Travel Coordinator This position will be responsible for coordinating travel, performing travel contract administration functions, negotiating group travel, and processing travel related invoices for Office of Shared Services, SSO, clients at the University of Tennessee. The position will be responsible for on-boarding presentations for new SSO clients and presentations at the VolTravel Travel Symposium.
Responsibilities: Coordination:
- Serves as the University's lead coordinator for group travel with a responsibility for the planning, coordination, and management of group travel programs.
- Oversees the negotiation and administration of hotel, air, ground transportation, and other travel-related agreements to ensure cost-effective and efficient arrangements which meet University needs.
- Collaborates closely with the campus travel agency to coordinate and book group air travel and serves as the primary liaison between the travel agency and campus departments.
- Oversees the work of Travel Assistants and provides guidance and support as needed in processing travel requests, air reservations, travel arrangements, and reimbursements.
- Serves as the primary point of contact for university travel inquiries in the Manager's absence.
- Ensures compliance with Knox campus, University System, and applicable state travel policies and procedures.
- Provides quality assurance and promotes accuracy and consistency in travel transactions, documentation, and data maintained by department.
- Develops recommendations for leadership regarding travel processes, programs, policies, and technology improvements.
- Financial Support:
- Works with clients to determine contractual requirements for their travel within established travel budget.
- Responsible for requisitioning related travel contracts.
- Registers new vendors in the Payment Works system as needed.
- Acts as the liaison to ensure all documentation is submitted accurately and timely.
- Responsible for invoice entry for related travel contract payments.
- Outreach Support:
- Assist the Campus Travel Manager with developing and presenting on-boarding presentations, facilitates seminars, event planning for biennial travel symposium.
- Assist in the event planning for the travel symposium and participate in the breakout sessions as a presenter.
- Provide support after the events by analyzing engagement, make recommendations for improvements for future events. Expand outreach by identifying other areas across the University who could benefit from use of these services.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Education: Associate's degree
Experience:- Minimum 4 years of travel-related experience, including booking trips, processing travel expense reimbursements, and negotiating hotel agreements.
- Demonstrated understanding of common traveler challenges and strong customer service skills to support travelers and resolve issues efficiently.
- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
- Experience processing travel transactions in Oracle.
- Knowledge of travel, contract and procurement policies, strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data, compile information, prepare reports, and make recommendations for process improvements and operational efficiencies.
- Ability to demonstrate excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills, strong organizational and project management abilities, and exceptional attention to detail and accuracy when managing travel arrangements, financial documentation, contracts, reimbursements, and compliance requirements.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to effectively communicate with travelers, department administrators, vendors, and senior-level executives.
- Strong public speaking and presentation skills. Ability to develop and deliver training sessions, workshops, and informational presentations to diverse audiences.
- Ability to plan, coordinate, and facilitate meetings, events, workshops, and other programs, including managing logistics, vendors, schedules, and participant needs.
- Strong customer service skills.
- Ability to manage sensitive, time-critical, and high-priority situations professionally, negotiate and evaluate vendor agreements to obtain cost-effective services, and adapt effectively to changing policies, procedures, technology, and organizational needs.
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
Preferred Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Experience: Experience processing travel transactions in Oracle
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: UT fiscal policy knowledge
Location:
Cherokee Mills, Knoxville TNCompensation and BenefitsUT Market Range: MR09Anticipated hiring range: $60,000-$65,000 Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here Find more information on UT Benefits here.
Benefits include:- Generous paid leave, accruing up to 24 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing days
- Education benefits for employees and their dependents at UT System campuses
- Retirement and deferred compensation plans, including 401(k), 403(b), etc.
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
- Employee discounts to attractions, services, and goods
Application Instructions:- Interested applicants should submit an application with the following attachments:
- ResumeCover LetterAny additional pertinent materials
- About The College/Department/Division
Shared Services assists internal customers with achieving target goals by delivering optimized services and creating cost and process efficiencies. We work across boundaries and help foster collaboration between units by providing effective financial management, solving problems and exchanging knowledge. Shared Services intends to be a vital part of the campus community by creating a highly effective single-stop business office partnership model.
About Us:
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service. UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as "Best Employer for New Graduates," "One of America's Best Large Employers," and "Best Workplace for Women," and has been designated as "Best Place for Working Parents" by Forbes Magazine. Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!
