Responsibilites of a Tour Director:

The role of a Tour Director is to provide a safe and comfortable experience to our guests. Tour Directors will be managing the tours (programs) from departure to arrival in destinations, throughout the world, escorting guests between overnight stops, venues, airports, trains, ships, and hotels. Tour Directors must be prepared to seamlessly manage all logistical elements of a program including: manage all aspects of baggage handling, guest comfort, health and safety, hotel check in and check out, tipping, etc., from start to finish. Inevitably, this includes dealing calmly and quickly with any urgent situations that arise. Tour Directors must be willing/able to be a social host, promote group and individual guest satisfaction, represent AA and our sponsors to dignitaries, diplomates, and VIP's who receive the groups, and continuously be on the lookout for ways to improve the program experience for the guests. AA works in diverse physical and cultural settings around the globe. Whenever representing AA, the Tour Director is expected to present themselves and AA professionally at all times and be able to put the needs of the guests and the group ahead of personal interests.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Creative problem solving and logistical skills in tight turnaround situations
• Manage, from start to finish, all on-road operations for assigned programs
• Articulate directions and commentary to guests and guides in clear and fluent English
• Excellent communication skills
• Administrative and basic accounting skills
• Basic knowledge of PC technology for communication and expense tracking as well as internet access, including Google docs and sheets
• Have and be able to communicate up-to-date knowledge of AA products
• Handling of all customer service issues quickly, discreetly and competently to maximize guest satisfaction
• Effectively handle any emergencies related to guests and tour conditions and to communicate the emergencies to AA office
• Communicate effectively with all suppliers, lecturers, staff and AA office personnel
• Communicate any discrepancies in contracted services to AA office as necessary
• Ready to think on your feet and modify, adjust, reroute, change, etc., in real time in order to maintain scheduling
• Travel for extended periods of time away from home
• Dress professionally and appropriately for climate and culture while on programs with guests/representing AA
• Be available at any time to assist guests in case of need, while still directing an assigned program
• Work closely with air/ship/riverboat/train/bus operators to optimize care of guests
• Resolve hotel, guide, lecturer and vendor issues as needed
• Accurately maintain and organize paperwork, manage and track program cash and return receipts and expense report punctually to AA office
• Perform other duties as assigned as deemed necessary by AA office/field staff
• Maintain a positive, curious and compassionate attitude at all times

Other Necessary Criteria:

• At least 3 years experience leading high-profile groups or a proven record of success in the travel, event or hospitality industry, or similar experience in a customer-service related field in museums, academia, etc.
• A valid passport
• Comfortable traveling in any part of the world
• Flexibility: ability to adapt to rapidly changing events and environments of all kinds
• Must be available to work and travel extensively
• Work early morning, late evening and/or week-ends and holidays while on program
• Work both independently and as a member of a team
• Ability to socialize with guests at meals and other times
• Possess a caring, discreet and respectful personality and attitude
• Ability to separate personal beliefs from professional behavior during tour commentary and social gatherings with the guests
• Ability to walk on a moving motor-coach, boat, or train to assist tour members
• Ability to sit for a minimum of three (3) hours
• The ability to speak clearly over a microphone in a confident and pleasing tone
• Ability to lift suitcases (up to 50 pounds) on and off a motor-coach/airline ramp, if necessary
• Ability to walk 5 miles a day, bend, sit, stand, climb as needed while conducting excursions, visits and attending special events and ability/willingness to physically assist guests needing a little help
• The ability to travel on airplanes, cruise ships, trains, motor-coaches and other sightseeing vehicles and modes of transportation as needed without motion related issues
• Knowledge and ability to respond to guests questions honestly (including what you do not know)
• Ability to assist guests on and off motor-coach and assist in emergency situations

Contract commensurate with experience, $150- $250 / day

To be considered, candidates should have at least a college degree. A liberal arts background with diverse experiences and interests is a plus. Strong communication and leadership skills are necessary. Fluency in a foreign language[s] and experience living abroad are a plus. The role of Tour Director is a part-time/independent contractor position and is compensated accordingly. AA is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce. For immediate consideration, Email your resume with cover letter, to jobs at arrangementsabroad dot com.

