Senior Travel & Trials Sourcing Manager
Kirkland & Ellis · Chicago, IL · 1 mo ago
HybridPurchasing$153k–$191k/yrFull-time
We need to output HTML fragment with sections: About the role? Actually the posting includes "About Kirkland & Ellis" (company description) and "What You’ll Do", "What You’ll Bring", "Compensation". Also maybe "Compensation Range Chicago: $153,000 - $191,000". Also maybe "Benefits" mention: "We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement." Also maybe "Schedule"? Not present. So we need sections: About the role? Actually "About Kirkland & Ellis" is company description, not a section heading per instructions: we can use headings for section headings like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. The posting has "What You’ll Do" (responsibilities), "What You’ll Bring" (requirements/qualifications/skills), "Compensation" (pay and benefits). Also maybe "About Kirkland & Ellis" could be considered "About the role"? But they said do NOT repeat the job title as a heading; they didn't forbid a company overview heading. However they said use headings for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we can map: "About Kirkland & Ellis" could be under "About the role"? Or we could just not include a heading for that and put it in a for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It doesn't require we must have those exact headings, but we should use them when appropriate. The posting includes a company overview; we could put that under
before sections. The instruction: "use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It doesn't require we must have those exact headings, but we should use them when appropriate. The posting includes a company overview; we could put that under About the role
maybe. But "About the role" usually describes the role, not the company. However we have no explicit "About the role" section. Could we omit it? The instruction: "Prefer a few substantive sections over many thin ones." So we could combine company overview into a paragraph before sections, not as a heading. That seems acceptable.
Thus we will output:
About Kirkland & Ellis ...
ThenResponsibilities
with- ... from "What You’ll Do" bullet points.
Then
Requirements
(or Qualifications) with bullet points from "What You’ll Bring". Could split into Requirements and Skills but we can combine. ThenPay
withCompensation Range Chicago: $153,000 - $191,000
ThenBenefits
withWe offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.
We must not include boilerplate like How to Apply, EEO, etc. We must preserve all substantive information. Ensure we include all bullet points from responsibilities and requirements. Let's extract responsibilities bullet points from "What You’ll Do" paragraph after "Lead Hotel Sourcing & Contracting:" etc. It's a list of duties separated by periods but not bullet list. We need to convert to- . We'll split each sentence starting with a capital verb? Let's list:
- Own the end-to-end hotel sourcing and contracting process for trial-related travel, internal meetings and external events.
- Develop Strategic Sourcing Strategies: Create and manage Requests for Proposal (RFPs), evaluate supplier responses, and provide strategic recommendations based on pricing, availability, service levels, concessions, contractual terms and overall value.
- Negotiate Complex Agreements: Lead negotiations related to guest room rates, room blocks, meeting space, food and beverage commitments, attrition, cancellation terms, force majeure, indemnification, liability and payment provisions.
- Protect the Firm’s Interests: Utilize standard hotel agreements and contracting practices to reduce financial and contractual risk while ensuring favorable business terms.
- Support High-Stakes Trial Activity: Partner closely with litigation teams to secure accommodations, meeting space, hospitality areas, workrooms and related requirements in fast-moving trial environments.
- Enable Successful Events: Collaborate with event planners to source and contract hotel accommodations and meeting space for internal programs, client-facing events, leadership meetings and Firm-sponsored gatherings.
- Build Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with hotel brands, hospitality groups and key suppliers to enhance service, responsiveness and long-term value.
- Advise Internal Stakeholders: Serve as a trusted consultant on hotel selection, pricing strategies, contractual terms, risk exposure, concessions and supplier recommendations.
- Manage Contract Performance: Track deadlines, deposits, room block commitments, attrition exposure, cancellation provisions and other key contractual obligations.
- Drive Continuous Improvement: Develop tools, best practices and operational efficiencies that create consistency and improve the Firm’s hotel sourcing and contracting processes.
- Deliver Cost Savings & Value: Leverage hotel volume, market knowledge, and supplier relationships to identify opportunities for enhanced concessions, improved contract terms and cost optimization.
- Stay Ahead of Industry Trends: Monitor hotel industry developments, hospitality best practices and meeting management trends to strengthen sourcing strategies and decision-making.
