Travel Desk Head

Pinnacle; Durgapur; Presencial; INR 4.000.000 - 6.000.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Pinnacle is seeking a seasoned Head – Travel Desk in Durgapur to lead domestic and international travel operations, crafting corporate travel strategies, SOPs and governance. You will drive policy alignment with HR and Finance, manage vendors, and optimize costs while ensuring compliance and a seamless employee travel experience.

The role entails visa facilitation, travel technology oversight, group travel coordination and leadership of the Travel Desk team, reporting to senior stakeholders and

Formación

• Bachelor's degree in Travel & Tourism, Hospitality Management, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in corporate travel management or travel operations.
• Strong hands-on experience in managing domestic and international corporate travel operations.
• Experience in visa facilitation and destination-specific visa requirements.
• Experience implementing or managing online booking platforms or TMS.

Responsabilidades

• Develop, review and implement company-wide travel policies, strategies and SOPs for domestic and international travel.
• Oversee end-to-end travel arrangements, including air tickets, hotel bookings, and transport.
• Lead visa facilitation processes and coordinate with stakeholders and service providers.
• Plan and coordinate travel for senior leadership and corporate events.
• Lead, mentor and develop the Travel Desk team and drive process improvements.

Conocimientos

Strategic Planning

Policy Development

Vendor Management

Travel Operations

Leadership

Cost Optimization

MIS Reporting

Visa Management

Educación

Bachelor's degree in Travel & Tourism / Hospitality / Business Administration

Herramientas

Travel Management Systems (TMS)

Online Booking Platforms

Vendor Management Software

Descripción del empleo

Job Title: Head – Travel Desk

Location: Durgapur / As per business requirement

Experience: 15+ Years

Function: Administration / Corporate Services

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Head – Travel Desk to lead and manage the company's domestic and international travel operations. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and implementing corporate travel strategies, policies and processes, ensuring operational efficiency, cost optimization, regulatory compliance and a seamless travel experience for employees and senior leadership.

The role will involve strategic oversight of travel operations, visa facilitation, vendor management, travel technology, group travel coordination and team leadership, while working closely with HR, Finance, Administration and business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Travel Strategy, Policy & Governance

• Develop, review and implement company-wide travel policies, strategies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for domestic and international travel.
• Establish standardized guidelines covering travel approvals, class of travel, accommodation entitlements, cancellations, rescheduling and policy exceptions.
• Ensure alignment of travel policies with HR guidelines, employee entitlements, Finance controls and organizational approval matrices.
• Define approval workflows, documentation requirements, escalation mechanisms and governance frameworks.
• Advise management on travel-related risks, cost optimization opportunities and process improvements.

2. Travel Operations & Vendor Management

• Oversee end-to-end domestic and international travel arrangements, including air tickets, hotel bookings, ground transportation and itinerary management.
• Evaluate, recommend and implement suitable online booking platforms or Travel Management Systems (TMS).
• Manage relationships with travel agencies, airlines, hotels and other service providers, ensuring competitive commercial terms and service-level standards.
• Monitor travel expenditure, advance bookings, cancellations, unused tickets and policy deviations through structured MIS and reporting.
• Handle critical travel-related escalations and ensure timely resolution of employee and business requirements.

3. Visa & International Travel Management

• Lead and streamline the company's visa facilitation process for international business travel.
• Guide employees on destination-specific visa requirements, documentation, application procedures and timelines.
• Develop standardized visa checklists, document formats and country-specific process guidelines.
• Review visa applications for documentation completeness and coordinate with employees, internal stakeholders, consulates and authorized visa service providers.
• Identify opportunities to improve application readiness and minimize avoidable delays.
• Maintain updated records of visa requirements, application status and international travel documentation.

4. Events, Group & Leadership Travel

• Plan and coordinate travel, accommodation and transportation for corporate meetings, conferences, offsites and other organizational events.
• Manage group travel bookings, hotel room blocks, event-related travel budgets and vendor coordination.
• Oversee travel arrangements for the CEO, Directors and other senior leadership, including itinerary planning and end-to-end travel coordination.
• Ensure seamless execution of travel logistics for business-critical meetings and corporate events.

5. Team Leadership & Process Excellence

• Lead, mentor and develop the Travel Desk team, establishing clear roles, responsibilities and service delivery standards.
• Develop and implement SOPs, employee travel guidelines and training programmes.
• Monitor team performance, service quality, policy compliance, employee feedback and cost efficiency.
• Drive process standardization, automation and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and employee experience.

Educational Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Travel & Tourism, Hospitality Management, Business Administration or a related discipline. Relevant professional certifications will be an advantage.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in corporate travel management, travel operations or a similar leadership role.
• Strong hands-on experience in managing domestic and international corporate travel operations.
• Demonstrated expertise in business visa facilitation, application documentation and destination-specific visa requirements.
• Experience in implementing or managing online booking platforms, Travel Management Systems (TMS) or related technology solutions.
• Proven track record of managing travel agencies, airlines, hotels and other service providers.
• Experience in developing corporate travel policies, SOPs, approval workflows, cost-control mechanisms and reporting frameworks.
• Prior experience in leading teams and managing senior management travel requirements.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Planning & Policy Development
• Corporate Travel & Visa Management
• Travel Operations & Process Governance
• Vendor & Contract Management
• Budgeting, Cost Optimization & MIS Reporting
• Travel Technology & Process Automation
• Senior Management & Stakeholder Management
• Team Leadership & People Development
• Problem Solving, Coordination & Execution Excellence

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Effective implementation and adherence to corporate travel policies and SOPs.
• Timely and accurate execution of travel bookings and visa documentation.
• Optimization of travel expenditure and effective vendor cost management.
• Reduction in cancellations, unused tickets and policy deviations.
• Improved service delivery, employee satisfaction and resolution of travel-related escalations.
• Effective management of travel platforms, vendor performance and team productivity.