Travel Office Manager - Leisure Travel Apply
Repeatedly voted Africa’s Leading Safari Company, a world leader in curating bespoke once-in-a-lifetime luxury African itineraries. We firmly believe in the transformational nature of our tourism industry and the value it has in providing sustainable solutions in both protecting our wild animals and uplifting vulnerable communities in Africa.
We are on the lookout for a full-time Concierge Manager to join our Sales Support Team who will provide essential support to our travel consultants within our dynamic tour operator business. The Concierge Manager will play a crucial role in ensuring smooth and efficient administrative operations, enabling our travel consultants to focus on delivering exceptional experiences to our clients.
As a Concierge Manager your responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:
Team Leadership:
- Manage, mentor, and develop a team of administrators, providing guidance and support to ensure their professional growth.
- Foster a collaborative and positive team environment, encouraging open communication and knowledge sharing.
Process Optimization:
- Review and enhance existing administrative processes to increase efficiency, accuracy, and overall productivity.
- Identify areas for improvement and implement best practices to streamline workflows and reduce turnaround times
Quality Control:
- Oversee the quality of administrative tasks, ensuring accuracy, attention to detail, and adherence to company standards.
- Conduct regular audits to maintain high standards of data entry, documentation, and recordkeeping.
Task Delegation:
- Assign administrative tasks to team members based on their strengths, skills, and workload, ensuring equitable distribution.
- Monitor task progress, offer assistance, and ensure timely completion of assignments.
Performance Management:
- Set clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the administrative team aligned with business objectives.
- Regularly review individual and team performance, providing constructive feedback and recognition for achievements
Process Analysis and Mapping:
- Conduct comprehensive reviews of current administrative processes, identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas for improvement.
- Collaborate with the administrative team to map out existing workflows, highlighting pain points and opportunities for streamlining.
Continuous Improvement Initiatives:
- Propose and implement process enhancement strategies to eliminate inefficiencies and optimise task execution.
- Collaborate with team members to gather suggestions for process improvements, encouraging a culture of innovation.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs):
- Develop and update standardised operating procedures for key administrative tasks, ensuring consistency and clarity in execution.
- Communicate SOP changes to the team and provide training as needed to ensure seamless implementation.
Technology Integration:
- Identify and evaluate Kaptio and work with our Salesforce team to enhance administrative processes, for tasks and travel documents, automation requirements and collaboration tools.
- Work with the IT department to implement and train the team on new technologies to improve efficiency.
Product Knowledge Enhancement:
- Collaborate with the Product Knowledge Training Manager to design and implement training programs aimed at enhancing administrators' understanding of various travel destinations, tour packages, and services.
- Ensure that administrators have access to up-to-date and accurate information about different travel offerings, enabling them to better assist travel consultants and clients.
- Monitor the effectiveness of product knowledge training programs and gather feedback from administrators to make continuous improvements.
Career Pathing and Development:
- Identify administrators who express an interest in transitioning to the role of travel consultant and support their career aspirations.
- Develop personalised performance development plans for individuals interested in becoming travel consultants, outlining the necessary skills, training, and experience required.
- Provide mentorship, guidance, and resources to help individuals progress along their career path from an administrative role to a travel consultant role.
Skill Enhancement Initiatives:
- Identify training opportunities, workshops, and certifications that align with the skill development needs of the administrative team.
- Encourage administrators to participate in relevant industry events, webinars, and courses to broaden their skill set and stay updated with industry trends.
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Regularly review the progress of administrators who are on a career development path, assessing their performance and growth.
- Provide constructive feedback and guidance to individuals in pursuit of becoming travel consultants, helping them identify areas for improvement and refinement.
Succession Planning:
- Collaborate with Human Resources and Functional Management/Leadership to establish a clear succession plan for administrative team members interested in advancing to travel consultant positions.
- Ensure that there is a seamless transition process in place for individuals who successfully transition from administrative roles to travel consultant roles.
Data Collection and Analysis:
- Collaborate with team members to gather relevant data on administrative tasks, turnaround times, accuracy rates, and other key metrics.
- Utilise data analysis tools to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement within the administrative workflow.
Report Creation and Presentation:
- Develop a suite of reports that provide comprehensive insights into the administrative team's performance and its impact on travel consultant operations.
- Working with the Revenue Manager to Present reports in a clear and concise manner, utilising visual aids to facilitate understanding by stakeholders
KPI Monitoring:
- Establish a system for monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to administrative efficiency, accuracy, and other relevant metrics.
- Regularly update and distribute KPI reports to relevant stakeholders, highlighting achievements and areas requiring attention.
Performance Trends:
- Identify long-term trends and changes in administrative performance and communicate these insights to Functional Management/Leadership..
- Use historical data to forecast potential challenges and opportunities for improvement.
Stakeholder Communication:
- Collaborate with various departments, including travel consultants and management, to understand their reporting needs and tailor insights accordingly.
- Proactively communicate findings and trends to stakeholders, fostering a data-driven decision-making culture.
Requirements
Our ideal Concierge Manager will possess:
- National Senior Certificate (Matric)
- 3 Years experience in a similar role
- Be based in Cape Town
- Have an honest and hardworking nature;
- Be an innovative and critical thinker;
- Be a deadline driven individual who shows extreme attention to detail;
- Demonstrate efficient communication and a willingness to learn;
- Have an organised and structured approach to tasks.
Not essential but advantageous:
- Diploma/Degree in Tourism or Management
- Travel Industry knowledge would be a significant advantage
- Command of additional languages ex. German, French, Portuguese, Spanish
