Director of Air Service & Operations in at Group Voyagers
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Job Description
ABOUT GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS
With 98 years in travel, the award-winning Globus family of brands – consisting of Globus, Cosmos, and Avalon Waterways – creates vacations that offer travelers culture-rich experiences featuring must-see sights, the stories behind the scenes and countless joy-filled memories in more than 70 countries on six continents across the globe. With equal measures vision and hard work; team collaboration and commitment; adaptability, honesty, and integrity as well as a genuine love for all-things-travel, the Globus family of brands – a leader in international travel – now offers unparalleled, perfectly planned tours; inventive, inspiring cruises and modern, independent vacation packages to millions of travelers.
Travel and/or in-office presence may be required at times. Generous benefit package including travel benefits and retirement.
THE DEPARTMENT
Air Service & Operations includes Air Operations, Contracting, Ticketing, Air Reservations and Air Assist. It ensures the company is supplying customers and their travel advisors with the ideal selection of carriers, schedule, class of service and price-point options to match with their Globus family of brands vacation. As an extension of our product, this air service provides a seamless travel experience for our guests from the moment they arrive at the airport to their return home. The Air Service & Operations team contracts, maintains, fulfills, and reports airline bookings and tickets for all destinations in Globus’ portfolio for both individuals and group member guests. Additionally, this team is responsible for securing, analyzing, and adhering to air carrier contracts and published fare rules in addition to maximizing profitability of our air margins. The Air Reservation Support Team help our employees find guests’ solutions and security in their travel plans while providing excellent customer service and support in an ever-changing environment.
THE ROLE OF A DIRECTOR
A director is usually a department or division head in a business. The director supervises and leads a group of managers and associates in a particular area of an organization. Directors help set where and when; guiding others on what and why. Directors are responsible for the how in implementation.
Job responsibilities of a director include:
- Direct management or direct reports in deployment of company strategy, goals & mission
- Evaluating associates periodically for promotions and career opportunities, approving ratings
- Supervising managers during certain projects
- Developing and implementing policies for executives to review
- Reporting to senior-level leadership such as a Senior Director or VP
- Planning, directing and coordinating department strategic efforts and day-to-day processes, including assigning tasks and giving direction to subordinates
- Understanding and creating department budgets for upper management
- Evaluating and developing strategies and plans for departmental success
- Ensuring a healthy work environment and lead the culture for their associates and managers
- May interact with global offices
- Approve hiring and termination requests
- Collaborating with other business leaders and teams on cross functional strategic projects and developing departmental plans that support such projects
- Project management of the various projects within their department
- Relationship point of contact for vendors and other external stakeholders that impact their departments
- Synthesizes data and information to make recommendations to upper management on strategic or high-value initiatives
- Accountable for achievement of team/department’s goals
- Partners with senior management on broader departments people and succession strategy
- Direct experience in their field 5-10 years
THE POSITION
The Director, Air Service & Operations is responsible for the following results:
- Determine acquisition and contract requirements by acting as an expert resource; maintain relationships with airline representatives.
- Lead complex negotiations with air carriers to develop competitive air pricing for all Globus family of brands air-inclusive and intra vacation air products worldwide
- Partner with land Operations teams to ensure air capacity and itinerary options are in line with land tour and cruise packages worldwide; to ensure sufficient air itinerary options are in place
- Contribute to the growth of air passenger sales by offering competitive pricing, varying itinerary options, off season opportunities, and ancillary optimization (ie upgrades)
- Direct the business processes associated with the acquisition and contracting life cycle (e.g. analysis, sourcing, negotiations, terms, contract executing, contract performance, compliance, quality, delivery, and payment)
- Direct the business processes associated with the sales, performance, operations and terms of all airline contracts, as well as meeting contractual obligations with a Global Distribution System (GDS) and ARC/IATAN policies
- Provide support and oversight to ensure the air reservation support teams are meeting or exceeding our target service standards, includes acumen and oversight on maintaining service level agreements and high standards of customer service and delivery.
- Ensure strong processes are in place to ensure the Air Reservation Support Team is in compliance with airline policies, contracted fare rules, GDS procedures, requirements, and service standards when supporting air reservations and ticketing-related inquiries.
- Work collaboratively with Contact Center Leadership Team and Training teams to ensure Air Service & Operations is providing the needed tools and training to facilitate air sales and service.
- Oversee air inventory for block and ad-hoc group space to ensure maximum value is provided to customers while achieving profitability for the company
- Ensure product competitiveness and profitability by ensuring desired margins are attained in the product costing and pricing process, as well during the life cycle of the air booking
- Develop strategic air promotions in partnership with Marketing throughout the year, maximizing the offer whenever possible with airline participation
- Partner with executive leadership in creating and communicating a clear strategic vision while showing the strategic agility to adjust to changes as needed to support the business and achieve organizational goals
- Develop and recommend policy and technology changes as needed to comply with industry and governmental regulations, as well providing a competitive advantage whenever possible
- Implement and execute sound management practices (e.g. assigning and delegating, empowering and enabling, enlisting and inspiring, evaluating and rewarding performance and achievement)
- Develop and cultivate business relationships and communicate effectively with the Executive Team, Managers, and key personnel in other departments and offices, as well vendor and other professional organizations
- Achieve financial objectives by preparing and maintaining annual budgets, scheduling and monitoring expenditures, analyzing variances, initiating corrective actions, and preparing reports
- Direct the monthly KPI reporting on air margins, cost per passenger, airline partner performance and air inclusive percentages and additional information as required by Executive team.
- Direct ongoing process and system improvements, integrating new technology across the organization in order to increase flexibility, reduce administrative costs, and increase interactivity with internal & external customers
- Contributing to a team effort by accomplishing related results or projects as needed
- Representing the organization at relevant trade shows and conventions, and industry events; requires travel throughout the year, including nights and weekends
EDUCATION
The preferred candidate will hold a Bachelor’s degree in a related field; or five to ten years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
EXPERIENCE PREFERREDThe preferred candidate has noteworthy experience in the following areas:
- Three to five years in a senior management or director level role
- Five or more years of experience contracting with air carriers preferred along with understanding of airline pricing models, group air & inventory
- Market intelligence (knowing the market, critical market indicators and factors, and verifying market assumptions)
- Expertise in Air System contracting and delivery software and tools, both for the operations team delivery and the front-line presentation to the guests.
- Competitive analysis (collecting and analyzing data to weigh and measure against company goals and objectives)
- Acumen for air delivery and customer service, including partnering with Contact Center colleagues on service level agreements between Air Operations and Air Service and Support.
- A quick learner, especially regarding the leisure travel business
- Possesses the appropriate levels of business, financial, and technological savvy
- Microsoft Office and Internet
- GDS and other air technology systems, database and reporting
EOE
While performing this job, it will require: Eight (8) hours or more a day of sitting; walking; standing; bending; answering the telephone; entering data into the computer; retrieving data from the computer or analyzing data from reports.