Section Chief (Transportation)

The Section Chief (Transportation) leads the Transportation Section in the General Services Division of the Corporate Services and Facilities Department at IMF headquarters in Washington, DC. The role provides strategic leadership, operational direction, and management of travel and transportation programs, vendor oversight, client engagement, and duty of care support.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for the Transportation Section and ensure effective delivery of the Section’s work program.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to staff, including development of staff capabilities, performance feedback, and strategic advice to departmental and senior management.
• Provide overall leadership and oversight of the IMF’s travel program and transportation portfolio, ensuring reliable, cost-effective, and client-focused service delivery including airline, rail, hotel, chauffeur, visa and passport, and travel payment credit card.
• Develop and implement strategies and service improvements that respond to the evolving travel environment and the operational needs of the Fund.
• Ensure effective after-hours travel emergency coverage and provide support for worldwide evacuations, working closely with IMF Security, HR, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee complex, multi-faceted projects and leverage technology to analyze travel data, market developments, and service trends to identify opportunities for efficiency, cost effectiveness, and improved client experience.
• Provide expert guidance to senior management, departments, overseas offices, and Regional Centers on travel-related services, policies, and operational requirements.
• Provide strategic oversight of supplier relationships, outsourced service partners, and vendor performance across the Section’s portfolio.
• Establish performance expectations, monitor vendor SLAs and key performance indicators, and identify opportunities for improvement, and cost effectiveness.
• Oversee transportation or travel management procurement processes and resolve complex vendor-related issues and operational performance.
• Set direction for the effective use of travel technology, data management, reporting, and analytics to support operational decisions and service planning.
• Evaluate and guide the implementation of technology enhancements, including travel management tools and related platforms.
• Develop meaningful metrics, dashboards, reports, and forecast information to support management oversight and respond to stakeholder inquiries.
• Encourage innovation and continuous improvement in processes, systems, and service delivery, while ensuring alignment with Fund policies and operational requirements.
• Build strong working relationships with clients, departments, overseas offices, Regional Centers, vendors, and other stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery and timely resolution of issues.
• Develop and execute communication strategies to disseminate information about travel tools, procedures, service updates, and policy changes across the institution.
• Support the Fund’s duty of care responsibilities by ensuring timely access to reliable travel data and effective coordination during disruptions, emergencies, and other events requiring rapid operational response.
• Represent the Section and the Department in internal and external discussions on transportation, travel management, and related operational matters.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in business administration, transportation management, travel management, logistics, or a related field, plus a minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience; or a bachelor’s degree supplemented by a minimum of fourteen years of relevant professional work experience; alternatively, a minimum of two years of experience in a related position at Grade A12, or equivalent.
• Proven experience leading travel, transportation, or related operational services for a large, complex, or global organization, including oversight of third-party service providers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the travel industry, travel management companies, airline distribution, global distribution systems, online booking tools, travel data, expense reporting, and related operational platforms.
• Experience managing contracts, vendor performance, service-level agreements and supplier relationships.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to assess complex operational issues, develop recommendations, and translate data into practical decisions and service improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead staff, manage complex work programs, allocate resources, provide feedback, and foster collaboration across teams and departments.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, communications, and service standards for institutional clients and senior stakeholders.
• Sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy in dealing with complex client, vendor, and operational matters.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI or other visualization tools, and PowerPoint; experience with travel management systems would be an advantage.

Skills

• Travel Management
• Transport Management
• Logistics Management
• Vendor Management
• Contract Management
• Service Level Agreement Management
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Travel Industry Knowledge
• Global Distribution Systems
• Online Booking Tools
• Travel Data Analysis
• Expense Reporting Systems
• Systems Operations Management
• People Leadership
• Resource Allocation
• Policy Development
• Procedure Development
• Client Communication
• Service Standards Development
• MS Excel
• Power BI
• Power Point

Languages

English