Program Manager for an international travel company

We are a boutique travel company that creates and delivers customized travel programs for our partners and clients worldwide. We specialize in working with young professional groups, entrepreneurship organizations, non-profit and membership institutions, alumni associations, yoga studios and wellness companies, corporate boards, subscribers and followers of a community or leader they love, celebrities and sports superstars, and bands of adventurers that want to get off the beaten path and enjoy exceptional and engaging travel experiences.

About the Role:

The Program Manager is an essential position within the team. This role will manage the day-to-day execution of creative travel programs to destinations around the world and will work directly with international trip operators/suppliers, clients, faculty, community leaders, and guest speakers to deliver inspired travel experiences from the initial idea through production and wrap-up. This will include crafting itineraries, reconciling and reviewing finances and invoices, creating brochures and other travel pieces, collaborating with Destination Management Companies and clients to execute a superb trip that meets all the clients goals and objectives, and running point remotely during the trip itself. You may also be asked to attend trips to ensure quality control and on-site management. Your overall trip portfolio in a given year will include 5 – 10 trips of various sizes in various stages of development. In addition, this role will occasionally be asked to assist our Traveler Experience team with traveler communications and data gathering to help facilitate a smooth trip.

Candidates must be motivated, hard-working, and organized self-starters. They must have a keen attention to detail, outstanding written and verbal communication skills, positivity, enthusiasm, and a passion for inspired international travel. This position will work on a team with other dedicated Program Managers and report directly to the Director of Operations.

Requirements:
3-5 years of experience in travel or event planning or related fields
2-3 years of experience in customer and client services
Experience working with international entities and companies
Excellent communication skills
Strong time management skills
The ability to take initiative and use good judgment to solve problems

Preferred Experience:
Knowledge and experience working with cruise lines
Experience working with large groups (100+)
Familiarity with G Suite products, Canva, and Freshbooks
Past experiences tour managing groups of any size
Foreign language competency a plus

Please note: this is a remote position and we welcome exceptional candidates from anywhere within the US.

Key Responsibilities:

Plan and Execute International Travel Programs
Plan and execute large-scale, highly curated travel programs of 25 to 150+ travelers
Create trip itineraries and updated itinerary iterations for both groups and individuals
Develop relationships with local suppliers, clients, and partners
Request detailed and creative destination options with pricing and manage correspondence
Coordinate logistics with local operators, flight providers, and other vendors, including completing required paperwork and communicating on client updates
Produce post trip summary of activities and finances
Investigate destinations and travel options as necessary and keep track of findings and comparisons
Research DMC’s and other venues to find the best partners
Negotiate contracts with both clients and partners
Be available to on the ground staff outside of normal work hours when a trip is in session
Streamline and Maintain Fluid Operations
Manage trip budgets through negotiation and invoice review
Craft marketing and traveler materials ranging from brochures to flyers to final documents
Analyze post-trip evaluation forms for improvements
Search for opportunities and implement improvements to company workflow
Other leadership support for the senior team (e.g. creating presentations for industry conferences, attending partner leadership meetings, etc.)
Communications
Set up meetings and ensure regular communications with our clients and partners to ensure a smooth trip
Support in the development of bespoke traveler email campaigns
Work with the Director of Marketing to ensure branding consistency of supplemental items
Assist with creating cultural content for travelers, such as information packets, reading lists, destinations brochures, etc.