Emergency Response Specialist  The Opportunity:

EF Educational Tours makes it possible for thousands of North American students every year to see the world and discover new cultures through our professionally guided tours. We are now looking for an independent and detail-oriented individual with excellent communication skills and nothing is impossible attitude to join the Emergency Response Team in our dynamic and multinational Production Headquarters in Zurich. As an Emergency Response Specialist, you will work closely with the planning and implementation of our crisis management, emergency response and traveler support functions across all EF Tours products. Each day, you will support travelers through both routine and escalated on tour situations, ranging from transportation issues to medical or mental health crises. You will also help to coordinate the efforts of part-time and temporary staff assisting travelers with on tour issues.  By working closely with EF’s central Safety and Operations teams, you’ll provide our travelers with a safe tour experience and exceptional customer service from start to finish. In this fast-paced work environment, you will help your team to prioritize traveler needs and draw on your experience in emergency management to independently handle traveler communication and case management for all escalated situations.  Our team approaches every case believing that nothing is impossible – this work requires creative problem-solving, grace under pressure and a commitment to an exceptional customer experience.       Responsibilities:  Acts in a supervisory capacity for on-call sales staff, providing guidance on prioritization, talking points, service recovery, and escalation procedure  Be available for inbound customer calls for both high severity ongoing cases and routine cases as volume demands.  Oversees on-tour escalations of high severity and sensitive topics including mental health, medical and safety concerns, and communicates directly with travelers and their families in such situations  Works in close coordination with Sales, Travel, and Operational colleagues to provide a supportive and cohesive customer experience  Creates and leads trainings to help prepare for upcoming travel and emergency response protocols  Facilitates relationship and communication with outside assist teams in major emergencies  Ability to understand global travel regulations and internal risk management policies to advise on response approach  Continues to develop the emergency response and preparedness function across EF Tours products  An ability to work some flexible shifts each month outside of normal office hours  Tuesday – Saturday work schedule  
You:

You have an acute attention to detail and take exceptional pride in being a clear communicator and advocate for our travelers.    No detail gets past you – Attention-to-detail doesn’t properly describe how keen your eye for detail is. Because you know all the ins-and-outs, you’re the go-to resource in your department for your peers and colleagues.  Always a step ahead – You don’t take things at face value and are always asking the right questions in anticipation of what could come next.  Strong and adaptable communication skills – You’re an incredible communicator who understands the importance of clear, concise, and factual written communication and you can easily adapt your style to your audience.  Excellent judgement – You're comfortable handling sensitive situations independently, but have a good understanding of when other stakeholders need to weigh in or an incident needs to be escalated.    Calm under pressure – You keep an even keel and maintain a clear head when working under pressure. This job isn’t for the faint of heart, but it doesn’t require an adrenaline junkie either, so long as you remain calm, cool, and collected.  You’re in the driver’s seat – You can independently identify a need, determine the best approach, activate your resources, and get things done!  You are motivated by providing an amazing customer experience and see yourself first and foremost as an advocate for our travelers.  The Requirements:  3+ years of experience, preferably in a customer service role, including experience in managing escalated customer concerns  1+ year of experience of exposure to/involvement in managing safety-related issues or emergency response (preferred)  1+ year of management or mentorship experience (preferred)  Proven track record of owning a project or initiative from start to finish in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment  Fluency in English, both verbal and written    Why you will love working with us:  People at EF make things happen. We encourage you to take full ownership of your work, regardless of your level or experience. EF team members often say we operate like the world’s largest startup because this boundless entrepreneurial spirit is built into our organization’s DNA.  EF offers a wide range of benefits ready for our team members to enjoy during weekends, after work and with friends & family, including: Hybrid work opportunity Discounted passes to local destinations and tourist hot-spots such as mt. Titlis or Kunsthaus Zurich. Full reimbursement of the SBB ‘halb-tax’ travel card, covering country-wide public transportation. Free membership for our newly built gym or get involved with our variety of sports teams. Seasonal and monthly office events including holiday parties, ski trips and pay-day happy hours. Discounts on a wide range of local restaurants, shops, hotel stays and EF products. 15% off in-house childcare service Tuition reimbursement of 1500 CHF for professional development once per year   Participation in our Staff Travel Experience Program once a year including travel on one of our tours Yearly kick off conference around the world Discounts on EF & Hult products for staff and family members