Leads the global training and enablement function for corporate travel operations. Owns curriculum strategy, trainer certification, Avenir platform training, onboarding readiness, LMS implementation, learning metrics, and continuous improvement. Manages distributed training teams, establishes global standards, supports service transitions and market launches, and partners with Operations, Product, GDS, and transformation teams to improve advisor proficiency, productivity, quality, and AI adoption.
Job Summary & Responsibilities
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director, Global Training & Enablement is a strategic leader responsible for designing, building, and scaling a unified global training model that supports Direct Travel's "Everyone Is a VIP" operating vision. This role owns the end-to-end training function—from curriculum development through delivery, certification, and continuous improvement—ensuring advisors across all regions, service locations, and delivery partners deliver world-class service on the Avenir platform at enterprise scale.
This position blends strategic program ownership with hands-on team leadership, driving consistency, operational excellence, and measurable service impact across all geographies and service lines.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Global Training Strategy & Unified Model Leadership
- Own and execute the five-pillar global training model: Unified Team, Unified Curriculum, Unified Intake, Unified Delivery, and Unified Tracking
- Establish and lead the Global Enterprise Training Team (HUB), implementing a train-the-trainer model across all service locations and delivery teams
- Define and maintain one mandatory core curriculum path for every advisor role globally, with role-based elective catalogs
- Ensure training aligns with COO strategic priorities: "Everyone Is a VIP," margin expansion, and scalable service delivery without proportional headcount growth
- Build Avenir platform-specific training covering conversational booking, disruption management, trip queries, advisor-in-platform workflows, and exception management
- Create global service standards while enabling market-specific delivery and localization (language, currency, regulations, cultural nuance)
- Training Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of certified Enterprise Trainers across multiple regions and time zones
- Establish and operationalize trainer certification program with recertification cycles tied to platform releases and curriculum updates
- Provide weekly team updates, performance feedback, and coaching on training effectiveness and learner outcomes
- Build train-the-trainer capability across all service locations to scale training delivery without proportional cost growth
- Establish a regular trainer alignment cadence across all locations to ensure consistency, share best practices, and cascade product/platform changes
- Hold trainers accountable to learner feedback scores and training effectiveness metrics
- Avenir & Platform-Specific Curriculum Development
- Design and maintain Avenir-focused training modules covering:
- Agentic AI workflows and exception management
- Conversational booking and trip management via chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and voice
- Predictive disruption signals and proactive rebooking
- Dynamic policy compliance and automated approvals
- Profile depth and traveler intent anticipation
- One-platform orchestration (air, hotel, rail, car, expense, payments, risk, comms)
- Create training for AI-assisted tools and automation
- Ensure advisors understand their role as Experience Managers, not transaction processors—focusing on exceptions, nuance, and high-value client interactions
- Develop change management training for platform releases, new AI capabilities, and policy/workflow updates
- Service Delivery Model Enablement & Transition Readiness
- Lead onboarding readiness for work transitions and service delivery model changes, ensuring advisors in all locations are equipped to handle Core, Avenir, and GDS servicing
- Develop scalable, localized training that maintains global standards while reflecting local market requirements, regulations, and cultural context
- Support new market and location launches with training frameworks adaptable across all regions and markets
- Partner with Operations leadership to align training timelines with capacity plans and work transition schedules
- Build follow-the-sun training support that scales with the service footprint, ensuring advisors in every time zone can access to learning resources and trainer guidance
- Unified Intake, Delivery & Tracking
- Establish one standard global training request form auto-routed to certified trainers with defined SLAs and lead times
- Implement single global Learning Management System (LMS) with real-time dashboards tracking:
- Learner progress, compliance, and pass/fail reporting
- Training completion and role-based certification status
- Trainer effectiveness scored via learner feedback
- Performance analytics linked to operational KPIs (SLA, quality, productivity)
- Design multiple delivery modalities: instructor-led, e-learning self-paced, job aids, workflow guides, and peer coaching
- Establish standard global communication methods (email, chat, escalations) for training support and change notifications
- Define change management workflow for curriculum updates, ensuring rapid deployment of product/platform changes
- Measurement, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Track and report training effectiveness metrics aligned to operational impact:
- Advisor productivity and quality improvements post-training
- SLA attainment and consistency across regions
- AI tool adoption rates and workflow automation compliance
- Learner satisfaction and trainer effectiveness scores
