Job Description

We are looking for a full-time North America Tour Operations Manager to join our Operations Team.

This is a brand new role which will be crucial in overseeing tour logistics, managing a regional operations team and ensuring the delivery of exceptional experiences for our guests. As our very first NA Ops Manager, you will have the freedom and autonomy to put your mark on the business and drive progress and improvements across the board. While doing so, you will be reporting directly to our Global Head of Tour Operations while collaborating closely with our North America Guide Manager and our Global Reservations and Customer Service Manager. A true dream-team (if we say so ourselves!)

While we have a strong preference to candidates based in New York or California, we are open to candidates from any State within North America who are willing to travel to relevant locations across the country.

What this role involves…

• Implementing and monitoring strategies for the seamless delivery of the tours and experiences offered by ExperienceFirst, (e.g. inventory management, transportation and supplier relationships).
• Providing expert leadership to the regional operations team, ensuring effective communication, collaboration and a high level of team performance.
• Liaising with in-destination experts to support the Product & Distribution team in developing new tours, focusing on logistics and supplier relationships.
• Together with the Reservations and Customer Service Manager ensuring all North American tour data is correct in our booking engine (Ventrata).
• Streamlining and standardizing operational processes across all cities, with a view to increasing efficiency, consistency and scalability.
• Identifying opportunities for automation and technology integration to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Analyzing data on operational performance in each city, including capacity, sold out days, and booking trends, reporting regularly to the ExperienceFirst Global Strategic Team.
• Identifying potential operational risks and develop and implement risk mitigation strategies, including ensuring compliance with local regulations and industry standards in each city of operation.
• Monitoring North American operations spending and identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising the guest experience.
• Leading the incident and crisis response procedure for North America (e.g. extreme weather events, operational disruptions due to political events or attraction closures).
• Ensuring a high quality of product performance in North America by assessing customer feedback, including NPS, and collaborating with the product team to implement continuous improvement strategies.
• Collaborating with the global operations team, sharing best practices and ensuring consistencies across regions.
• Identifying local sales opportunities, working with local teams to source, implement and drive local ancillary revenue projects to boost local P&L.
• Traveling to different locations will be required to meet guides, assess operations, and provide support.

What we need from you…

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field, or relevant work experience.
• This role requires a process oriented person, who can lead the implementation of consistent systems and data-gathering regarding the operational performance of all cities in which we operate in North America.
• 3+ years experience leading people, having led a remote team will be a plus.
• Must have experience in an operational leadership role within the travel industry.
• Confident in using a wide range of software applications and keen to learn and understand new ones. Key platforms we use include G-Suite, Slack, Monday.com and Ventrata
• Very strong communication skills, able to ‘translate’ business objectives and needs into tangible goals and outcomes for a diverse team.
• Demonstrated understanding of data-driven decision making, i.e. collecting and using operational data to make informed business decisions.
• Familiar with basic incident management processes and some experience managing operational incidents is an advantage.
• At ExperienceFirst, we are not just looking for team members who we know will perform well. Instead, we highly value team members who bring the mindset, attitude and behaviors that it takes to be an integral part of our team. Therefore, you must be motivated by and feel closely aligned with our four company values:

Why should you consider joining ExperienceFirst?

ExperienceFirst is a global travel brand born in New York in 2009. We currently operate in North America & Europe with our flag already flying in major cities including New York, LA, San Francisco, Dallas, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona.

What sets us apart from other walking tours, is that we bring travelers together to show them a city from a true local perspective . When you take a tour with us, we’re showing you our city the way we’d show our family when they’re in town. We’ll share the stories and secrets you won’t uncover without a local to lead the way. Discover unexpected places. Learn what the locals love. Be immersed in something completely new.

Aside from an exciting brand mission and fulfilling role, here are a few more benefits of joining the ExperienceFirst team:

• Competitive Salary: This role offers a salary between $75,000 - $85,000 depending on experience
• Growth: We are committed to driving the growth of not just our business, but also the development of the individuals who make our success possible. From intentional coaching to help you take the next step up in your career, to a strong focus on filling new roles internally, and openness to secondments in new areas of the business to allow you to explore alternate routes, we’re committed to helping you develop in whichever way suits you best.
• Flexibility: Although our HQ sits in New York, we believe in bringing on board the strongest and most motivated people, regardless of where they’re based. Our fully remote team members live where they want, have the freedom to work abroad, and with flexible working hours, you have the opportunity to tailor your workday around your personal life, giving you meaningful work-life balance. Meanwhile, our on the ground team has daily flexibility in the way they work.
• Connection: While we’re a remote team, we intentionally balance remote and asynchronous working with regular collaboration opportunities to socialise to give you a strong sense of team and belonging even when we’re apart.

Interested? Great! Here’s what will happen next…

Remember… if you are keen to learn more about this opportunity but feel that you do not meet 100% of the criteria set out here, we still want to hear from you! Our recruitment process is designed to spot not just great experience, but we’re equally focused on identifying strong potential and transferable skills in our candidates.

In short, we simply cannot wait to hear from you!

You can expect the following experience from our fully remote interview journey:

1. Discovery Call: (30 minutes) If we feel your application aligns well with our needs for this role, we will invite you to an initial discovery call with our Head of Tour Operations who will be looking to learn more about your experiences, skills and motivation for applying to this role.
2. Practical Task: (1 hour) If both you and Head of Tour Operations feel there is a strong alignment between what you’re looking for in your next role, and what we need in our team, you will be invited to complete a practical task which you will then present in your second meeting. 
3. Team Interview: (45 - 60min) Once you have demonstrated your skills and experience, you will have the opportunity to meet additional team members you will work closely with in this role. This is also a great chance to learn more about our culture, and what working at ExperienceFirst really feels like.
4. CEO Interview: (30 mins) Last but certainly not least, you will have a chance to meet our CEO and Founder. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the company’s history and long term ambitions.
5. Offer: The moment we’re waiting for! Once you have nailed the interview stages, we will share your job offer and additional details via email. The rest will then be history…

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