Here at Travel Counsellors, our customers, communities and colleagues lie at the heart of everything that we do - and thats what makes us special. For us, relationships come before transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level through the moments that matter.
Weve been changing lives for over 28 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 1, 900 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses. We pride ourselves in remaining a company that truly cares and one that has never wavered from its purpose; to redefine what personal means for a travel business.
Our Travel Counsellors are supported by a team of over 250 super talented people in our Support Offices to help them create unique, inspiring, and exciting experiences for their customers, building lasting personal relationships that brings them back to us, time and time again.
Our unique approach within the workplace as well as towards customers has seen us receive numerous awards and accolades, including being named as The Best Place to Work in Travel at the 2022 TTG Travel Industry Awards, as well as being the first travel company to be awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category!
We are currently expanding at a phenomenal rate on the back of what is our record year in terms of revenue (over 800m) and so are looking for like-minded individuals to join our dedicated Head Office team, to help the company continue to flourish.
About the Role
This role is the lead role within the Ops team in South Africa. Ensuring the team are delivering the performance required to achieve the operational and business KPIs as detailed in the Service Support Strategy in conjunction with the UK Team. The Senior Operations manager will also be expected to build the team and deliver the strategic goals;
- Providing on pointexpertise for those urgent situations when TCs need it most
- Providing guidance, and resolving queries and issues, whilst actively managing TCs to the best channel for resolution
- Engaging with our suppliers in a way that is consistent with our values and as such creates value for our business
- Having mature cross functional interdependencies proactively minimising friction for TCs
- Having flexible, efficient operations which are easily scalable on demand and support a 24/7 service.
- Nurturing well informed , caring andfriendly teams empowered to swiftly resolve enquiries and complaints
- Direct line management of the South African Support Team
- Key contact for all the team for guidance, support and escalations.
- Ensure daily workload is distributed and oversee an efficient resourcing model In conjunction with the UK team
- Identify any development needs within the team, then plan and arrange training accordingly. Each colleague to have at least one developmental objective per annum. (monitored quarterly)
- Set team and individual objectives aligned to the operational and strategic KPIs. Each colleague to have at least one BAU OKR and one stretch OKR per annum (monitored quarterly)
- Conduct monthly 121s with first reports using OKRs, quality data, productivity & performance data, competency evidence andfeedback to have constructive conversations to improve performance, behaviours, colleague engagement and satisfaction. Ensure this rigorous approach to performance management is embedded across the SA team and maintained across all colleagues,
- Ensure service levels are monitored, managed and maintained for the South African teams, highlighting gaps and putting remedial actions in place if performance falls below expectation.
- Ensure department processes and SOPs on Teams are well maintained and kept up to date.
- Embed the TC values, commitments and community charter across the SA Team
- Putting a TNA in place to respond to the wider operational and resourcing plans and taking responsibility for the delivery of any new starter training, as well as cross-skilling and upskilling.
- Promoting and ensuring relationships are built with everyone demonstrating an All In approach.
- Ensuring consistency of message across the board with alerts and appropriate communications etc
- Building the team in South Africa and ensuring capacity plans, desk plan, routes to competency and budgets are clearly understood and managed.
- Responsible for ensuring effective performance reporting is in place
- Identifying new and effective ways of working, giving feedback on improvement opportunities and working with the UK team to deliver excellent performance (people, processes and tech)
- Acting as a key member of the senior leadership team, adopting the senior leadership responsibilities and fulfilling the capability expectations.
- Hands-on experience in managing retail travel ticketing/fulfilment teams at senior level is essential.
- A proven track-record in leading operational teams within a contact centre environment, with strong project management skills is preferred, but can be developed in role for the right candidate.
