Manager of Group Travel Team

Manager of Elevate Destinations’ Group Travel Team

Elevate Destinations is hiring a full-time Manager of Group Travel. If you would like to be considered for this position please send a resume and cover letter to careers@elevatedestinations.com.

WHO ARE WE?

We are a dynamic, socially responsible travel company striving to bring more meaning, perspective, and positive impact into the lives of our travelers while respecting local destinations and communities. We are looking for an experienced Group Travel Manager who can support our growing Social Impact Journeys program. The Social Impact Journeys Team partners with international nonprofits and foundations to manage and support the design of their donor trips and learning journeys. These trips cover a wide variety of issue areas and allow travelers to more deeply connect and engage with the people, the destination, and the mission.

We seek a motivated self-starter who will bring previous logistical experience, sustainable practices, and introspection to our tightly-knit Group Travel team. This position requires creative problem-solving, excellent judgment, superb organization, attention to detail, and eloquent communication skills.

Elevate Destinations is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.

Applicants must have experience in all three of the categories below to be considered for this position:

1. Experience in the international travel industry
2. Event and/or travel logistics management
3. Strong understanding of sustainability and international development

JOB DESCRIPTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Account Management

• Work in partnership with your colleagues, closely collaborating on each account you are managing.
• Plan and manage five or more international trips simultaneously, which may be at different stages of the trip planning process, aligned with our client’s specific goals.
• Manage high-level communications and expectation-setting with clients, international partners, and suppliers.
• Design and manage project timelines, outlining roles and responsibilities and deliverables.
• Manage trip logistics, including but not limited to coordinating site visits, private event spaces, meals or catering, audio/visual rentals, travel arrangements, and hotel room blocks.
• Manage trip budgets, facilitate payments, and reconcile financial payments.
• Implement emergency protocols for each trip.
• Maintain and update electronic records and databases.
• Collect feedback after each trip, and integrate lessons learned.
• Reconcile and document finances accurately for each trip to share internally and externally.
• Refine and advise on improvements to systems, operations, and product development as requested.

Comprehensive Traveler Support

• Develop a warm rapport with travelers, and provide excellent customer service (150+ travelers a year).
• Collect travelers’ details and payments.
• Respond to all travelers’ questions, inquiries, and concerns within 24 hours.
• Lead virtual traveler orientation calls.

Research and Create Trip Materials

• Create online and print marketing, registration, and travel materials for each trip, which are grammatically and logistically accurate.
• Use WordPress to develop online trip materials.
• Research reliable sources, and format logistical travel guides and detailed itineraries for each trip.

Trip Management and Remote Trip Management

• Ability to travel internationally independently 2 or more times a year.
• Independently manage trips that are off-the-beaten-track in developing countries.
• Independently manage all ground logistics, and move trips forward from beginning to end.
• Ability to identify the most pressing objectives and prioritize them on an ongoing basis.
• Have a strong social awareness of non-verbal communication by clients or travelers on a trip.
• Represent Elevate Destinations’ ethos, and uphold the company’s values and leadership.

Staff Oversight

• Support formatting, editing, and proofreading of all materials on your accounts as necessary.
• Provide leadership and direction to others on each account you are managing, and manage the quality control of all deliverables.
• Cover for the Associate Director when this individual is out of the office.

Support Onboarding of New Hires

• Design training modules and materials to support new hires’ onboarding and learning.
• Assist in supporting junior hires’ development through in-country training and shadowing on emails, meetings, and calls. Provide time to debrief new hires on pre- and post-meeting/event planning.
• Use a strengths-based approach to empowering colleagues.
• Provide in-person training to new hires in-country as they increase their own capacity.
• Celebrate the team’s professional growth and achievements.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR THIS POSITION:

We try to keep our hours within 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. However, the trips we run do not limit themselves to these hours. Managers are required to be “on call” 24/7 when a trip they are managing is running. This means that they need to be available, with cell phone access, 24/7 several times a year, typically 6-8 times for 1-2 weeks at a time. This is about 6 to 8 weekends a year.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 5 years of relevant work experience in event and/or travel management.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively online.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including project planning, scheduling, and documentation.
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks independently.
• Logistical prowess and attention to detail.
• Financial acumen and budget management.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• Superb critical thinking and excellent customer service skills.
• Must be a team player with the desire and confidence to work with a tight-knit, hard-working team that strives for continuous improvement.
• Be flexible and able to quickly and calmly adapt to change.
• Travel experience in developing countries and ability and willingness to travel internationally.
• Cross-cultural communication — must be open to learning about other cultures and how information is appropriately communicated and perceived differently.
• Experience with Google Suite (including Google Docs and Google Sheets). Additional experience with Pages and Microsoft (Word and Excel) preferred.
• U.S. work authorization.

COMPENSATION

$60,000 and commensurate with prior experience

BENEFITS

• Comprehensive health plans (medical, dental, vision).
• 1X life insurance and 50% disability insurance with higher coverage options.
• Option for Federal Savings Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.
• 401k Retirement plans with 3% employer contributions starting on month 6 of employment.
• 3 weeks (15 days) of PTO.
• 10 sick days.
• All federal and state holidays (11 days).
• Essential work only between Christmas and New Years.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

This position is subject to a 100-day probationary period.

LOCATION:

Remote. Must be located within 3 hours of the Eastern Time Zone and have work authorization to live and work in the USA. No exceptions.

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants should send their resume and cover letter to careers@elevatedestinations.com with the position they are applying to in the subject heading. Kindly note, we are hiring for more than one position, so please make sure you include the position you are applying for.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage people of every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, to apply.

ABOUT ELEVATE DESTINATIONS:

Elevate Destinations is a leader in eco luxury travel, creating new ways for travelers to make a difference worldwide. The company was founded and operates as a social enterprise: philanthropy and positive social and environmental impact are key to their mission. Elevate Destinations has pioneered the field of donor travel and is able to provide responsible travel to any region of the globe. They encourage people to travel sustainably and design each trip conscientiously, facilitating travelers to fully experience, understand and protect destinations and the people who live there. www.elevatedestinations.com