QUALIFICATIONS
- 8+ years of credible experience in management of ground transportation, and knowledge of accommodation at leading organizations
- A degree in hotel/travel management would be an added advantage
- Ability to understand the global ground transportation and accommodation strategies and align them with the local business needs and requirements
- In-depth understanding of the hotel industry and of ground transportation
- Exceptional customer service focus
- Strong analytical skills
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to problem-solve and remove bottlenecks on the go
- Exceptional organizational skills and superb attention to detail
- Outstanding influencing and interpersonal skills
- Ability to coach and manage others
- Building credibility with leadership through integrity, commitment and a proven track record
- Strategizing and thinking ahead to anticipate and manage the office's accommodation and ground transportation requirements
- Expertise in negotiating contracts and RFPs
- Strategic sourcing and budget/project management
WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH
As the Ground Transportation and Accommodation Manager with McKinsey & Company India (INO), you would be working with the Global Travel Team in collaboration with local stakeholders leading the ground transportation and hotel accommodation portfolios. The Travel team at INO manages a large and complex operation, involving daily bookings of 500+ ground transportation trips and about 200 hotel bookings. In this role, you would be guided by the regional/global travel team leaders. You will work closely with the Director of Administration for the India office, the current INO Travel Operations Manager, the Regional Travel Manager for Asia and the relevant category Global Leads for Ground Transport and Accommodation. You will also connect and collaborate with the local Partner group, the India office procurement team, Office Finance team, different office functional teams (e.g., administration/ assistants/events etc.) and vendor partners for the ground transport, Travel Management Company (TMC) and relevant hotels.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
As the Ground Transportation & Accommodation Manager at INO, you will be the primary point of contact for end-to-end planning and support related to ground transportation and hotel strategy and operations. Your role involves engaging with stakeholders at various levels to strategize, manage, and resolve issues on the job, ensuring that the office's ground transportation and accommodation needs are met efficiently and cost-effectively.
You will leverage your experience in ground transportation and accommodation to develop strategies and shape the relevant requirements at INO. Staying informed about sector advances, trends, opportunities, and developments, such as supplier changes, pricing shifts, and risk profiles, will be crucial. You will provide recommendations to global, regional, and local stakeholders and leadership. Your responsibilities will include assisting the regional team with managing local office aspects through a global Travel Management Company (TMC), using metric reviews and relationship-building to enhance user experience, cost management, and policy compliance.
You will support the regional travel manager in analyzing data for accommodation program improvements and process optimization, aiming to boost user satisfaction. Additionally, you will participate in budget forecasting, manage invoice reconciliation, and coordinate claims and disputes. Analytical skills will be essential as you will draw insights from dashboards to enable consulting teams and the office to plan effectively. You will offer advice and consultation on ground transportation and accommodation, including resolving complex service issues, and ensure adherence to firm travel policy by providing appropriate guidance on rates. Administrative activities for ground transportation and accommodation, such as running department reports and processing refunds, will fall under your purview. You will monitor and report on the quality of your team’s support for these areas, ensuring accuracy, consistency, policy adherence, and preferred rates in reservations. Providing coaching and support to colleagues, identifying development opportunities for team members, and taking the initiative in these areas are also expected.
You will be responsible for implementing, executing, and overseeing the ground transportation strategy to achieve the desired level of service, quality, and cost for the firm. Your accountability extends to improving quality and reducing costs in support of the supply chain mission for ground transportation and accommodation. This includes managing the office fleet and outsourced transportation providers, negotiating transportation prices as volume increases, defining and implementing strategic KPIs and dashboards, and monitoring ground transport service providers' performance through monthly reviews.
