When it comes to creating educational travel adventures that enrich the lives and fulfill the dreams of more than 100,000 people every year, there's no organization better than Road Scholar. What's our secret? Dedicated and talented staff who believe in our mission.

At Road Scholar, we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and belonging. We believe that by valuing a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we create a stronger, more innovative organization that reflects the communities we serve.

In addition, we are dedicated to being an environmentally sustainable organization. From the way we design our programs to how we operate as a team, we are striving to reduce our environmental impact and create a positive legacy for future generations.

About the role...

The Senior Director, Travel Services sets the strategic direction and provides overall leadership for Travel Services, strengthening the function’s capabilities and its ability to deliver a high-quality, consistent participant experience. Leading through a team of senior leaders, this role ensures the operation is effectively led and executed while remaining focused on long-term strategy, innovation, and continuous improvement. The Senior Director designs and leads a function that enables the team to navigate the complexity of the airline landscape, manage high operational demands, and deliver on Road Scholar’s mission and business goals.

Road Scholar offers a remote work environment. The compensation range for this exempt level salaried position is $119,500 - $144,500 based on experience.

In this role, you will provide...

Strategy & Functional Direction:

Define and drive the vision and long-term direction for Travel Services, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities
Establish and communicate a clear service and operating model across inbound, outbound, and support teams
Ensure the function evolves to meet changing participant and organizational needs

Continuous Improvement & Change Leadership:

Lead strategic and systemic improvement efforts across the function Champion changes that enhance service quality, efficiency, in both the employee and participant experience
Translate insight into action by delivering measurable operation and experience improvements

Cross-Functional Leadership & Alignment:

Serve as the primary cross-department leader for Travel Services, partnering across teams to influence outcomes and drive alignment
Ensure clarity in roles, responsibilities, and handoffs across functions (e.g., Air Operations, Program teams, PX, PS)
Connect the work of Travel Services to broader organizational goals and initiatives

Performance Framework & Operational Excellence:

Oversee the establishment of operational goals, KPIs, and best practices that reflect the true goals of the function
Define performance standards across service, quality, and efficiency, ensuring they are meaningful and actionable
Ensure a performance management framework is in place, enabling leaders to monitor results and adjust operations in real time to achieve targets

Organizational Leadership & Structure:

Lead and develop a team of senior leaders, including the Senior Operations Manager, Senior Training Manager, and the Director, Travel Services
- Senior Operations Manager
- Senior Training Manager
- Director, Travel Services
Design an organizational structure that supports clarity, scalability, and effective spans of control Coach leaders to operate at the appropriate level, balancing strategic thinking with execution

Capability Building: Training, Communications & Operations:

Set direction for the Training function, led by a Senior Manager, to ensure programs effectively build capability and reinforce service, quality, and efficiency standards
Set direction for the Operations function, led by an Operations Manager, to ensure strong workforce planning, performance monitoring, and actionable insight
Ensure alignment across Training and Operations to drive consistency in execution and support informed, data-driven decision-making

Outcomes & Organizational Impact:

Deliver measurable improvements in participant experience, operational efficiency, and team effectiveness
Position Travel Services as a strategic contributor to the organization’s broader success Ensure team efforts are clearly connected to participant impact and business outcomes

We're seeking...

8+ years of leading complex service, operations, customer experience, contact center, hospitality, travel, healthcare, or other service-oriented organizations
5+ years of experience leading organizational change, process improvement, and operational transformation initiatives
5+ years of experience leading leaders, developing emerging leaders and building high-performing teams
Experience balancing strategic planning with operational execution in a complex, service-oriented environment
Proven ability to quickly learn complex business functions and lead teams comprised of subject matter experts
Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions in areas where others possess deeper technical expertise
Experience building strong partnerships with operational subject matter experts to drive business outcomes

Additional Skills:

Strong service orientation and commitment to delivering high-quality customer experiences
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into action
Strong change leadership and organizational development skills
Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and complexity
Ability to balance participant needs, employee experience, and business objectives
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to lead effectively without being the technical expert in every area of responsibility
Curiosity and learning agility; quickly develops understanding of complex business processes and operating environments

Why join the Road Scholar Team...

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package!

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (with a substantial employee subsidy!)
403(b) Retirement Plan with a company match of 5% after 1 year of employment!
Up to 20 days of PTO annually, accrued every payroll cycle
Enjoy a paid week off, in addition to your PTO, at the end of December to enjoy the holiday season!
A generous employee discounts on our programs
As a Road Scholar employee, you can opt-in to receive an IATA membership
We take professional development seriously which is why we provide LinkedIn Learning access to all employees amongst other professional development opportunities
That’s right, we’re fully remote!
To learn more about our benefits offerings, check us out at

Equal Opportunity Employer

Road Scholar supports diversity in our staff, participants, and programs. An Equal Opportunity Employer Road Scholar values and supports individual differences and strives to create an environment that contributes to the success of both the individual and the organization. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, illness, marital or veteran status or disability or any other status protected by applicable law.

Cybersecurity

At Road Scholar, we are committed to cybersecurity and to providing a safe experience for job seekers. All official communication regarding employment opportunities will come exclusively via email from the official Road Scholar domain or from our applicant tracking system URL recruiting.ultipro.com. We never conduct interviews through texting applications or instant messaging platforms. If you receive an employment offer or other correspondence from an individual at Road Scholar you have not met, or from a non-Road Scholar email domain, it may be a phishing attempt.

Originally posted on Himalayas

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