Director, Travel & Hospitality

The Director of Travel & Hospitality leads the operations and initiatives within the transient individual travel & hospitality segment. This key role entails steering the day-to-day management of travel operations across the US, Mexico, and Latin America. The position orchestrates our global transient travel operations, rectifying service discrepancies, and ensuring seamless and hospitable travel experiences for our teams.  The position reports to the SVP, Global Events and Travel.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the TU Travel and Hospitality function acting as the primary point of contact, overseeing booking, approval processes, and managing travel logistics, especially in high-priority situations.
• Direct and resolve service challenges within the global transient corporate travel ecosystem, emphasizing hospitality.
• Facilitate the expansion of CWT and Concur systems across key regions within US, Mexico, and Latin America.
• Identify avenues for cost reduction and enhanced savings without compromising on partner relations or hospitality standards.
• Ensure adherence to travel policies and make recommendations on updating company travel policy based on market research and travel regulations.
• Promote Travel Program to ensure employees understanding of policies and procedures.
• Establish and cultivate positive relationships with all key stakeholders: travel vendors, support functions within TelevisaUnivision (IT, HR, Finance), and frequent travelers.
• Collaborate with the Travel Business Analyst to generate and maintain metric dashboards and reports.
• Take charge of preferred hotel and car programs, monitoring rates and securing availability, with a focus on hospitality excellence.
• Develop and standardize reporting for hotel and car rental programs.
• Mentor the Global Travel team managing their daily responsibilities and fostering career growth.
• Negotiate with airlines, hotels, and ground transportation providers to ensure optimal terms and hospitality services. Lead quarterly meetings with airlines to ensure contractual obligations are met.
• Manage and evaluate Travel Management Company (TMC) contracts, ensuring compliance with service levels and addressing any service shortfalls.
• Administer UATP accounts and guarantee the reliability of data for reporting purposes.
• Oversee the corporate travel departmental mailbox, tracking service issues and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Formulate strategies to boost online booking rates.
• Implement traveler satisfaction surveys to gauge service levels and inform adjustments aimed at enhancing hospitality.
• Stay abreast of industry shifts and technological advancements, understanding their impact on corporate travel.
• Represent the Global Travel department in TelevisaUnivision’s company-wide ESG initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 8 years of experience in managing global travel for a large organization, with a focus on hospitality.
• International travel management experience, particularly in US, Mexico, and Latin America, is highly valued.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of airline, hotel, and car rental programs, including negotiation experience and hospitality focus.
• Proficiency in data analytics across various travel categories and reporting.
• Demonstrated capability in strategic customer and business-facing roles, prioritizing exceptional service and operational efficiency.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and relevant software/technologies.
• Knowledge of project management tools and Concur OBT is a plus.
• A robust network within the travel and hospitality industry.
• Flexible work hours, including occasional nights and weekends, may be required.
• Well-informed on the latest travel and hospitality trends and technologies.
• Proven leadership and team development experience.
• Willingness to travel as necessary, including in emergency situations.
• Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Skilled in leading significant, cross-functional projects within diverse organizational levels.
• Strong communication skills. Capable of working collaboratively across various departments, ensuring effective communication with all levels of staff, from executives to administrative assistants.
• Effective problem-solving skills, especially in urgent or critical scenarios.

OUR BENEFITS:

TelevisaUnivision believes that a happy, well-balanced employee is what makes our culture thrive. We offer a wide selection of perks and benefits including PTO; tuition reimbursement; wellness and employee support programs; 401K; and life and other insurance plans. This is all in addition to our comprehensive and competitive health benefits package featuring medical, dental and vision coverage options.

Salary Range NY 127,500 - 170,000.

TelevisaUnivision is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to characteristics protected by law.