Travel Counselor -Team Lead

Come Grow With Us Grand Canyon Education (GCE) is a rapidly growing educational service company that has long been an industry leader in providing educational, operational and technological support services to the post-secondary education sector. Formerly part of Grand Canyon University (GCU), GCE still works closely with GCU to benefit thousands of students, families and the local inner-city community. We put people first, drive innovation, and do good in the community that we live and work in. The travel department is seeking a full time team lead to provide oversight for a team of Travel Counselors. The team lead will maintain and oversee quality control across all aspects of business delivery in the department, and provide a high level of customer service, whilst ensuring a positive team environment. What you will do: Assists travel team members with questions/problems that may be regarding: Company policies Standards in building Passenger Name Records Use of online and technical system tools Assist with communicating updates and new information to ensure consistency in execution of operational procedures Handles escalated issues regarding travel to ensure satisfactory resolution for all parties Designated Floater within the team wherever and whenever needed; able to handle all various different client travel groups within GCE. Acts as a travel counselor to complete travel arrangements e.g., air, hotel and transportation for executive management and/or VIP travel and communicate with traveler; assist with travel arrangements when volume is high for all other staff or when assistance is needed, all while assuring traveler satisfaction. Assist with implementation of cost saving measures through negotiation with travel service providers as assigned by travel manager. Ensure all travel arrangements of the most economic route and appropriate itinerary Coordinate with finance department to invoice travelers for personal travel costs, which may include transmission of invoice to travelers and forwarding information to finance staff. Provide random and/or periodic review of travel arrangements to ensure compliance with Travel Policy and Procedures, flag and inform travel manager of non-compliance and recommend strategies to increase compliance. Assist with updating the travel website; may be primary contributor to content updates. Willing to work occasional evening and weekend hours as business need dictates in high volume travel times and/or for VIP coverage; required rotating on call schedule. Identifies savings opportunities and service enhancements and helps initiate process improvements. Develops and helps implement tools, reports, processes, and/or technology to streamline travel booking and reporting. Act as first tier problem resolution for issues escalated by the team members Select and explain best solutions to solve given problems in the context of customer service Monitor team’s performance on daily basis, through all monitoring tools Performs additional duties as required Oversight of daily operational aspects of team members; providing coaching and mentoring; serve as the “daily go-to” team member for handling issues; provide input about team members’ performance to travel manager. What you will have: Minimum of 2 years’ experience as supervisor or lead. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in booking group and individual air/hotel/car reservations. Apollo experience required. Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college or university preferred. Must be able to pass background investigations. Must be able to be on rotating on call coverage weeknights and weekends. Ability to coach and mentor team members to assist in them being able to deliver quality customer service Ability to model excellent customer service skills and demonstrate understanding of customer service principles Ability to create work environment of mutual respect and willingness by all members to support a team effort; establishes a positive team environment whereby team members are willing to help one another. Good problem solver with the ability to evaluate a problem or gap in a process and be able to provide viable solutions to correct or improve the problem. Must be able to navigate all related systems and understand all airline terminology, codes, fare basis, airline rules and tariffs and serve as a mentor to others regarding industry terminology. Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment while meeting competing and/or changing timelines. Detail oriented with a high degree of accuracy. Ability to multi-task, efficiently prioritize assignments and to cope with changing priorities. Good written communication skills with a good command of the English language and proofreading skill. Proficiency with MS Office applications, specifically proficiency with Excel to track travel costs as required. Skill in analyzing trends and data to measure KPIs (key performance indicators) Ability to develop build and maintain effective professional relationships with all customers/providers of service. Ability to maintain focus in an environment of frequent interruptions and ensure accuracy of execution of travel arrangements. Willing to work occasional evening and weekend hours as business need dictates in high volume travel times and/or for VIP coverage; required rotating on call schedule. Provide a positive example to students by supporting the University’s Doctrinal Statement, Ethical Position Statement and Mission of Grand Canyon University. Why work at GCE: Exceptional workplace benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401K savings plan Generous time off plan and 11 paid holidays Paid time off to volunteer in the community or at GCU sponsored events We also offer full-time employees, their spouses and dependent children an Education Tuition Discount Program At Grand Canyon Education, it is our privilege to serve students and those who support academic advancement. We lead educational transformation by developing superior ways to help schools grow and prosper. We provide transparent programs, intuitive online learning technologies and well-established academic models that promote student success and institutional growth. Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome (as determined by the university) of pre-employment screening activities, including a background check. For assistance with your job application please use our External Candidate Job Application Guide. All staff candidates will be asked to review GCE’s staff expectations as part of the application process. Our partner in education, Grand Canyon University, is Arizona’s premier private Christian university. GCU serves traditional and online students by offering quality academic degree programs, experienced leadership and transformative learning experiences both on our growing campus and digitally.