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Job Summary
Kendrick Recruitment is seeking an experienced Reservations & Operations Manager for a boutique luxury inbound destination management company. Our client designs bespoke journeys across Southern and East Africa, working primarily with North American luxury travel advisors. Reporting directly to the owner, you’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day running of reservations and operations. Your main focus will be leading a team of five Journey Designers and managing the full reservations process, from the first enquiry through to confirmation or closure. You’ll also oversee the Operations Lead and the TourPlan Rates & Product function. Key responsibilities Allocate incoming enquiries, manage team workloads and keep quotations on schedule. Personally review and approve every quotation before it goes to the agent, checking costing accuracy, margins, routing and product selection. Act as the main point of contact for travel advisors during the quotation process. Manage revisions, deadlines and follow-ups to turn more enquiries into confirmed bookings. Coach the Journey Designers on creating distinctive, well-routed luxury itineraries that meet the brief and protect margins. Manage the Operations Lead, who oversees concierge and journey administration, and ensure a smooth handover from reservations once bookings are confirmed. Oversee TourPlan rates and product, ensuring supplier rates are accurate and pricing remains competitive. Resolve day-to-day team, agent and operational issues, improve workflows and track turnaround times, costing errors and conversion rates. What we’re looking for Ideally 10–15 years or more in luxury inbound travel, including substantial experience managing a reservations team within a DMC. Extensive firsthand destination and product knowledge across Southern and East Africa, with experience designing and costing complex, multi-country luxury itineraries. A strong grasp of margins and profitability, with the attention to detail to spot costing errors before a quote goes out. Significant experience working directly with North American luxury travel advisors. Exposure to Virtuoso, Serandipians or similar networks would be advantageous. A track record of managing an enquiry pipeline, improving quote turnaround and conversion, and developing team members. Confidence handling important agent relationships and making day-to-day decisions independently. TourPlan experience would be a significant advantage. This is an office-based role. Cape Town is preferred, with the Heidelberg, Gauteng office also an option. Some working flexibility may be considered for the right candidate. The package includes participation in an annual discretionary management bonus scheme linked to company profitability and performance.
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