Operations Manager

Job content

We are on the search for a positive, motivated Operations Manager with a love of sports travel and events to join our Tewkesbury-based team!

Who we are – Travelopia Sports Travel & Event Division

We are proud to be the Sports Travel & Event Division of Travelopia, the World’s largest collection of Specialist Travel brands. Operating as Gullivers Sports Travel, Events International and Howzat Travel, together we combine the market leaders in multi-Sports tour Operating, Premium VIP Hospitality and the UK’s number 1 England Cricket Supporters Tour Operator all under one roof.

Based in modern offices in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire (with a hybrid option of working from home), we are a fun, sociable team who work hard, value being successful, love being at events and enjoy working together. We pride ourselves on being the best in everything we do. This management role will focus on the Gullivers and Howzat brands.

What you will be doing

You will be someone who loves everything about event operations, wants to lead by example, taking ownership of the planning and delivery of events and carrying out the operations alongside your team. This is a management role with line management responsibilities. You will work closely with managers in other departments to ensure fantastic internal relationships to enable the company to achieve its goals.

Just as confident with a spreadsheet and using our systems as you are in front of customers, a focus on customer experience is at the heart of all you do and you will be comfortable leading, coaching,and mentoring your small team to excel in their roles and understand the importance of delivering amazing customer service as well as profitable programmes. We are seeking someone with a flexible, patient and understanding approach.

Leading your team and reporting into the Operations Director you will be responsible for:

• Handling our Key Suppliers and Partner relationships
• Managing your team - acting as a point of escalation on all matters
• Tracking & reporting stock levels, risks and opportunities
• Putting together quotes for the sales team – to help maximise profit
• Setting the workloads and priorities for yourself and the team
• Leading the team at events, both in the UK and overseas
• Crafting fantastic customer event documentation, and leading staff briefings
• Tracking debt and cancellations
• Overall responsibility for event delivery and profit on your events
• Keeping the website up to date with relevant content
• Controlling event spend and budget control
• Ensuring the other departments are working in sync with your team - Flights/ Marketing/ Sales
• Assisting with recruitment
• Ensuring all suppliers align with Health & Safety requirements - taking a leading role in support of H&S
• Using the systems to produce accurate reports and customer details

What we are looking for

Someone who enjoys being proactive and is happy for their work to be appreciated by both the profitability of their events and the customer experience. You will be the face of the company to our customers and our partners and enjoy the challenge that brings. On top of all your talents in people management, operational planning and event delivery is being a fun and encouraging person to work with; in return, you will be joining a positive and friendly team!

• Confidence in decision-making with excellent leadership skills - has previously managed a team
• Prior Event Management or Sports Travel experience
• Able to influence and empower your team
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in all work
• Customer service experience and passion for delivering customer service
• Highly organised - able to balance many spinning plates with a calm demeanour
• Able to prioritise your work and that of your team
• Commercial Awareness - ability to deliver profit
• Be a strong communicator, as comfortable in a 1-1 as you are presenting to the management team or the wider office team and groups of customers
• Positive outlook - able to turn a problem into a challenge and find a solution
• Great Excel Skills

Benefits

• Competitive salary + incentive bonus scheme
• Flexible hybrid working option (3 days in the office, 2 from home)
• 25 days annual leave (+8 bank holidays), increasing through length of service and with the option to buy extra through salary sacrifice
• Enhanced Pension scheme
• Various employee benefits, discounts and offers – including travel across all of the Travelopia brands
• The chance to travel (for free!) to bucket list Sports Events with the team (such as Grand Prix, Rugby/Football World Cup etc.)
• Be a part of an engaged, social, and enjoyable working environment – with monthly staff socials

If you are a fantastic manager of people, love sports, events and travel then this is the vacancy for you. We can offer you the chance to work on bucket list sporting events, and travel opportunities, earn a competitive salary, increase earnings with a bonus scheme, a phenomenal team environment and the ability to shape the company culture, a modern office, monthly staff socials, and flexible hybrid working! You will have the support of a strong management team who have crafted the business into the team, culture and success it is today.