VP, Global Program Optimization (Both Individual Contributor & Team Leadership)

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VP, Global Program Optimization (Remote)

Full time, United States

The VP, Global Program Optimization is responsible for driving strategy and leading a team in successfully retaining a portfolio of large-market, multi-national, or single-country accounts. In addition, you will also own your portfolio of strategic client opportunities. The role will also identify expansion opportunities within the existing client base across Travel, Advito & M&E. In this highly visible position, you will partner with our commercial and program management teams, finance, CFOs, and senior stakeholders to build and deploy customized approaches in support of our existing customers in both proactive bid avoidance and competitive bid activities. You will be an integral part of the GPO Leadership team, fostering global collaboration and consistency in supporting the Global Program Optimization organization.

As a VP, Global Program Optimization, you will

• Coach and mentor the global program optimization team to achieve annual retention targets set globally
• Proactively engage with each of the Global and regional commercial leaders including VP, SVP & program management owners regarding the status and risk factors associated with each of their books of business
• Escalate and address account-level concerns, extreme risk factors, and resource concerns across all collaborative departments such as program management, solutions engineering, global finance, operations, sales cycle support, CDS, etc. to ensure we can be successful in retaining and growing  
• Provide guidance, consultancy, and strategy, along with hands-on support for all accounts GPO supports to ensure retention success and growth
• Work with senior business leaders as a neutral voice assessing readiness, stakeholder governance, contingency planning, immediate expansion opportunities, and opportunities to bring a ONE BCD message across Travel, Advito & M&E  
• Chief storyteller for bid avoidance and competitive bid deliverables, including executive summaries, Program Investments, bid avoidance offers, and presentations
• Ensure, oversee, and guide the project management components for the entire retention process, including timelines, resource assignments, document management, pricing, and presentations
• Help drive program profitability, incentive alignment, indexation application, and other BCD-identified fee/pricing strategies to optimize program financials
• Ability to manage 3rd party consultant and strategic procurement-led processes and competitive bids.
• Participate in sales presentations, regional/global program management meetings, key client meetings, and industry events, as appropriate to successfully retain and expand customers

About you

• Extensive business travel industry experience with previous sales, program management, or client retention leadership experience
• A lengthy history as a team leader and coach, with a focus on change management within the business travel or technology marketplace
• Thorough knowledge of business travel management, the supplier landscape, and travel industry technology
• Proficient in business software applications, including MS Office Suite, Salesforce, would be considered a plus.
• Must be an inquisitive and solutions-oriented player, with the ability to lead and manage within a heavily matrixed environment
• Effective oral, written, and presentation communication skills, who is capable of navigating senior leadership and client-facing interactions with ease
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally

About us
We’re a market leader in travel management: We help people and companies travel smart and achieve more, and our clients include some of the world’s best-known and most innovative business and consumer brands. We operate in more than 100 countries, and the majority of our 10,000+ people work virtually (because a 10-second commute usually makes awesome sense). We’re committed to sustainability and to driving success for our customers, our business and ourselves. Learn more about BCD Travel.

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