Chief Operating Officer (Travel & Tours) at Sunrose Consulting

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the smooth, efficient running of the business
• Promote and market the business, sometimes to new or niche markets
• Implement alternative and innovative ideas for achieving new business
• Manage budgets and maintain statistical and financial records
• Sell travel products and tour packages
• Source products and destinations to meet consumer demands for bespoke travel and sustainable tourism
• Take part in familiarisation visits to new destinations, to gather information on issues and amenities of interest to consumers
• Liaise with travel partners, including airlines and hotels, to manage bookings and schedules, often a year in advance
• Deal with customer enquiries and aim to meet their expectations
• Motivate the sales team to hit and exceed their targets and ensure company profitability
• Meet regularly with team leaders to give them sales figures and plan how they approach their work
• Meet company directors who advise on strategy and find out about any local issues and future trends
• Oversee the recruitment, selection and retention of staff as well as payroll matters and staff training
• Deal with disciplinary matters and customer complaints.
• Research new products

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Degree or HND. A Masters Degree or equivalent will be an added advantage
• Must have a minimum of 5 years’ management experience from a reputable travel and tours company
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proven sales and marketing abilities
• Organisational and planning skills
• Customer service skills
• Human resource management skills
• Financial management skills
• Marketing and selling skills
• Research skills
• Travel and/or management experience
• Strong leadership and team-building skills
• Time and risk management skills
• Resilience to cope with long hours and pressure at peak times
• A genuine interest in travel
• An awareness of the current trends in travel (e.g. sustainable tourism) and knowledge of popular and upcoming destinations is also important.