and weaknesses, as well as skills, into account when organising teams.
- Create group and individual reservations and accurately input data into internal software systems.
- Reports any issues that may impact on business and financial performance.
- Negotiate best fares with suppliers as well as flexible terms and conditions.
- Research fares by following the R&M benchmarking strategy.
- Excellent and strong multi-tasker who works well under pressure and can easily deal with short lead
requests within SLA. - Seek cost effective solutions in line with client objectives.
- Demonstrate our ‘value proposition’ to clients through hard cost savings and soft cost benefits.
- Conduct and co-ordinate risk assessment and contingency plans as required.
- Responsible for controlling budgeted costs.
- Ensure timely and accurate cost reconciliations, ensuring clients are invoiced within set SLAs.
- Always maintain client focus and demonstrate excellent service levels.
- To attend and lead client calls, to attend face to face meetings as and when required to do so.
- Own and oversee the management of a range of group travel projects to ensure client service satisfaction,
manage performance to agreed client service level agreements, ensure successful project delivery on time
and on budget and achieve pre-agreed event profitability targets. - Work closely with Client Success Managers to understand the client accounts.
- Deliver a consultative and proactive service offering expert knowledge of how best to meet.
- Client objectives through event travel projects to ensure client retention.
- To support all areas of the business by providing them with new and existing leads within client account.
- To be continually aware of the departmental targets and client income. Increase income levels always
reduce cancellations. - Manage a range of project tasks to ensure deliverables are on time, on budget and on brand.
- Understand client accounts, to immerse yourself in allocated client brand and culture through
understanding of their marketplace and competitor landscape. - Achievement of pre agreed OKRs.
- To have regular 121 meetings with your Line Manager to progress of the OKRs set.
- Financial targets contributed to and achieved.
Internal Responsibilities
Responsible for compliance to Reed & Mackay’s certification programmes and policies.
