Travel Program Manager, Missions

Organization Summary :

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming, inspiring and saving lives in the Palm Beaches and 70 countries around the world.

Each year, Jewish Federation inspires thousands of community members to contribute, volunteer and participate in programs that generate nearly $60 million leading to a powerful impact in the community.

Position Summary :

The Missions Director is responsible for planning and implementing missions to Israel and other destinations worldwide. The Missions Director oversees the annual Missions Work Plan and works in conjunction with lead and senior professionals, lay leadership, as well as professionals from Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), air agents, and tour companies to plan missions aligned with the Jewish Federation’s overall goals and objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership :

• Develop and implement the overall strategy and direction for the Missions Department.
• Create and monitor an annual work plan to guide departmental activities.

Mission Management :

• Oversee and manage all mission itineraries, including those to Israel and other international destinations.
• Ensure seamless execution of missions by coordinating with travel vendors, such as airlines, tour operators, and destination management companies.

Vendor and Relationship Management :

• Manage relationships with all travel vendors and service providers.
• Maintain strong, effective communication with donors, professionals, and other stakeholders.

Staff Guidance and Coordination :

• Provide direction and support to Lead staff throughout the mission planning and execution process.
• Ensure that all staff and volunteers are well-informed and prepared for missions.

Communication and Materials Preparation :

• Prepare and manage necessary materials for missions, including pre-, post-, and during mission documentation.
• Serve as the primary contact for professional and volunteer leadership seeking to travel.

Financial and Administrative Oversight :

• Manage all financial and budgetary aspects of the Missions Department.
• Handle administrative functions and ensure adherence to financial policies and procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

Missions

• Creates unique overseas mission itineraries to Israel, and around the world to Jewish sites of significance, importance, and interest, each tailored with the group in mind : VIPs, major donors, leadership groups, young adults, etc.
• Develops and monitors progress of an annual work plan, based on discussions with all departments and Lead Staff.
• Provide guidance and support to Lead Staff in preparation of mission proposals from initial concept to final approval.
• Provides superior customer service to participants; provides concierge overseas travel services to major donors and VIPs.

When necessary, acts as the liaison between the participant and the service provider.

• Develops and manages mission budgets; accountable for adherence to the approved budget.
• Manages calls from potential participants, answering general and specific informational questions regarding missions.
• Reviews applications and monitors special requests. Works in consultation with mission lead staff, lay leadership, and tour operators, ensures itinerary and participant experience for each mission is consistent with goals and objectives.
• Creates, implements, and monitors a follow-up plan with mission participants upon return from a mission, in coordination with Campaign, Leadership Development, and other Federation departments.
• With mission lead staff and overseas land agent, reviews and maintains the accuracy of all lists : participant, rooming, bus, land only, special requests, seating requests, dietary requests, celebrations, etc.
• Troubleshoots and oversees the general operation and flow of all missions.
• Develops strong working relationships with mission lead staff, from various Federation departments, and with varying mission-facilitation / implementation experience.
• Travels with delegations to provide on-site logistical support as necessary and appropriate.
• Take full responsibility for coordinating and overseeing all activities related to missions. This includes setting clear objectives, timelines, and responsibilities.

Ensure that every detail is attended to and that nothing is overlooked. This involves thorough planning, constant monitoring, and effective problem-solving.

Act as the central point of contact for all stakeholders, ensuring smooth communication and collaboration between teams.

Keep everyone informed and aligned with the mission goals.

This position requires scheduling flexibility, with occasional evening and weekend responsibilities as well as consideration of time differences for overseas calls.

Local Site Visits :

Schedules, organizes, and implements Take Action tours (local agency site visits) for pre-determined groups based on goals and objectives set by Financial Resource Division (FRD).

Overseas Speaker Visits :

• Acts as the liaison between Community Strategy & Planning and FRD departments to assist with scheduling out-of-town agency speakers for small FRD gatherings, donor visits and committee meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Success Factors :

• Bachelors degree is required
• Five (5) or more years’ experience as a Mission Director or related field like a travel agent or equivalent combination of relevant education, experience and skills required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• High level of confidentiality and professional integrity.
• Strong knowledge of basic office computing, including MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams), Zoom and basic database skills required.
• Strong experience and ability working with CRM databases.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in developing and managing large budgets.
• Experience with foreign travel, including study abroad and independent or group travel in or outside of Israel.
• Experience with Jewish organizations / institutions, either as an employee, volunteer, or participant.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to coordinate and prioritize workflow processes including managing multiple tasks, setting schedules, meeting deadlines, organizing and planning.
• Ability to build trusted relationships; work effectively, respectfully, and collaboratively with lay leadership and colleagues across departments and at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to multi-task. Demonstrated organizational skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced work environment and adapting to rapidly changing priorities and needs.
• Must be able to pass a Level 1 background check.
• Must be able to work a minimum of three (3) events annually.

Work Environment :

Position is eligible to work from home occasionally in accordance with Federation policies. When working from home, employee must :

• Follow all Federation policies and procedures.
• Be available to other employees during Federation’s normal business hours.
• Not work from a public place (e.g., coffee shop, library, etc.) and / or join a public, unsecure wi-fi network when working with sensitive or confidential information.
• Coordinate with IT department to maintain appropriate computer equipment and connectivity.

Pay Rate :

In addition to benefits, the annual salary for this role ranges between $65,000 and $75,000. We benchmark our salary ranges for new hires in relation to the role, level, and role location;

however, we consider a multitude of factors, to include relevant experience, skills, and education / training, to determine compensation within the identified range.

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time at the Federation’s discretion.

Employment is at-will, and this job description is not an employment contract and nothing herein shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever an employment contract.