Now requirements/qualifications from "What You’ll Bring":
- Bachelor’s degree required with CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), or related industry certifications are a plus;
- 7+ years of responsible experience in hotel sourcing and contracting meetings, events, hospitality, or a related field, with demonstrated experience independently negotiating hotel agreements.
- Negotiation Expertise: Deep knowledge of hotel contracting, including room blocks, meeting space, concessions, attrition, cancellation clauses, force majeure, indemnification, liability and financial terms.
- Business & Financial Acumen: Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate proposals, assess risk, negotiate favorable outcomes and make sound business recommendations.
- Relationship Management: Proven ability to build credibility and maintain productive relationships with suppliers, attorneys, event professionals and other stakeholders.
- Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact confidently and professionally with attorneys, clients, external partners and colleagues at all levels and clearly explain contractual considerations, recommendations, and business impacts.
- Organization & Project Management: Ability to manage multiple complex negotiations, contracts and priorities simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Problem Solving & Judgment: Demonstrated ability to navigate challenging situations, resolve conflicts diplomatically and make informed decisions under pressure.
- Industry Knowledge: Understanding of hotel operations, hospitality programs, meeting management practices and travel industry trends.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams and Copilot; experience with Cvent.
We could group into Requirements (education, experience) and Skills (the rest). But we can just have one Requirements section with all bullet points. However instruction: prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So maybe we have Responsibilities, Requirements, Pay, Benefits. That's four sections.
Now we need to output only HTML fragment, no markdown.
Let's craft:
About Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end hotel sourcing and contracting process for trial-related travel, internal meetings and external events.
- Develop Strategic Sourcing Strategies: Create and manage Requests for Proposal (RFPs), evaluate supplier responses, and provide strategic recommendations based on pricing, availability, service levels, concessions, contractual terms and overall value.
- Negotiate Complex Agreements: Lead negotiations related to guest room rates, room blocks, meeting space, food and beverage commitments, attrition, cancellation terms, force majeure, indemnification, liability and payment provisions.
- Protect the Firm’s Interests: Utilize standard hotel agreements and contracting practices to reduce financial and contractual risk while ensuring favorable business terms.
- Support High-Stakes Trial Activity: Partner closely with litigation teams to secure accommodations, meeting space, hospitality areas, workrooms and related requirements in fast-moving trial environments.
- Enable Successful Events: Collaborate with event planners to source and contract hotel accommodations and meeting space for internal programs, client-facing events, leadership meetings and Firm-sponsored gatherings.
- Build Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with hotel brands, hospitality groups and key suppliers to enhance service, responsiveness and long-term value.
- Advise Internal Stakeholders: Serve as a trusted consultant on hotel selection, pricing strategies, contractual terms, risk exposure, concessions and supplier recommendations.
- Manage Contract Performance: Track deadlines, deposits, room block commitments, attrition exposure, cancellation provisions and other key contractual obligations.
- Drive Continuous Improvement: Develop tools, best practices and operational efficiencies that create consistency and improve the Firm’s hotel sourcing and contracting processes.
- Deliver Cost Savings & Value: Leverage hotel volume, market knowledge, and supplier relationships to identify opportunities for enhanced concessions, improved contract terms and cost optimization.
- Stay Ahead of Industry Trends: Monitor hotel industry developments, hospitality best practices and meeting management trends to strengthen sourcing strategies and decision-making.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required with CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), or related industry certifications are a plus.
- 7+ years of responsible experience in hotel sourcing and contracting meetings, events, hospitality, or a related field, with demonstrated experience independently negotiating hotel agreements.
- Negotiation Expertise: Deep knowledge of hotel contracting, including room blocks, meeting space, concessions, attrition, cancellation clauses, force majeure, indemnification, liability and financial terms.
- Business & Financial Acumen: Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate proposals, assess risk, negotiate favorable outcomes and make sound business recommendations.
- Relationship Management: Proven ability to build credibility and maintain productive relationships with suppliers, attorneys, event professionals and other stakeholders.
- Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact confidently and professionally with attorneys, clients, external partners and colleagues at all levels and clearly explain contractual considerations, recommendations, and business impacts.
