Travel Operations Manager, North America

McKinsey & Company
parental leave, paid time off
United States, New York, New York
Jun 03, 2025
Procurement Travel Operations Manager, North America Job ID: 92995 Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges-the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day? If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place. Your Impact You will lead Optimize Travel's NA region in collaboration with the NA Regional Travel Manager. In collaboration with Optimize Travel leadership, you will set the regional travel strategy to ensure the delivery of exceptional travel experiences, drive innovation, and uphold excellence. Your responsibilities will include streamlining travel processes and reducing operational costs, enhancing alignment between global travel objectives with local stakeholder needs, and improving service quality and policy compliance. Through effective issue resolution and supplier management, you will ensure a seamless travel experience for employees. You will partner with the Regional Travel Manager to support and drive both global & regional travel initiatives and bring efficiencies in your areas. To be successful in this role, you must be able to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement to drive continuous improvement in our operations. You must be able to balance working with a global team to meet wider goals and objectives while aligning these with the needs and objectives of local stakeholders. You will collaborate with the Regional Travel Manager to identify and address service-related issues such as quality control and service level adherence, and partner with local offices and our Travel Management Company to improve service support. You will address and report on policy compliance and related issues by not only providing recommendations on policy and process updates, but by also influencing behaviors to ensure a high level of policy adherence. Additionally, you will partner with local finance, tax, and payment teams to resolve policy, approval, or payment issues, and identifying and correcting process gaps to ensure a seamless traveler experience. By working closely with Travel Category Managers on key supplier relationships for air, hotel, and car rental services, you will address service and contractual matters, ensuring optimal outcomes. Together with the Regional Travel Manager, your efforts will align with and achieve the broader goals set forth by Optimize Travel. You will be part of the McKinsey Optimize function that delivers distinctive, positive and productive experiences through various services ranging from travel, events, real estate, sourcing, technology and purchasing. You will work closely with the wider Travel Team and Optimize departments, as well as leadership in North America and colleagues in other functions across the globe. Optimize Travel is responsible for setting the strategy for - and managing the operations of McKinsey's global travel program. Our vision is to bring people together to create positive enduring change in the world. We do this by designing a global and scalable travel program that harnesses innovation to deliver the best value for our firm while creating positive experiences for our colleagues. We empower colleagues to make informed travel decisions as they focus on delivering impact where it matters most. You will be based in one of our approved U.S. Office locations (Boston, NY, NJ, Miramar, Tampa, Denver, Philadelphia) and report directly to the North America Regional Travel Manager based in Miramar, Florida. Your Growth You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference. When you join us, you will have: Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey. A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Exceptional benefits: In addition to a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, mental health, and vision coverage for you, your spouse/partner, and children. Your qualifications and skills Undergraduate degree and demonstrable intellectual curiosity through professional training, advanced degree or professional impact 5+ years of relevant corporate travel experience, GDS knowledge is a plus Demonstrated record of impact in previous roles Outstanding communications and listening skills Ability to thrive in a complex organization Distinctive expertise and problem-solving skills, demonstrated through impact on complex, sensitive, time-critical issues An entrepreneurial, collaborative attitude with interest and aptitude for working as part of a global team across countries and cultures Exceptional demonstrated judgment and integrity Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues. Apply Now Apply Later FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. For new joiners for this role in the United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, a reasonable estimated range is $112,900 - $176,800 USD -to help you understand what you can expect. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest [salary/hourly wages] for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it's important to remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our current organizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey's discretion and based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance, and paid time off. FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites. Job Skill Group - N/A Job Skill Code - TROM - Travel Operations Manager Function - Industry - Post to LinkedIn - Yes Posted to LinkedIn Date - Thu Jan 09 00:00:00 GMT 2025 LinkedIn Posting City - New York LinkedIn Posting State/Province - New York LinkedIn Posting Country - United States LinkedIn Job Title - Travel Operations Manager, North America LinkedIn Function - Consulting LinkedIn Industry - Leisure, Travel & Tourism;Management Consulting LinkedIn Seniority Level - Associate