Senior Manager, Travel Operations

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Manager, Travel Operations provides strategic leadership, governance and commercial direction for the internal travel agency function. The role owns the multi-year roadmap, annual business plan, budget, service proposition, control framework, supplier strategy and management reporting. The Senior Manager sets decision rights and performance expectations, sponsors transformation and growth initiatives, and holds the Manager, Travel Operations accountable for effective day-to-day execution. The position serves as the principal escalation point for material commercial, financial, compliance, supplier and business-continuity matters before escalation to the Director.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

·         Define the medium-term strategy, annual business plan, budget, service proposition and measurable commercial, service and control objectives for the travel operation.

·         Own the governance framework, including travel-policy operating principles, delegation-of-authority matrix, approval thresholds, risk appetite and management-escalation protocols.

·         Set financial and commercial direction covering revenue, profitability, pricing principles, cost efficiency, client value and investment priorities; review performance and initiate corrective action.

·         Lead supplier portfolio strategy, sourcing priorities, tender requirements, negotiation mandates, contracting recommendations and executive performance reviews with relevant departments.

·         Establish the control environment for payments, refunds, reconciliations, privacy, information security, record retention and regulatory or policy compliance; oversee remediation of material findings.

·         Own business-continuity and major disruption governance, including scenario planning, crisis decision rights, executive communication and post-incident review.

·         Lead organization design, workforce planning, management capability, succession and talent development; set objectives for and evaluate the Travel Operations team.

·         Build senior stakeholder alignment across Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, Legal, IT, Security and operating departments; present performance, risks, decisions and recommendations to the Director.

·         Identify process, digital, revenue and customer-experience improvements and submit evidence-based recommendations for approval.

·         Perform other duties as assigned by the Company.

·         Adhere to and act in accordance with all established policies and procedures of the Company.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience

·         At least 8 years of relevant travel-industry experience, including at least 4 years in a senior operational, commercial or people-leadership role.

·         Demonstrated accountability for business planning, budgets, governance, supplier strategy, financial performance and cross-functional change.

·         Experience leading corporate, premium, hospitality or complex multi-stakeholder travel operations is preferred.

Education

·         Bachelor's degree in Tourism, Hospitality, Business Administration, Finance or a related field is preferred; substantial relevant senior-management experience may be considered.

Skills / Competencies

·         Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, pricing, profitability, investment prioritization and performance reporting.

·         Advanced knowledge of travel distribution, GDS (Global Distribution System), supplier markets, contracting and service operating models.

·         Ability to define decision rights, hold managers accountable and maintain an effective line between strategy and operational execution.

·         Strong executive communication, negotiation, influencing and cross-functional stakeholder-management skills.

·         Ability to lead transformation, major disruption response and decisions involving material risk or reputational impact.

·         Fluent in written and spoken Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese) and English; proficiency in other languages is a plus.

·         Able to work varied shifts, including weekends and holidays.