operations manager London, England
Job description
The role can be based anywhere in Europe
Position Overview:
As Travel Operations Manager for Eurasia, Middle East and Africa you will be part of the Global T&E Operations organization. You will manage operational travel services for Coca-Cola associates in your assigned region by focusing on supporting them with all their travel related issues as well as working with regional and global travel service providers (i.e. designated global corporate travel agency) and travelers to identify key program drivers and implement plans to drive increased efficiency, effectiveness, and system savings. Your main goal will be to drive regional compliance to key global travel management cost savings processes (including online booking, advance ticket purchasing, lowest logical airfare and the use of preferred suppliers) and overall compliance to Global Travel & Expenses policy, which you will achieve by providing clarity, training and assistance to your internal clients and consequently and continuously communicating.
In your role you will assist to implement, manage and be the custodian of settings of online booking tools and other operational processes across Eurasia, Middle East and Africa. Consequently, you will manage the day-to-day relationship with key regional and global travel suppliers and monitor key performance metrics.
Key Responsibilities:
Compliance: Monitor, track and report compliance of Company policies, provide information on opportunities for cost savings to internal clients, implement regional processes, routines and metrics to improve traveler compliance and utilization of the Company’s Global Travel Program.
Reporting: Deliver regional stewardship reports to key clients group on compliance against travel and expense policies, provide them to clients in order to assist in the development of their operating budget, be responsible for tracking Service Level Agreements of our regional and global travel service providers addressing performance issues in a proactive manner and using follow-up skills to ensure resolutions are sustained.
Supplier Management: Manage regional performance of vendors against contract standards and performance targets, work with suppliers to acquire up-to-date information regarding industry best practices, benchmarking, and latest technology to improve internal practices, reduce operational costs and increase operational efficiency.
Program Initiatives: Work collaboratively with the Global T&E team on strategic approaches to Hotel, Air and Agency management, negotiations, and support development of preferred supplier program. Manage all operational aspects of the travel program in the region ensuring all travel corporate agreements are implemented across the region enabling services provision in a cost-effective and timely manner to meet business needs, and ensuring rates are accurate and accessible.
Issues Resolution: Coordinate with other internal teams for system access, maintenance and product upgrades, respond to client service problems and questions by researching solutions, troubleshoot day-to-day issues (e.g. online tool issues, missing tickets, visa problems, general policy questions).
What you can expect:
A multifaceted and challenging job in which you will be able to make use of the total variety of your skills, experiences and competencies.
Exposure to all levels of customers within the Company in a relationship driven role.
The opportunity to implement, manage and shape how travel is being done at the world’s largest beverage company.
An international team with a great spirit and a role that provides room to further develop your skills and knowledge base.
What you need to be successful:
As the ideal candidate you bring along a more than solid knowledge of the travel industry and this Region that you gathered within big multinational corporations. Additional audit and finance experience, i.e. in vendor management, is a plus. What will drive you in this role to success is a clear focus on customer service paired with empathy for each individual situation of your clients while maintaining a definitive solutions and issue resolution orientation.
We are looking for you if you are very strong in stakeholder management at all levels (customer, supplier, vendor) and have proven to be an active networker. The ability to communicate in the respective appropriate manner with stakeholders from administrations as well as senior managers and directors, in conjunction with a good balance of diplomacy and rigor, will be key to succeeding in this role. Since part of this position is data analysis and reporting, you should bring along the big picture view as well as attention to detail. Lastly, fluency in English is a must.
Functional Competencies:
Client Instruction and Support: Knowledge of procedures used and information required to educate and support clients.
Vendor Management: The ability to evaluate and ensure that vendor performance meets or exceeds defined performance standards and adheres to overall company policies and procedures.
Business Approaches: Ability to use appropriate business and management approaches (e.g. presentations) to communicate the importance of information services to senior management.
Resource Knowledge: Knowledge of internal and external tools (i.e. online booking tools, travel scorecards)
Project Management: The ability to set goals and objectives, plan, problem solve and make decisions to accomplish tasks and assignments.
Contract and Information Management
Rolling Estimate Projections: Knowledge of information and procedures used to determine rolling estimates, ability to gather and compare data and develop relevant financial projections.
Audit/Compliance: Understanding of The Coca-Cola Company standard practices and procedures incl. travel policy and ability to perform audit cycles against these policies.
Leadership Behaviors:
Drive Innovation
Collaborate with System, Customers and Key Stakeholders
Act Like an Owner
Inspire Others
Develop Self and Others
Location:
Flexible across Europe
Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.
