Deputy Head of Operations - Travel Planning and Event Coordination

Deputy Head of Operations - Travel Planning and Event CoordinationYou must be based within the UK – minimum 3 days per week in our London office.Chartwell Speakers in an expert speaker bureau for motivational speakers, keynote speakers, bestselling authors, inspirational experts, economists and former politicians. We provide global services from offices in London, Singapore, Dallas and Dublin. We are looking for a new member to join our Operations team to help manage the logistical elements of Speaker bookings.The Role: The role sits within our Operations team who liaise with our clients and speakers to ensure that all briefings, travel, accommodation and event day needs are arranged. The role requires intuition, confidence, a meticulous eye for detail and the ability to work independently. The industry is fast paced, so organisation and the ability to manage numerous concurrent tasks and shifting deadlines is key to success. This role will be a senior hire within the small Operations team, acting as the Deputy to the Head of Operations, and managing a small, dedicated team.Key elements:As a travel planner and coordinator you would effectively be an Operations Manager, and will be the Deputy Head of Operations, helping to manage a small, tight-knit team;Manage logistical and travel arrangements for speakers attending events, including flight/transport and hotel bookings, visa applications, client briefing call arrangements etc;Manage your own workload and deadlines, alongside those of our clients and maintaining an excellent level of communication with those clients, speakers and within the business;Occasionally attend to clients’ and speakers’ need out of office hours (usually when working on events in different time zones);Liaising between clients and the speakers at all stages of the booking, and working with our Accounts team after the event to ensure all invoices and expenses are paid;Act as Head of Operations when the incumbent is on leave, delegate tasks among, and manage the team to ensure a smooth and seamless operations process;Proactively look for ways to ensure continuous improvement of processes and systems.The Ideal Candidate should have:Exceptional written and verbal communication, and liaison skills (diplomacy is key);Experience working in events, talent management or schedule planning;Experience in negotiation and diplomatic reasoning between external parties;Independent thinker and problem solver;Initiative when faced with unpredictable circumstances and situations;Proven track record of building and maintaining good professional relationships both internally and externally of your organisation;Confident interpersonal skills and ability to speak to clients and high profile individuals in person and over the phone;Broad interests and up-to-date with current affairs and world events;Excellent IT Skills;Some experience of managing a team;You must be UK based and eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship;Able to provide references from previous employers;Based: London based and you will be expected to work from our Victoria office a minimum of 3 days a week. The remaining days can be worked from home.Job Type: Full timeSalary: Competitive and dependent on experience Please send your CV, along with a Covering Letter to #####