About Us: Europe Express is part of the Travelopia group, which is one of the world's leading specialist travel groups providing customers with a diverse range of unique travel experiences. This includes adventure travel, safaris, private jet and polar expeditions, tailor-made luxury holidays, yacht and river boat charter holidays, educational and sporting-based school trips, corporate hospitality, and sporting event fan travel. Private equity owned by KKR, Travelopia is headquartered in the UK with offices and marine bases all over the world. Established in 1990, Europe Express provides high-quality, custom travel to Europe for their North American clients. The company serves both private groups and FIT leisure markets, working exclusively with travel advisors to book everything from air and rail to hotels and sightseeing tours.The Opportunity: The Operations Manager is a departmental leader and a key contributor to the success of Europe Express. This role is responsible for managing a team that processes reservations for all trips, by working closely with hotels, sightseeing suppliers, and transfer companies and also issues travel documents. The department is also responsible for assisting passengers with any travel issues while they are in Europe. In addition to working alongside the staff and developing the department's structure, the manager will be instrumental in training, motivating, and counseling the staff as needed to achieve high efficiency and customer service.What You Will Be Doing:Oversee daily operations and ensure the team's success.Ensure that the team efficiently and accurately processes service confirmations in the system while following all company policies and procedures.Communication and cascading of new information to the department.Communicate and negotiate effectively with suppliers from all over Europe, ranging from hotels, DMC, transportation companies, tourist attractions, and any other services.Make independent customer service decisions with customers and employees while maintaining our service standards and financial profitability.Ensure monthly balancing of invoices with API suppliers and carry out API suppliers' audit.Coordinate shipping of physical travel documents when required by company policy.Onboarding and training of new team members.Evaluate and empower employee performance to achieve short- and long-term objectives, supporting staff growth.Encourage employee engagement and contentment while building a positive atmosphere in the department, solving issues, and resolving disagreements within the department.Cultivate partnerships and strategize to lead the team's workload.Provide feedback and develop people.Support the Sales Team to ensure seamless delivery of FIT services.Support the Finance Team to ensure accurate accounting of costs on each booking; assist with payment inquiries from vendors; reconcile vendor invoices as needed.Work alongside the Product team to identify product issues or challenges that affect customer's experience.Work alongside the Health and Safety Manager to prioritize customer safety.Represent the department in technology projects relating to the department's essential functions.What We Are Looking For:5+ years of work experience in operations within the travel industry.3 to 5 years of experience managing, coaching, and mentoring a global team.Proficient in both written and spoken English and Spanish (additional language skills such as Italian, French, and German are an advantage).Strong ability to collaborate and communicate efficiently in diverse settings, demonstrating adaptability and flexibility.Shown success in implementing new processes and efficiency improvements.Experience working in complex back-office computer systems.Well-organized and driven to excel in a fast-paced environment.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Proficient in MS Office, including MS Excel, MS Word, Outlook.Knowledge of Amadeus or other GDS is a plus.Working conditions:This is a full-time position requiring 40 hours per week.Regular travel is required. Some travel may occur on weekends or public holidays.Working hours are typically 9 am-6 pm or 10 am-7 pm with a one-hour lunch break. However, flexibility is needed to accommodate meetings with team members in different time zones.Our work environment is a hybrid model, with a minimum of one day per week in the office in Barcelona.What we offer:A competitive salary that recognizes your expertise and contributions.Various employee discounts and offers to enhance your travel experiences.Career progression opportunities to support your professional growth and development.Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: At Europe Express, we value and celebrate diversity in our workforce. We believe that an inclusive and equitable environment leads to greater happiness and productivity.
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