Independent Travel Consultant (Fixed Term Contract)

Qualifications

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

• Requires a Bachelor's degree or diploma Travel and Tourism, Procurement, Logistics or a business-related course from an accredited college or university. Professional certifications in travel management, procurement, or supply chain are an added advantage.
  
• At least 5 years’ experience in a Travel Management Company (TMC) or corporate travel environment,
  
• Proven experience managing corporate travel programs and high-volume travel operations.
  
• Demonstrated success in cost optimization, supplier negotiation, and travel policy implementation.
  

• Excellent knowledge of computer reservations systems, GDS systems and e-travelling
  

  Fluency in English; Amharic; multilingualism is a plus.
  

• A ‘Can Do’ attitude to drive results and get the job done on time and to the customers’ satisfaction.
  
• Strong customer orientation and the ability to discover what is important to the customer (internal and external) and respond to it.
  
• High interpersonal skills.
  
• Stakeholder management.
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and any other software relevant to Travel Management Services.
  

Health and Safety

• Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.
  
• All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions.
  

Travel Program Management

• Develop, implement and continuously improve Safaricom corporate travel policy.
  
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and audit standards.
  
• Oversee end-to-end travel management processes (booking, ticketing, reporting, reconciliation).
  

Supplier & Contract Management

• Manage relationships with Travel Management Companies (TMCs), airlines, hotels and other travel vendors.
  
• Lead supplier sourcing, evaluation and contract negotiations to achieve optimal value.
  
• Monitor vendor performance against agreed SLAs and KPIs.
  

Cost Management & Optimization

• Analyze travel spend and identify cost-saving opportunities.
  
• Implement cost control measures without compromising service quality and safety.
  
• Prepare periodic reports on travel expenditure, trends and savings achieved.
  

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal stakeholders on travel-related matters.
  
• Provide advisory support to management on travel strategy and operational issues.
  
• Conduct regular business reviews and presentations with stakeholders and vendors.
  

Risk, Safety & Duty of Care

• Ensure robust travel risk management frameworks are in place.
  
• Coordinate emergency travel support and crisis response mechanisms.
  
• Ensure compliance with duty of care obligations for all travellers.
  

Systems & Process Improvement

• Manage and optimize travel management systems (e.g., online booking tools, expense systems).
  
• Drive automation and process efficiencies within travel operations.
  
• Support system implementations, upgrades and integrations.
  

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports for travel performance.
  
• Provide data-driven insights to support decision-making.