Professional Development Manager - UK & Ireland

TN United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000

Job description

Professional Development Manager - UK & Ireland, London

Client:

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

-

EU work permit required:

Yes

Job Reference:

ec6166893512

Job Views:

9

Posted:

02.04.2025

Expiry Date:

17.05.2025

Job Description:

Virtuoso is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 54 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with more than 2,300 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Normalized annual sales of (U.S.) $28-$32 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry.

The Professional Development Manager – UK & Ireland is primarily responsible for leading the execution of training programs that enhance the performance of travel advisors. This role will also manage, plan, and deliver professional development at UK/Ireland events and track overall advisor engagement.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following: Other duties may be assigned.

• Develop and implement a strategic professional development plan tailored for the UK/Ireland market, integrating global standards and adapting to local needs.
• Collaborate with Director, Professional Development & Training and General Manager, UK/Ireland to plan annual product inventory and sales forecast.
• Collaborate with the regional and global professional development teams to localize and regionalize training content, ensuring relevance and effectiveness for UKI travel advisors.
• Identify and address learning needs to empower advisors to foster relationships with and meet/exceed sales production with Preferred Partners.
• Plan, organize, and execute professional development at events throughout the year, ensuring seamless delivery of content that supports advisor growth and success.
• Curate and develop professional development content for inclusion in regional newsletters and communications, ensuring alignment with Virtuoso’s objectives.
• Create and deliver bespoke training for travel agencies, focusing on enhancing advisor capabilities and maximizing business outcomes.
• Monitor and track participation in professional development programs, assessing the impact of training on advisor performance and identifying areas for improvement.
• Utilize feedback loops and performance data to refine training offerings, ensuring continuous enhancement of content delivery and advisor outcomes.
• Manage processes, implementation, and results for Virtuoso Preferred Partner (travel supplier) Training: Host and facilitate live webinars via GoToWebinar/Zoom and troubleshoot issues as partners on promotional content and presentation best practices and conducting practice sessions, if applicable. Export and format all webinar/training program reports and summaries. Oversee and manage webinar processes for uploading webinar recordings.

Educational and Skills Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 2-4 years’ experience in learning and development, education, business, travel industry management or related field OR 5+ years’ experience in learning and development, education, business, travel industry management or related field.
• Demonstrated track record of successful learning program management.
• Passion for developing and scaling learning programs and products that are globally consistent, regionally relevant, and that create measurable success for customers.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, organizational and customer service skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and problem solve in a deadline-driven environment.
• Dependable self-starter with ability to grasp new concepts and technology quickly.
• Forward thinking, curious, and creative.
• Able to lead people and projects.
• Understanding of the market and current business and learning and development trend knowledge.
• Strong skills in inspiring the win-win-win.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Travel Requirements:

• Approximately 20% - 30% of time for this role will be spent travelling to events within the region or internationally, plus Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas.
• Travel will be primarily domestic but may include some international.

Type/Nature of Contacts:

• Internal: Key job contacts are primarily with the US-based Professional Development team and the General Manager and colleagues on the UK/Ireland team.
• External: Majority of time spent in the market with members along with some partners to deliver Virtuoso Preferred Partner Training.