The Client Services Associate is the principal point of contact for sophisticated travelers, coordinating their arrangements on an array of high-end domestic and international small-group programs, and regularly interfaces with institutional representatives. Reporting to the Client Services Manager, this customer service and sales representative is an essential member of a dynamic team whose common goal is to create the very best travel experience for our travelers and sponsors. This position is an excellent entry to career opportunities at Arrangements Abroad and the travel industry generally.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide professional and polished customer service to potential and current travelers over the phone and through email; take inquiries and respond to customer needs, gather information and research, and deliver detailed and personalized materials in a timely manner.
• Cultivate and follow up with interested travelers and prospects, including suggesting and implementing marketing initiatives to fill our pre-designed small-group programs.
• Project manage 1-3 program departures per month (12-24 simultaneously at different project stages), working collaboratively with internal staff and across departments to organize logistics for each program and traveler.
• Coordinate travel arrangements for individuals; including invoicing, data entry, mailings, insurance, visa applications, and flight plans.
• Liaise with travel partners and sponsor representatives and manage the account relationship, keeping our partners updated on enrollment, guest correspondence, materials, and other issues that arise.
• Diligently follow up on payments and missing traveler information.
• Proficiently use and maximize our CRM database, ViaTour (a Microsoft Access database), Google's G Suite, and Microsoft Word/Excel, to fulfill your above responsibilities.
• Occasionally accompany groups in the field as a Junior Tour Director.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Passion for customer service, attention to detail, superb organization and prioritization skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including active listening, editing, and proofing.
• Comfort on the phone.
• Self-motivated, team-player, problem-solver, relationship builder with the ability to address immediate and high-tension customer service requests.
• This position balances speed with accuracy, administration/data entry with personable customer service, and requires the ability to handle several concurrent projects.
• 5+ years relevant experience (e.g., Customer Service, Travel, Sales, Museums, or Alumni Development) and Bachelor's Degree required.
• Enthusiasm for technology, education, culture, and travel.
• Project management or customer service experience preferred.
• This position will begin with an approximately 6-month internal mentorship & training program where you will be oriented to the different aspects of the company and provide administrative support to the Client Services team and managers.

BENEFITS

• Salary commensurate with experience, range: $40,000 - $55,000
• Incentive compensation that may include individual, team, and whole firm incentives
• Annual profit sharing in the form of paid bonus
• Simplified Employee Pension (SAR-SEP) that offers more investment choices than any 401k plus company matches depending on company performance.
• 9 Paid Holidays plus a minimum of 15 paid days off
• Company paid disability, life, and travel insurance
• Subsidized medical benefits plus optional dental/vision/legal/hospitalization and other coverages available
• Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts (e.g., Pre-tax dependent care and/or medical savings plan)
• Paid family leave
• Pre-tax commuting expense through Transit-checks
• Employee discounts and many different employee services are available at no charge through Working Advantage, Balance Works, and Balance Care programs
• Travel!

Reporting to a Client Services or an Operations staff member, interns support all activities inside their department. The CS staff are the principal points of contact for the firm's prestigious institutional sponsors and sophisticated individual travelers who have very high customer service expectations. The Operations staff are the behind-the-scenes coordinators of the itinerary and logistics. Organizational skills are key, and the ability to work effectively in a deadline-sensitive, team-oriented business is essential. Proficiency in Google G Suite is required, and the ability to learn other software-based management tools is necessary. This position is an excellent entry to career opportunities at Arrangements Abroad and the travel industry generally.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES*

• Work collaboratively with staff to provide administrative support, including data entry, printing/copying/scanning, and preparing postal mailings
• Assist with ViaTour database management, a custom Microsoft Access CRM platform, including data entry, data clean-up, generating standard reports, loading inventory, and trip details
• Draft documents and compile mailing materials for guests and vendors on upcoming trips
• Occasionally assist other department special projects and general office tasks as needed
• This is primarily an office based positio, in NYC metro area

