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Job Summary
We are looking to recruit a highly experienced Reservations & Operations Manager to join a boutique luxury inbound DMC specialising in bespoke travel throughout Southern and East Africa, primarily servicing the North American luxury travel market. This is a senior leadership position, reporting directly to the owner, with responsibility for managing the core reservations and operational teams. We need someone who can take full ownership of these departments, lead and develop the team. The Role The primary responsibility will be to lead the team of five Journey Designers and take full ownership of the reservations process, from the moment an enquiry is received through to the confirmation of the booking. This includes ensuring that all quotations and itineraries are produced quickly, accurately, creatively and profitably, with every costing thoroughly checked before being presented to the agent. The Reservations & Operations Manager will also be the primary point of communication between the travel advisor partners and head office throughout the quotation and sales process, ensuring enquiries are managed proactively, deadlines are met, follow-ups are handled and every opportunity is given the attention it deserves until it is either confirmed or closed. The position will also oversee the Operations Lead, who manages the Concierge and Journey Administration team, as well as the TourPlan Rates & Product function. Key Responsibilities Reservations Management: Take full ownership of all incoming enquiries, allocating work appropriately, monitoring progress and ensuring every quotation is delivered within the required turnaround times. Costing Accuracy & Quality Control: Personally review and approve all quotations and costings before they are sent to agents, ensuring accuracy, correct margins, appropriate product selection and that nothing has been overlooked. Agent Communication: Act as the primary communication lead between DTE and our travel advisor partners throughout the quotation process, ensuring professional, proactive and timely correspondence. Sales Pipeline Management: Oversee every enquiry from receipt through to confirmation or closure, ensuring consistent follow-ups, effective management of revisions and a strong focus on converting quotations into confirmed bookings. Journey Design: Guide the consultants in creating exceptional, well-routed, creative and commercially sound luxury itineraries across Southern and East Africa. Team Leadership: Manage, mentor and develop the five Journey Designers, driving productivity, accountability, accuracy and performance. Operations Oversight: Manage the Operations Lead, ensuring a seamless handover from reservations to operations and consistently high standards of guest service delivery. Rates & Product: Oversee the TourPlan Rates & Product function, ensuring accurate rates, competitive supplier pricing and appropriate product selection. Problem Solving: Take responsibility for day-to-day reservations challenges, difficult agent situations, operational issues and staff management without unnecessary escalation to the owner. Processes & Performance: Improve workflows, monitor quotation turnaround times, costing errors, conversion rates and overall team performance. The Candidate We are specifically looking for someone with: Ideally 10–15+ years of experience within the luxury inbound DMC industry, including significant senior reservations management experience. Extensive firsthand destination and product knowledge across Southern and East Africa. Proven experience designing, costing and managing complex, high-end, multi-country African itineraries. Exceptional attention to detail and a strong understanding of costing, margins and profitability. Significant experience working directly with North American luxury travel advisors, ideally including Virtuoso, Serandipians or similar networks. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to manage important agent relationships and resolve challenges independently. Proven experience managing a reservations pipeline, maintaining quotation turnaround times and driving conversion. Strong leadership skills and the ability to manage, motivate and develop a high-performing reservations team. TourPlan experience would be a significant advantage. Location & Working Arrangements The successful candidate can be based at either our Cape Town office or Heidelberg, Gauteng office . This is not a remote position, although some flexibility may be considered for the right candidate. The Right Fit We are not looking for a senior consultant who simply wants to move into management. We need someone who has already demonstrated the ability to lead a reservations team, manage complex quotations, identify costing errors, communicate confidently with luxury travel advisors and take complete ownership of the reservations process.
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