Travel Desk Specialist

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

The Travel Desk Analyst will manage end-to-end business travel arrangements for employees, with primary responsibility for hotel bookings and international air travel. The role will ensure that travel is arranged accurately, cost-effectively, and in accordance with company travel policies, while providing responsive support to employees and internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Travel Arrangements

• Manage domestic and international hotel bookings based on approved travel requests, employee preferences, business requirements, and company policy.
• Arrange international airfare, including itinerary research, fare comparison, ticket booking, rebooking, cancellations, refunds, and schedule-change handling.
• Evaluate available travel options for cost, schedule, routing, baggage allowance, cancellation terms, and overall suitability.
• Coordinate multi-city, multi-country, and complex itineraries for employees and business travellers.
• Validate travel dates, traveller details, passport information, preferred routes, project or cost-centre details, and approval status before confirming bookings.
• Issue accurate booking confirmations and itineraries and ensure travellers receive all required travel documentation.
• Ensure all bookings comply with the company’s travel policy, approval matrix, preferred supplier arrangements, and budget requirements.

Vendor and Financial Coordination

• Coordinate with travel management companies, airlines, hotels, and other travel vendors to resolve booking and service issues.
• Review booking confirmations, invoices, credit notes and refunds
• Track travel spends, savings, cancellations, unused tickets, and other relevant metrics.
• Provide required booking information to Finance for reconciliation, expense allocation, and reporting.
• Support vendor performance reviews and identify opportunities to improve rates, service quality, and booking efficiency.
• Maintain accurate records of travel requests, approvals, bookings, cancellations, refunds, and outstanding actions.
• Prepare periodic reports on travel volumes, spend, savings, exceptions, cancellations, and service levels.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• 2–5 years of experience in corporate travel, travel operations, travel agency operations, or a similar role.
• Hands-on experience with international airfare bookings and hotel reservations.
• Experience managing itinerary changes, cancellations, refunds, reissues, and airline schedule disruptions.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, email, and travel or expense-management systems.
• Experience working with a global workforce or supporting travellers across different time zones is preferred.
• Familiarity with global hotel programs, corporate rates, negotiated rates, and travel-management-company processes.

Why AHEAD

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

India Employment Benefits include

Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees, with options to extend coverage to dependents

Paid time off and company holidays, along with additional leave benefits as per policy

Flexible work arrangements, supporting work-life balance

Learning and development opportunities to support continuous growth and upskilling

Employee wellness initiatives and programs focused on physical and mental well-being

Retirement and statutory benefits in line with India regulations

Inclusive and people-first culture, with a strong focus on collaboration and ownership