Travel Services Lead

Primary Work Address: 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815

Current HHMI Employees, click here to apply via your Workday account.

HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in a variety of different ways ranging from conducting basic biomedical research, empowering educators, inspiring students, developing the next generation of scientists - even stretching into film and media production. Our Headquarters is in the greater Washington, DC metro area and is home to over 300 employees with expertise in investments, communications, digital production, biomedical sciences, and everything in between. The work housed here supports and augments the groundbreaking research conducted in HHMI labs across the nation. As HHMI scientists continue to push boundaries in laboratories and classrooms, you can be sure that your contributions while working here are making a difference.

Summary:

The Travel Services Lead manages HHMI's travel operations, delivering responsive, high-quality service to all HHMI travelers. This role oversees daily operations, leads and organizes the travel team, maintains vendor relationships, and ensures travel is efficient, cost-effective, and compliant. The ideal candidate is a strong leader with solid organizational skills, deep knowledge of corporate travel, and a focus on excellence in customer service. They will collaborate with travelers, operations teams and event organizers to provide timely travel support and ensure key metrics such as response and booking times are met.

• A meaningful role that helps shape the future of travel at HHMI, connecting people across the Institute to advance scientific discovery and innovation.
• The opportunity to collaborate across departments and directly support the work of researchers, educators, and staff by enabling seamless travel experiences.
• A strong emphasis on development, with a supportive environment and resources to build your skills.
• A competitive compensation package that includes a 10% employer contribution to your retirement, up to $10,000 in educational reimbursement each year, and a significant budget for professional development.

• Lead, mentor, and evaluate a team of travel coordinators to ensure efficient task execution, service quality, and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).
• Distribute workloads effectively to meet the needs of HHMI and its travelers, while fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
• Represent the Travel team in cross-functional meetings and serve as the subject matter expert on travel operations and special initiatives.
• Support the Senior Director, Campus Operations, in vendor contract negotiations and program-level planning.

• Oversee all aspects of corporate travel, including air, hotel, ground transportation, and meeting logistics, for individual and group travel, ensuring alignment with Institute policies and specific event requirements.
• Personally manage complex and VIP travel itineraries; coordinate seamless operations with conference leads and event organizers to provide timely communications, rooming lists, and itinerary details.
• Ensure accurate traveler profiles in travel systems, manage visa/passport assistance, and support combined personal/business travel requests.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for resolving travel issues and implementing service recovery strategies on a timely basis.
• Maintain on-site travel support at Janelia Research Campus monthly and required flexible scheduling based on traveler, travel program demands, and event timelines.

• Act as the lead liaison with travel service providers (TMC, airlines, hotels, transportation companies), evaluating performance and ensuring competitive pricing and high-quality service delivery.
• Negotiate and manage hotel and vendor contracts for conferences and off-site meetings, tracking attrition, cancellations, invoicing, and reporting obligations.
• Administer and optimize use of travel management systems (e.g., Concur, GDS), ensuring data integrity and user efficiency.
• Identify and implement new technologies or process improvements and lead monthly Concur booking and expense system training sessions for staff.

• Monitor and analyze travel spending, compliance, and vendor performance to identify trends, cost-saving opportunities, and areas for operational improvement.
• Prepare and present regular reports to senior management, supporting data-driven decisions and future planning.
• Maintain and update internal travel resources (e.g., Hughes Hub), ensuring content is accurate, accessible, and aligned with Institute goals.
• Develop and execute strategies to enhance the overall traveler experience through improved communication, support, and innovation.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience; CTC or GTP certification required.
• Minimum 5 years of corporate travel management experience, including VIP and international travel, with at least 5 years in a supervisory or leadership role.
• Expertise in domestic/international faring, ticketing, hotel negotiations, contracting, and rooming list management.
• Strong knowledge of international travel regulations, visa/passport requirements, and thorough knowledge of ARC ticketing/security procedures.
• Proficiency with Concur Travel & Expense tools, Microsoft Office, GDS platforms (Sabre, Travelport Apollo), and online booking systems.
• Deep understanding of corporate travel policies, expense reporting, budgeting, and cost-containment strategies.
• Experience leading small teams, developing staff, and managing travel operations in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable building cross-functional relationships and collaborating across departments.
• Exceptional customer service skills with a flexible, highly responsive, and solution-focused approach.