- Implement post-training evaluations and performance assessments to validate skill mastery and readiness
- Establish continuous improvement cadence (monthly) with Global Training Council to escalate insights, approve content changes, and refine delivery
- Publish Year 1 capability report to leadership demonstrating training ROI and operational impact
- Link training outcomes to global talent development and career progression
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Governance
- Partner with Efficiency & Operations teams to translate workflow automation and AI initiatives into training content
- Collaborate with Product teams on Avenir training and platform readiness
- Align with GDS, Core Product Support, and Avenir Product Support teams on platform-specific curriculum
- Establish Global Training Governance with clear ownership, escalation paths, and decision rights
- Support enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, embedding training into PMO and change management workflows
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years in travel operations, training, workforce enablement, or related function
- Proven experience managing a team of trainers or learning professionals across multiple regions
- Deep expertise in corporate travel operations, GDS platforms (Sabre, Amadeus), and international ticketing
- Demonstrated ability designing and scaling training programs across geographies, cultures, and time zones
- Strong communication and facilitation skills; ability to simplify complex technical and operational topics
- Global mindset and comfort working across time zones, cultures, and organizational boundaries
- Project management discipline with ability to manage multiple workstreams and timelines simultaneously
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with multi-location or global service delivery models and distributed team leadership
- Hands-on knowledge of Avenir platform or similar modern travel booking/servicing systems
- Background with AI/automation tools (including agentic AI platforms)
- Familiarity with workflow automation or agent-assist technologies
- LMS implementation or administration experience (configuration, reporting, user management)
- Experience in a fast-paced, transformation-focused environment with rapid platform/product evolution
- Training ROI analysis and ability to link learning outcomes to operational metrics
SUCCESS MEASURES (FIRST 12–18 MONTHS)
- Global training framework (five pillars) established, approved, and operationalized across Direct Travel and ATPI
- Avenir platform training fully developed and deployed; 90%+ advisor proficiency on core workflows
- Global Enterprise Training Team (HUB) stood up with certified trainers across regions; train-the-trainer model active
- Onboarding readiness achieved; service delivery and work transitions supported with zero training-readiness gaps
- Single global LMS live with real-time dashboards; 100% training compliance tracking across all advisors
- Unified intake process live; training SLAs met with <5% variance across regions
- Advisor productivity and quality improvements measurable post-training (target: 10–15% efficiency gain, consistent SLA attainment)
- AI tool adoption at 80%+ usage rates
- Trainer effectiveness scores averaging 4.2+/5.0 on learner feedback; continuous improvement cadence established
- New market and location launch training embedded in operational rhythm across all regions
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Willing to travel 15–25% as needed to support service locations and global training initiatives
- Flexibility to work across time zones for trainer alignment calls, global stand-ups, and 24/7 training support model
- Comfort with ambiguity and rapid change in a transformation-focused environment
Direct Travel Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
Chicago, United States
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Consumer Web • Edtech • Enterprise Web • HR Tech • Social Impact • Generative AI
Own U.S. and Canada benefits administration, including reconciliations, audits, compliance filings, vendor management, employee communications, and Workday transactions. Manage eligibility and payroll data, resolve discrepancies, support regulatory requirements, oversee vendors and invoices, and improve processes through automation. Contribute to open enrollment, system implementations, data analytics, and global benefits initiatives while protecting confidential employee information.
Top Skills:
AdpBenefits Administration PlatformsGoogle SheetsHrisExcelUkgWorkday
Artificial Intelligence • Big Data • Healthtech • Machine Learning • Analytics • Biotech • Generative AI
Leads the Genomic Science Liaison team, overseeing client education, medical affairs initiatives, sales and GSL training, professional development, strategic projects, and regional support. Presents the clinical utility and limitations of genetic testing, manages client and stakeholder relationships, identifies key opinion leaders, supports territory growth, and provides coaching and performance feedback. The role also involves hiring, training, team management, travel, and participation in industry events.
Top Skills:
Genetic TestingMS OfficeNext-Generation Sequencing (Ngs)Sanger Sequencing
Cloud • Information Technology • Security • Software • Cybersecurity
Build and manage enterprise customer relationships, including C-suite stakeholders; develop long-term account strategies; collaborate with internal teams; and act as a trusted advisor aligning security solutions with customer goals. The role requires full-cycle software or security sales experience, enterprise and C-level selling experience, strategic account planning, new-logo acquisition, target attainment, channel partnership experience, and practical use of AI tools.
Top Skills:
Ai/MlSaseZero Trust Exchange
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
