As the Director of Travel, you will architect and lead the company’s enterprise-wide travel program during a period of rapid growth—from a $500M organization to a $1B national leader in concrete construction. You will be responsible for building scalable travel operations, optimizing travel spend, ensuring safety and compliance, and delivering exceptional service to a geographically distributed workforce working across multiple job sites nationwide. This role requires a strategic, data-driven leader who understands the complexities of travel within heavy construction environments.
Key Responsibilities
Travel Program Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and oversee a comprehensive, company-wide travel program aligned with operational needs and rapid growth goals.
- Establish travel policies, procedures, and standards that ensure cost control, safety, and employee satisfaction.
- Implement scalable travel management systems and technologies that support nationwide operations.
- Create multi-year travel strategy focusing on efficiency, consistency, supplier leverage, and risk mitigation.
Operational Management
- Manage day-to-day travel operations including air travel, lodging, rental vehicles, corporate housing, per diem programs, and long-term stays near job sites.
- Build and lead an internal travel team or manage outsourced travel management companies (TMCs).
- Coordinate with project managers, HR, site superintendents, and executives to support staffing and mobilization needs.
- Ensure 24/7 travel support options for field employees, superintendents, executive teams, and emergency response situations.
Vendor & Contract Management
- Negotiate national contracts with airlines, hotels, rental car agencies, and corporate housing providers.
- Analyze vendor performance, service quality, and savings opportunities.
- Evaluate and manage relationships with travel technology providers.
Financial Oversight & Reporting
- Build and manage the company’s travel budget, with an emphasis on cost visibility and savings.
- Develop KPIs and reporting dashboards that provide executives with actionable insights.
- Conduct regular audits of travel spend, policy compliance, and vendor adherence.
Risk Management & Compliance
- Create and maintain duty-of-care protocols, ensuring employee safety and visibility across multiple states and job sites.
- Oversee compliance with federal regulations, company policies, insurance requirements, and project-specific travel needs.
- Coordinate emergency travel and crisis response planning.
Employee Experience & Training
- Ensure all employees—office, field, and executive—receive consistent and high-quality travel experiences.
- Develop training programs for travel booking tools, policies, and safety procedures.
- Continuously collect and analyze employee feedback to improve service quality.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Hospitality, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or relevant field required.
- 8–12+ years of progressive responsibility in corporate travel management, procurement, operations, or logistics.
- Experience leading travel programs for construction, engineering, or other project-based national workforces strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success managing travel programs in high-growth environments.
Technical & Professional Skills
- Strong understanding of corporate travel tools (GDS systems, booking platforms, TMC relationships, expense systems).
- Exceptional negotiation and vendor-management skills.
- Proficiency in data analytics, cost modeling, and dashboard/report creation.
- Ability to interpret and build policies that balance cost, compliance, and employee satisfaction.
Leadership & Soft Skills
- Strategic thinker with the ability to design scalable systems from the ground up.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across operations, HR, finance, and executive leadership.
- Strong problem-solving skills, especially in time-sensitive or high-pressure travel situations.
- High level of integrity, professionalism, and attention to detail.
Success Indicators
- Reduction in total travel spend without sacrificing service quality.
- Implementation of a scalable, modern travel infrastructure aligned with $1B growth trajectory.
- High employee satisfaction with travel experiences.
- Improved safety, compliance, and operational readiness.
- Strong performance and accountability among travel vendors.
Leadership Competencies
- Adaptability
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Results
- Leadership
- Stamina
- Courage
- Sense of Urgency