*We are a family-owned company with possibilities to explore special projects in other departments. Please share what other aspects of our company that might interest you; we may be able to create a unique and mutually beneficial internship opportunity.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Desire to learn the travel industry from the ground up
• Can-do positive attitude, able to work independently, yet support several staff simultaneously
• Knack for problem solving, details, and collaboration, with strong organizational skills
• Commitment to technology, quality data entry, and dedicated on-going learner
• Comfort using databases, Google Docs/Sheets and Microsoft Word/Excel strongly desired
• Pursuing or have a college degree, 4-year degree highly preferred
• Enthusiasm for education, culture, and travel

BENEFITS

• Hourly rate, range: $15-$25
• 8-16 hrs per week minimum commitment. If you are available, hours could increase to about 20-30 hours per week during busy months: March-May / Aug-October
• For 20+ hrs per week, on average, a monthly metro card will be provided, for those months
• 6 month minimum commitment, and usually, interns extend to 12-24 mont
• We have hired many full-time staff directly from this internship program!

The firm is currently seeking a professional (at least 2-5 years experience in travel operations or event management) for a position in our Tour Operations department. In this role, the person would be responsible for the late stage development and operation of specific group trips for our sponsoring cultural institutions. This person will ensure not just the efficiency and effectiveness of our programs, but the logistical elegance of AA programs around the world. The operations staff are the principal points of contact for the firm's prestigious vendors and suppliers globally and are a key member of the quality team assigned to every program. The work environment is fast-paced and team-oriented, and demands superior organization skills and discipline.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Operate a portfolio of complex travel programs on day-to-day basis, including requesting and reviewing vendor invoices and making payments
• Work collaboratively with internal staff and across departments
• Interact with client institutions and their study leaders
• Work with cruise, hotel, and land operators around the world
• Manage program budgets and expenses using spreadsheets
• Research and coordinate special content and events
• Proofread marketing materials and traveler documents
• Liaise with international hotels, cruise, and land operators and manage group reservations
• Manage trip operations data (suppliers, rooming lists, etc) in company CRM system
• Create and manage key tour organization documents
• Work with Tour Directors remotely before and during trips, including to solve problems or deal with emergencies
• Represent AA at trade shows, on FAM trips, and on our tours (generally 1-2 times a year) and during local vendor and client meetings

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree required, interest in Liberal/Fine Arts strongly desired
• Collaborative approach to implementing projects with colleagues
• Work experience in hospitality and/or travel & tourism business preferred
• Contract negotiations experience
• Strong map reading, geography, and logistical expertise necessary
• Organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to multitask, meet deadlines and prioritize
• Ability to build relationships through a variety of mediums
• Independent worker who respects budgets and deadlines
• Intermediate to advanced in Google suite (including documents and spreadsheets, as well as working with databases)
• Take action in the event of significant cost variances
• Understanding of foreign currency translation
• Passion for and knowledge of travel a plus
• Interest in visual arts, performing arts, architecture, horticulture, and culture are pluses
• Experience living and working in a foreign locale, as well as foreign language skills, are pluses

BENEFITS

• Salary commensurate with experience, range: $40,000 - $55,000
• Incentive compensation that may include individual, team, and whole firm incentives
• Annual profit sharing in the form of paid bonus
• Simplified Employee Pension (SAR-SEP) that offers more investment choices than any 401k plus company matches depending on company performance.
• 9 Paid Holidays plus a minimum of 15 paid days off
• Company paid disability, life, and travel insurance
• Subsidized medical benefits plus optional dental/vision/legal/hospitalization and other coverages available
• Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts (e.g., Pre-tax dependent care and/or medical savings plan)
• Paid family leave
• Pre-tax commuting expense through Transit-checks
• Employee discounts and many different employee services are available at no charge through Working Advantage, Balance Works, and Balance Care programs
• Travel!