- Organization & Project Management: Ability to manage multiple complex negotiations, contracts and priorities simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Problem Solving & Judgment: Demonstrated ability to navigate challenging situations, resolve conflicts diplomatically and make informed decisions under pressure.
- Industry Knowledge: Understanding of hotel operations, hospitality programs, meeting management practices and travel industry trends.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams and Copilot; experience with Cvent.
Pay
Compensation Range Chicago: $153,000 - $191,000
Benefits
We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.
Check for any repeated content: we omitted "How to Apply", EEO, etc. Good. Now ensure we didn't miss any substantive info: The company overview paragraph we included. The responsibilities
- . We'll split each sentence starting with a capital verb? Let's list:
- Own the end-to-end hotel sourcing and contracting process for trial-related travel, internal meetings and external events.
- Develop Strategic Sourcing Strategies: Create and manage Requests for Proposal (RFPs), evaluate supplier responses, and provide strategic recommendations based on pricing, availability, service levels, concessions, contractual terms and overall value.
- Negotiate Complex Agreements: Lead negotiations related to guest room rates, room blocks, meeting space, food and beverage commitments, attrition, cancellation terms, force majeure, indemnification, liability and payment provisions.
- Protect the Firm’s Interests: Utilize standard hotel agreements and contracting practices to reduce financial and contractual risk while ensuring favorable business terms.
- Support High-Stakes Trial Activity: Partner closely with litigation teams to secure accommodations, meeting space, hospitality areas, workrooms and related requirements in fast-moving trial environments.
- Enable Successful Events: Collaborate with event planners to source and contract hotel accommodations and meeting space for internal programs, client-facing events, leadership meetings and Firm-sponsored gatherings.
- Build Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with hotel brands, hospitality groups and key suppliers to enhance service, responsiveness and long-term value.
- Advise Internal Stakeholders: Serve as a trusted consultant on hotel selection, pricing strategies, contractual terms, risk exposure, concessions and supplier recommendations.
- Manage Contract Performance: Track deadlines, deposits, room block commitments, attrition exposure, cancellation provisions and other key contractual obligations.
- Drive Continuous Improvement: Develop tools, best practices and operational efficiencies that create consistency and improve the Firm’s hotel sourcing and contracting processes.
- Deliver Cost Savings & Value: Leverage hotel volume, market knowledge, and supplier relationships to identify opportunities for enhanced concessions, improved contract terms and cost optimization.
- Stay Ahead of Industry Trends: Monitor hotel industry developments, hospitality best practices and meeting management trends to strengthen sourcing strategies and decision-making.
Now requirements/qualifications from "What You’ll Bring":
- Bachelor’s degree required with CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), or related industry certifications are a plus;
- 7+ years of responsible experience in hotel sourcing and contracting meetings, events, hospitality, or a related field, with demonstrated experience independently negotiating hotel agreements.
- Negotiation Expertise: Deep knowledge of hotel contracting, including room blocks, meeting space, concessions, attrition, cancellation clauses, force majeure, indemnification, liability and financial terms.
- Business & Financial Acumen: Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate proposals, assess risk, negotiate favorable outcomes and make sound business recommendations.
- Relationship Management: Proven ability to build credibility and maintain productive relationships with suppliers, attorneys, event professionals and other stakeholders.
- Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact confidently and professionally with attorneys, clients, external partners and colleagues at all levels and clearly explain contractual considerations, recommendations, and business impacts.
- Organization & Project Management: Ability to manage multiple complex negotiations, contracts and priorities simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Problem Solving & Judgment: Demonstrated ability to navigate challenging situations, resolve conflicts diplomatically and make informed decisions under pressure.
- Industry Knowledge: Understanding of hotel operations, hospitality programs, meeting management practices and travel industry trends.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams and Copilot; experience with Cvent.
We could group into Requirements (education, experience) and Skills (the rest). But we can just have one Requirements section with all bullet points. However instruction: prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So maybe we have Responsibilities, Requirements, Pay, Benefits. That's four sections.
Now we need to output only HTML fragment, no markdown.
Let's craft: