This position is responsible for organizing, securing, and strategically planning all team travel activity within the UTK Athletics Department, in collaboration with athletics staff, World Travel, UTK campus, and UT Treasurer's Office. The position will work closely with directors of operations, coaches, and administration to ensure all team travel needs are met in an effective and efficient manner, while also negotiating team travel activity for maximum savings for the Athletics Department. The position will manage the entire team travel process from start to finish to ensure each detail is accounted for, as well as being the main point of contact when teams need to secure team travel arrangements (air charts, bus charters, hotels, etc.). The position will interpret UT travel policy for the department and develop team travel processes for Athletics to request and book team travel efficiently, while benchmarking UT’s process against peers. The position will track annual savings on team travel, manage the team travel budgets in coordination with the teams, and provide quarterly updates to senior administration on savings for the most recent seasons.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Team Travel Management:
- This position serves as the main point of contact for all UTK Athletics team travel needs.
- Meets regularly with directors of operations, coaches, and administration to provide updates on travel policy changes, problem solving, and reconcile billing statements from vendors.
- Conducts training sessions with the department staff, coaches, and administrators on current departmental, campus, system, and state travel policies and procedures.
- Assists with team travel plans as needed.
- Consults with administration, makes recommendations, changes, and updates team travel needs based on findings.
- Negotiates the best rates as it relates to all team travel needs including, but not limited to hotel agreements (meeting rooms, late check outs, complimentary or upgraded rooms for coaches, free parking, roll-away beds, breakfasts, wi-fi, etc.), air charter agreements, bus charter agreements, and other team travel agreements.
- Manages last minute travel changes due to weather, substitutions of athletes, changes of game date, hotel over bookings, plane or bus cancellations, or other crises.
- Collaborates with the Strategic Sourcing Manager to ensure hotel, air charter, bus charter, and all other travel contracts are reviewed and signed in the most efficient manager.
- Creates team travel itineraries and options for directors of operations and coaches to review cost effective options for all team travel needs.

Travel Services:
- Departmental liaison to World Travel representative to coordinate commercial travel associated with team travel as necessary and discuss industry best practices.
- Research, make recommendations, and provide detailed travel information to travelers. Initiate and maintain local hotel listing for special athletic rates.
- Liaison with local car rental and charter bus company policies in cooperation with UT policy.
- Negotiates rates and vehicle delivery methods. Research, analyze, evaluate, compare, and select all travel vendors. This requires a thorough understanding of how to solicit and compare competing bids.
- Responsibility for negotiated terms of contracts, and canceling contracts without penalty when necessary. Update and advise Senior Associate Athletics Director/CFO of changes in these rules and policies and communicate regularly with the Strategic Sourcing Manager on travel bids.

Postseason Travel:
- Manages all post season travel; requiring last-minute travel preparations as teams must normally qualify for these competitions.
- Completes all post season reimbursement requests for the appropriate conference and NCAA.
- Serves as liaison for the NCAA-designated travel agency for championship airfares.
- Organizes all travel for the university's band and cheer squad.
- Available for cell phone consultation in case travel problems occur during off-hours.
- Utilizes Teamworks workflow software to review and approve travel itineraries, travel budgets, recruiting travel requests, and other workflows related to travel.
- Proactively plans for postseason travel needs well in advance of each season.

Travel Budget:
- Initiate travel approvals. Monitor and review all expenditures for team travel.
- Responsible for maintaining internal record-keeping and accountability systems in accordance with University and NCAA regulations.
- Researches and interprets inquiries from auditors for all departmental travel.
- Analyzes, verifies, and processes invoices and credit memos from travel agencies, charter bus companies and other travel vendors.
- Reconciles any outstanding travel advances for the entire department.
- Tracks savings over the course of the fiscal year and works with the Senior Associate AD/CFO to set goals on total department team travel savings each year.

Other Business Office Operations:
- Provides general administrative support to the Business Office as needed, including but not limited to: assistance with monthly general ledger reconciliation, individual travel expense report review.
- Maintains proficiency with current University business systems, including ESM, IRIS/DASH, Concur, and other systems across campus.
- Attends training workshops to remain up-to-date and knowledgeable of campus policies and Accounting, Travel, and Purchasing systems.
- Thorough knowledge in administrative procedures and processes including word processing, excel, and database applications (preferred).

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree required.

Experience:    

1-3 years experience coordinating and making travel arrangements for small and large groups (required).

1-3 years experience working in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment (required).

1-3 years experience coordinating and making travel arrangements in collegiate athletics (preferred).

1-3 years experience with preparing reimbursement requests and reconciling receipts (preferred).

Skills:   

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, active listening, critical thinking, multi-tasking and time management skills.
• Interpersonal and work leadership skills to provide guidance to other non-exempt personnel.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Thorough knowledge in administrative procedures and processes including word processing, excel, and database applications (preferred).

Behaviors:

Demonstrated behavioral expectations include:

• Unquestioned integrity and trustworthiness
• Adherence to University, Southeastern Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations
• Commitment to the Athletics Department and University’s mission
• Flexible to various scheduling to include nights, weekend work and some holidays
• Ability to work with diverse populations in a positive manner
• Commitment to the Athletics Department and University’s mission

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