Our client based in London within the Football industry, are currently recruiting for a Travel Manager to join their Travel, Events & Supporter Liaison team. The Travel Manager is responsible for organising travel for the club., and they will lead a team of four who will organise all team travel, Directors, staff and fan trips to all away matches and manage the relationship with all their suppliers and customers inside and outside of the club effectively and efficiently as possible.
The post holder is primarily responsible for all club travel, will manager all aspect of the job and will report directly to the Head of Department. You must also be a team member and support the rest of the department where possible with events and supporter liaison.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage a team to cover all aspects of travel, including:
Business travel, Managing the clubs account with the preferred Business Travel provider and their account manager to make sure the clubs needs are met with a professional approach and working with the club’s PA’s/ individual bookers to find the most cost-effective way to travel which is in line with the clubs’ travel policy. Members of staff travel throughout the world, therefore advice must be given on safety and security.
Team travel, their travel team must organise travel for all of the clubs teams, including first team, youth teams and Womens teams. Liaising with the training ground and its staff to book aircrafts, coaches, trains, hotels etc making sure the clubs needs are met with a professional approach, to find the most cost-effective way for the club and the budget without taking away the high service level the teams expect. Working with safeguarding and health and safety teams to make sure safety and security are a high priority.
Directors and staff travel organising travel to all their away matches
Supporter travel organising trips for fans to all clubs domestic away matches and liaising with the Contact Centre to create affordable travel for their supporters.
Manage their team and support them through their busy schedules, making sure their training needs and welfare are looked after.Writing travel information for our publications team.Assist head of department with pre-visits to overseas destinations.Liaise with the Foreign and Commonwealth office.Keep the clubs Travel budget and full records of the clubs’ travel spend. Giving the head of department full breakdowns when requested. Work toward KPIManage/Organise all coach parking for visiting supporters to the StadiumLiaise with the air charter, coach and car company’s regarding booking of their vehicles and prices (negotiate) to ensure cost efficiency and quality of serviceWork as a team member, supporting members of the team with other events in which the department runs where needed.Monitor Department activities and compliance around internal policies, such data protection and Health & Safety, reporting any issues to the Head.
MAIN JOB REQUIREMENTS AND PERSON SPECIFICATION
Specific Experience:
Required
Must have proven, sound experience of working for a sports club/travel company within the travel sector, covering a range of similar responsibilities - making travel arrangements, personal liaison with fans as well as liaising with senior staff such as Directors, handling callers and correspondence and getting involved with projects.Must have skills in quality management, attention to detail and effective planning, communication, operational and execution skillsExperience must have been gained as a leader, pulling a team together at short notice to assist with the running of travel events both domestic and overseas.Experience should have been gained from within a fast moving, commercially focused and brand sensitive organisation.
Desired
Strong leadership skills, proven to have led a team within the travel/sports industryQualification from the travel industry.Previous experience of working for/alongside a Premier League Football Club
Abilities/Skills/Knowledge:
Must have ability to manage multiple activities and deadlines, reacting to change, prioritising workloads and activities and ensuring that deliverables are completed and presented on time and to required qualityAbility to create effective and clear communications/letters/emails that will be understood by a range of stakeholders and readers, and communicate effectively and professionally over the phoneMust also be able to build rapport and business relationships with internal and external stakeholders, whilst at the same time prioritising activities.Must be able to negotiate and look at ways to save costs for the business at all times.Must be able to work alone and within a team environment under pressure and keep to deadlines, constantly prioritising and supporting the needs of the business and their team.Ability to manage in pressurised situations and apply initiative and 'common sense’ on certain occasions - sometimes without recourse to supporting managersAdvanced professional level IT skills, especially M/S Office products, as well as related systems such as databases, project management software.
To apply please click here
