Anthony Travel is the nation’s largest provider of sports travel management services. With 40 offices nationwide, Anthony Travel partners with 80 of the nation’s most prestigious universities, along with leading amateur and youth sports organizations, to provide comprehensive travel solutions and unforgettable experiences to teams, alumni and fans at more than 300 domestic and international events annually. Anthony Travel is a division of On Location Experiences, a premium experiential hospitality business owned by RedBird Capital Partners, Bruin Sports Capital, 32 Equity (the entity that oversees the NFL’s venture capital initiatives) and the Carlyle Group.
Job Description
The NCAA Account Manager is responsible for maintaining the day to day onsite operations and relationships with our client. This role works directly with NCAA team members to evaluate and address lodging needs for all NCAA championship events and specifically manages the team’s work for the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The individual in this position must develop a deep understanding of the business of NCAA championship events, provide exceptional partnering with both internal and client team members, deliver excellent customer service, and proactively manage the overall NCAA housing program. The individual must be able to effectively interact with executive level and operational staff and liaise between the NCAA and Anthony Travel event operations center in Dallas. This position reports directly to the program director.
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 8 years of previous account and relationship management experience, preferably within the hospitality or sports travel industry. They should be experienced with hotel negotiations, contracting and management. They should demonstrate experience and ability in building strong relationships at all levels in organizations and have an ability to work effectively across teams. Effective and efficient communications is a critical skill for any candidate considering this role. Key skills that this individual must possess include strategic decision-making, contract negotiation, effective organization and prioritization of work. This person must have the ability to formulate and implement procedures, as well as the ability to teach and lead staff. Proven leadership and management skills are imperative; familiarity with sports is helpful. The candidate must be strong at multi-tasking and working in a fast-paced environment. Professionalism, a positive attitude and the ability to work effectively as team player is necessary.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Build effective working relationships with NCAA client at all levels via face-to-face/one-to-one interactions and a schedule of routine communication
Assume complete accountability for delivering high customer satisfaction for the NCAA account by serving as the primary contact and liaison between the client, partners, and Anthony Travel NCAA Operations Team
Identify lodging needs for all Division I Men’s Basketball championship events including hotel evaluation, selection, contracting, and ongoing relationship management. Present lodging plans and options to NCAA and communicates feedback appropriately
Negotiate hotel contracts based on specific needs of individual sports / events
Work with NCAA Housing Program Manager and NCAA Championship Managers to identify lodging needs for events, assist Anthony Travel Market Managers with hotel evaluation, selection, contracting, and ongoing relationship management. Present lodging plans and options to NCAA and communicate feedback appropriately.
Monitor and manage hotel/lodging contracts to ensure that events receive services as negotiated and terms are appropriately managed (e.g. attrition, rooming list deadlines, special requests, room blocks, etc.)
Manage and direct the NCAA Housing Program Manager
Review requests for lodging needs or issue resolution, gather, and relay information between the client, partners, and other departments as required, ensuring quick turnaround of recommendations or resolution
Work closely with client and Anthony Travel teams to find opportunities to improve and enhance processes and technologies
Work with hotels and NCAA staff to ensure hotels are prepared for events and address customer service issues
Provide daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual reports as prescribed by management detailing outcomes, issues and strategies
Utilize, provide, develop and maintain the highest possible levels of service and professionalism when interacting with clients, partners and peers
Research and assist with resolving client billing inquiries and matters involving quality assurance
Qualifications
Education/Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. Eight or more years of related business experience preferred.
Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with meeting, convention, event, and hotel industry. Understands the issues and requirements that drive the industry and market.
Negotiations: The ability to enter into negotiations understanding both parties needs and wants and ultimately partnering to obtain win/win results for the client, Anthony Travel and vendor.
Interpersonal Skills: Establishes appropriate rapport with others both inside and outside the organization, recognizes others concerns and feelings.
Oral Communications: The ability to communicate information and ideas to other people verbally in an understandable manner. This competency includes effectively speaking to groups and individuals, making formal presentations, and listening to others.
Technical Skills: Possesses and demonstrates appropriate level of technical expertise necessary to work with event bid documents, hotel RFPs and hotel contracts. Knowledge of NCAA Championship structure and process helpful.
Client Focus: Expresses a concern for client satisfaction and focuses the attention of others on the importance of client satisfaction. Initiate actions, steps, plans, systems, processes or programs that seek to maintain high levels or enhance client satisfaction.
Entrepreneurial Perspective: Recognizes opportunities that might result in improved processes and reduced costs. Takes or initiates actions that might result in the achievement of recognized improvements for the NCAA and Anthony Travel.
Team Skills: Having and demonstrating the skill to effectively address and resolve problems as part of a team. Solicit input form team members in a group setting. Put team’s success ahead of own and share credit for team accomplishments.
Written Communication: The ability to communicate information and ideas to others in written form, in an understandable manner. The ability to understand and comprehend information and ideas in written form. This competency includes effective writing and reading.
Additional Information
As part of the application process, all candidates are asked to complete a short assessment. Please click on this link, or copy and paste into your browser: https://assess.predictiveindex.com/oi/NCAAAccountManager. Once you have completed the assessment, you will be redirected to begin the application process.
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