Travel Lead, UK, US & EMEA - #1740937

Key responsibilities:

Operations:

• Management of the Travel operations for the HSF Kramer offices in the UK and EMEA & US
• Understand traveller movements, spend trends, business types and travel types
• Assist in the formulation of communication and training materials for bookers and travellers
• Hosting information/relationship building sessions for bookers as required
• Escalation point for issue resolution for all travel queries
• Collaborate with the global Business Continuity Management team when required on travel related BCM issues

Strategy:

• Support in delivering on the global Travel Management strategy
• Working with the Travel Lead Asia and Australia, continually review of the firm's travel policy, driving levels of compliance and ensure relevancy across the markets
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior management and other stakeholders, providing expert guidance on travel-related matters and ensuring alignment with the company's strategic objectives
• Deliver on the Travel Management goals, objectives and scope for Practice Groups and Business Services, ensuring they align with the firm's objectives
• Utilise data analytics to identify trends, optimize travel policies, and make informed decisions that drive cost savings and improve travel efficiency
• Continuously seek out and implement innovative solutions to enhance the travel program, including new technologies, processes, and partnerships

Contract Management:

• Support contract management - liaise and manage third party vendors in line with their contractual terms, ensuring adherence to SLAs and KPIs, driving services levels
• Support travel vendor relationships and programs (agency, air, hotel, and other travel related services) ensuring compliance to service level agreements
• Assist in the negotiation of route deals and hotel rate agreements

Sustainability:

• Collation and hand-off of all travel emissions data to third party (Envizi)
• Drive and support the actions associated with the firm's net zero carbon targets

Key Performance Indicators:

• Strategic Alignment: Successfully develop and implement travel strategies that align with the company's overall business objectives and enhance the travel experience for employees.
• Cost Efficiency: Achieve targeted cost savings through data-driven decision making and optimisation of travel policies.
• Vendor Management: Maintain high performance levels and compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for third-party travel vendors.
• Innovation and Improvement: Continuously seek out and implement innovative solutions to enhance the travel program, including new technologies, processes, and partnerships.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure effective delivery of travel services and operations within the region, meeting or exceeding service quality standards.
• Compliance and Reporting: Drive compliance with travel policies and produce accurate and timely reports for Managing Partners and Senior Business Services leaders.
• Sustainability Goals: Support the actions associated with the firm's net zero carbon targets and manage travel emissions data

Qualifications, skills and experience

• 5+ years' experience of managing a travel program, in a corporate environment or Travel Management Company.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven experience in successfully managing third party vendors.
• Self-starter with the ability to work with a great degree of autonomy.
• Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate multiple activities with cross-functional groups to achieve a common outcome.
• Proven capability to work to deadlines.
• Experience of working in a professional services firm (legal, accountancy, management consultancy) seen as an advantage.

Professional Competencies

Personal Leadership

• Positively impacts those around them, makes quality decisions and develops themselves both personally and professionally
• Demonstrates sound knowledge in their field
• Anticipates potential problems and identifies a range of possible solutions
• Adapts their interpersonal style to suit different audiences in a genuine way

Builds Authentic Relationships

• Takes time to get to know people beyond their role
• Treats people with respect and in a fair and consistent way
• Recognises when colleagues are under pressure and volunteers to assist them where possible

Collaborates with others

• Works within teams and across boundaries to share knowledge and achieve results
• Identifies and builds relationships required to achieve the best outcomes for the firm
• Engages people with the right skills, knowledge and expertise to provide advice and assist with tasks
• Connects other people in the firm who have mutual interests or work objectives
• Generously shares their time, knowledge, expertise and talent to support others' success

Enhances the Client Experience

• Creates opportunities to enhance the experience of the firm's clients through their daily tasks
• Behaves consistently with the firm's values in their interactions with others
• Conducts themselves in a way that reflects positively on the firm's brand, both inside and outside the firm

Achieves Results

• Maintains focus and drive to achieve quality outcomes
• Focuses their time and efforts on issues that will have the greatest impact on agreed objectives
• Anticipates responses and plans their approach accordingly
• Looks for the most effective way to achieve outcomes
• Maintains perspective and optimism when faced with setbacks

About us

As one of the world's leading law firms, we advise many of the largest and most ambitious organisations across all major regions of the globe. With over 5,000 people, including 3,100 lawyers and over 2,000 business services professionals, operating from our global network of offices across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice.

We recognise that the success of our business and our clients relies on the skills, knowledge and ideas of all our people. Our environment is one in which high performance is expected, in return, we will provide you with rewards and opportunities tailored to your personal and professional goals.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values-Human, Bold, and Outstanding.