Travel Operations Specialist (Limited Engagement) at Strata Clean Energy in Durham, NC

Job description

• The Travel Operations Specialist is a limited-engagement role responsible for strengthening Strata’s corporate and field travel program while providing hands-on travel support. The role will simplify workflows, lead the transition to a new travel booking platform, create standard operating procedures and training, improve travel resources and controls, and identify opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce travel costs. The goal is to leave Strata with a practical, sustainable travel program that employees and designated internal owners can manage successfully after the engagement ends.
• Limited Engagement: Part time, 28 hours per week, 6 months
• By the end of the engagement, Strata should have a travel program that is easier to use and administer, more efficient and cost-effective, and less dependent on individual knowledge. The new booking platform should be implemented and stabilized; core workflows should be simplified and documented; employees and designated support resources should be trained; and ongoing ownership, reporting, vendor management, and escalation processes should be clearly established.

Responsibilities

• Travel Operations & Traveler Support
• • Serve as a primary point of contact and subject matter resource for corporate and field travel, applying company travel and credit card policies consistently.
• • Book and coordinate airfare, lodging, rental cars, and other travel for employees, field teams, candidates, new hires, and group travel as needed.
• • Provide responsive, service-oriented support to travelers, including troubleshooting booking issues, changes, cancellations, disruptions, and special requests.
• • Work with travel partners, hotels, rental car providers, and other vendors to resolve issues and support a reliable traveler experience.
• • Respond to urgent travel needs and help establish clear escalation and backup-coverage processes for time-sensitive or after-hours issues.
• Travel Systems Implementation & Optimization
• • Lead the operational transition to a new travel booking platform, including documenting requirements, coordinating setup activities, testing workflows, supporting launch, and stabilizing the new process after implementation.
• • Assess current travel platforms, configurations, access, profiles, rules, forms, and workflows; identify gaps, redundancies, manual workarounds, and opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• • Partner with internal stakeholders and external vendors to resolve system issues, clarify ownership and handoffs, and ensure travel technology supports business needs.
• • Maintain accurate travel settings, traveler classifications, preferred vendor information, corporate programs, and other system data required for effective travel operations.
• Process Design, Documentation & Self-Service
• • Map and redesign travel processes to improve efficiency, consistency, policy compliance, cost control, and the employee experience.
• • Create practical SOPs, process maps, checklists, job aids, FAQs, forms, and escalation guides for recurring travel activities.
• • Build self-service resources that enable employees to complete routine travel activities independently and know when and how to seek assistance.
• • Establish clear roles, ownership, handoffs, and backup procedures so travel processes can be sustained without reliance on a single individual.
• Training & Change Support
• • Develop training for employees, managers, recruiters, travel support partners, and backup resources on travel policies, systems, booking processes, and common troubleshooting scenarios.
• • Create clear launch and change communications for new tools, processes, requirements, and traveler expectations.
• • Maintain the company travel site and self-service resources with current policies, instructions, training, preferred vendor information, and forms.
• Reporting, Compliance, Vendor & Cost Management
• • Produce recurring travel reporting and use data to identify trends, exceptions, service issues, compliance concerns, efficiency opportunities, and potential cost savings.
• • Monitor adherence to travel requirements and preferred vendor programs, address recurring exceptions, and identify opportunities to reduce avoidable spend.
• • Manage preferred hotel, rental car, and other travel vendor programs, including rates, accounts, and issue resolution.
• • Recommend changes to policies, processes, systems, vendors, or booking practices that improve service, efficiency, control, and cost effectiveness.
• Transition & Program Sustainability
• • Create a clear transition plan for ongoing travel responsibilities, including ownership, recurring tasks, reporting, vendor management, system administration, and escalation paths.
• • Train designated internal resources and transfer knowledge, documentation, and system administration responsibilities before the engagement concludes.

Requirements

• • 3+ years of experience in corporate travel, travel operations, business operations, systems implementation, or a related role; experience supporting a high-volume or distributed workforce preferred.
• • Hands-on experience with corporate travel booking platforms and demonstrated ability to learn and work across multiple business systems; experience with Concur, AMEX GBT, Enterprise/National, Engine, SharePoint, or similar tools is helpful.
• • Demonstrated experience creating or improving workflows, SOPs, training materials, and other repeatable operating processes.
• • Experience supporting a system implementation, migration, rollout, or significant process change strongly preferred.
• • Strong technical aptitude, with the ability to troubleshoot systems and translate operational needs into practical solutions.
• • Strong customer service, communication, organization, and follow-through, with sound judgment in urgent or sensitive travel situations.
• • Logical and critical thinker who can identify root causes, evaluate options, make sound recommendations, and solve problems independently.
• • Ability to manage multiple priorities and move effectively between hands-on travel support and project-based process improvement.
• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience preferred.

Skills

Required

• Strong technical aptitude
• Logical and critical thinker
• Ability to manage multiple priorities