Director, Production Travel

Job Description

Responsibilities
Role

Working closely with Universal's Production Executives, the Director Production Travel leads and oversees all the production travel services for Universal Pictures. This position is located in Universal City, California and reports to the President of Physical Production. The ideal candidate comes from a production travel background, or has previous experience managing complex production travel.

Essential Responsibilities:
• Manage and oversee all of Universal Picture's production travel needs including executive travel and term deals. The Director Production Travel will work closely with Universal's Production Executives, production crews, and Universal Picture's travel agency, BCD Travel.
• Working collaboratively with the Coordinator Production Travel, act as the key contact for resolving and responding to all travel related issues and policy questions.
• Interpret and understand all union contract provisions that address travel standards by guild, make travel recommendations in accordance with union contracts as appropriate.
• Direct and facilitate all production travel approvals as needed to ensure timely approvals are achieved.
• Prepare airfare cost analysis for Universal Picture's production executives, and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Establish all production accounts for billing, operations, and reporting.
• Manage and assemble charter flights for cast and crew as needed. Ensure all suppliers comply with service, safety and risk management requirements.
• Manage after hour and weekend travel requests, collaborating with the Coordinator Production Travel as needed.
• Manage relationships with preferred film couriers and freight forwarders that furnish services to the production units.
• Partner with NBCU's Travel Management and BCD Travel in the sourcing of Air/Hotel/Limo/Car vendors for productions not covered within Comcast/NBCU's corporate deals.
• Act as the liaison between vendors and production units facilitating resolution of service problems. Ensure compliance is achieved with use of preferred corporate vendors.
• Manage all helicopter and airline needs for on camera usage.
• Act as the liaison with appropriate personnel to manage and communicate security alerts.
• Review and maintain the Production Travel Manual as needed, as well as review studio guidelines at the start of each new production with appropriate freelance production crew.
• Review current production travel process and make recommendations to streamline and upgrade process and resources as needed.

Qualifications/Requirements
Basic Qualifications:
• Minimum 5 years experience managing complex production travel.
• Thorough understanding of travel agency lingo and terminology.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact diplomatically and effectively manage relationships within NBCU, Universal Pictures, production crews, and Universal's travel agency.
• Ability to work weekends and after normal business hours as needed.
• Ability to work independently, developing strategies and actions plans for implementations of goals.
• Ability to work in a fast paced and ever changing environment.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Must be well organized with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent documentation skills.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Must be willing to work at the Universal Studios location.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United States.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• Must be covered by Solutions, NBCU's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
• Must submit an attestation disclosing your COVID-19 vaccination status and, if partially or fully vaccinated, submitting your vaccination record no later than 7 days following commencement of employment.
• Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the commencement of employment or adhere to enhanced protocols if Company determines your job position requires accessing an NBCUniversal worksite.
• Must be willing to adhere to all Company COVID-19 workplace safety policies and protocols.

Desired Characteristics

Desired Characteristics:
• 4 Year College Degree

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r1bvxv-216-73-216-182-42 in your application.