Travel Coordinator at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, NY

Job description

The Travel Coordinator supports the Travel Manager by coordinating day-to-day travel services for the firm and serving as a reliable point of contact among travelers, internal stakeholders, the external Travel Management Company (TMC), and travel vendors. This role requires a service-oriented professional who can provide responsive, high-touch coordination in a demanding legal environment while helping ensure travel arrangements are accurate, compliant, cost-conscious, and aligned with the firm’s business needs. The Travel Coordinator plays an important role in supporting a seamless traveler experience for attorneys, executives, clients, recruits, and guests. Responsibilities... Travel Coordination and Program Support Serve as a liaison among travelers, executive assistants, legal personnel, recruiting, finance, events, the firm’s TMC, and travel vendors. Coordinate domestic and international travel support, including complex itineraries, multi-city travel, international trips, urgent bookings, and time-sensitive changes. Review travel requests for accuracy, completeness, timing, policy compliance, approval requirements, and traveler preferences. Ensure reservations comply with firm travel policies, preferred-provider agreements, class-of-service guidelines, and approval procedures; escalate exceptions appropriately. Help resolve billing discrepancies, unused tickets, refunds, credits, duplicate charges, and missing receipts in partnership with Finance and travel partners. Stay informed about travel disruptions, industry updates, and available tools; share relevant information that may support day-to-day travel coordination. Provide backup support to the Travel Manager and perform additional travel, administrative, and special-project responsibilities as assigned. Traveler Support and Service Excellence Provide responsive, high-touch support for attorneys, executives, frequent travelers, clients, recruits, and guests. Support complex itineraries, VIP partner requests, traveler emergencies, and other time-sensitive needs by coordinating with the Travel Manager, TMC, and vendors. Monitor active itineraries and assist with delays, cancellations, rebooking, and other travel disruptions. Partner with the TMC to resolve complex travel issues, service concerns, disruptions, and escalations. Promote a positive traveler experience while balancing policy compliance, cost considerations, and sound judgment. Track service issues, recurring travel concerns, and vendor follow-up items; share observations and suggested improvements with the Travel Manager when appropriate. Ground Transportation and Executive Car Service Coordination Coordinate executive car service requests, including domestic and international ground transportation for VIP partners, clients, recruits, traveler emergencies, and special firm events. Communicate regularly with travelers, assistants, internal stakeholders, and preferred transportation providers to confirm details, manage changes, and resolve service issues. Track car service performance, traveler satisfaction, safety standards, contract-related requirements, and recurring vendor concerns. Assist with supplier review activities by gathering service feedback, usage information, and potential savings opportunities for review by the Travel Manager. Risk Management and Traveler Safety Track travel alerts and global events that may affect firm personnel and escalate relevant issues to the Travel Manager. Assist with emergency response protocols and traveler tracking initiatives. Provide coordination support for business continuity and crisis-response activities related to travel. Meeting and Group Travel Support Coordinate group travel arrangements for attorney retreats, partner meetings, recruiting events, training programs, and firm-sponsored conferences. Coordinate with internal stakeholders and external vendors to support event logistics, travel needs, and budget tracking. Collaborate with hotel partners to ensur