Travel Operations Manager

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Howden is seeking a Travel Operations Manager to manage the company's outsourced travel providers, to ensure smooth delivery of end-to-end travel booking services within agreed SLAs. This will involve working closely with senior PAs and other operations professionals, as well as local and global travel agents, implementing any necessary changes to ensure quality of service is consistently high.

Please note this is a full-time, permanent role based in our central London office. The expectation is to be onsite 3 days per week.

Role Responsibilities:

• Manage the day-to-day activities of our outsourced travel providers, guaranteeing seamless delivery of comprehensive travel booking services within established service level agreements (SLAs).

• Monitor workflow volumes and trends to provide meaningful data to key stakeholders and make informed decisions about resource management.

• Review, recommend and implement new systems and processes to improve and maintain operational efficiency.

• Ensure all processes comply with industry regulation and local laws.

• Build a strong relationship with senior PAs and operations professionals at Howden and work closely with them on complex travel requests.

• Manage VIP travel requests.

• Referral / escalation point for issues or complaints within either organisation.

• Monitor compliance with the Group Travel policy and report any deviations.

• Provide guidance on current working policies and procedures relating to business travel.

• Understand the financial model and work closely with the Finance Business Partner to ensure accurate and timely financial budgeting and reporting.

• Work with the Group Sustainability team on reporting on carbon tracking & reduction, and introduce process change to ensure this is accurately tracked and reported.

Role Requirements:

• Experience of working in a similar fast-paced corporate travel role.

• Proficiency in travel booking systems and travel management software (Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport etc.)

• Knowledge of international travel regulations, customs and currencies.

• Understanding of developments in carbon reporting and sustainable travel.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent