Groups & Incentives Manager needed at Wilderness

Detailed Responsibilities

Team Management

• Offer first line assistance to the Travel Designers, allocate agent accounts and be aware of capacity and general level of activity within the team as a whole.
• Develop and mentor staff’s talent to their full potential through performance development programs.
• Identify training needs and address product knowledge and training requirements to help the team improve sales performance.
• Work along side the team to ensure well executed group itinerary planning and a high attention to detail in all services and pricing quoted.
• Manage the teams leave and overall performance.

General, GP% and cost budgets:

• Attend regular management meetings to discuss day-to-day issues, assisting in finding solutions and possible areas of strategic importance, constructive feedback and best practices across the Wilderness group.
• Monitor, review and measure the teams’ margins (This is crucial in the groups and incentives space where good margins are essential to the overall success of the program), sales targets and Wilderness bed nights sold, and promote up-selling without creating a negative experience for the end client/agent.
• Review and manage yield on owned product and AP (aligning with associated product strategies on improving business to strategic and preferred suppliers where overrides are in place).
• Implement reporting measure within your team in conjunction with the Yield department.
• Check all quotes of < US$ 20 000 per person for accuracy and original itinerary planning.

Reservations Performance

• Provide team guidance on detailed itinerary planning and inspire positive action.
• Close off bookings on a monthly basis; monitor and authorise any adjustments noting the reasons for these adjustments. Taking corrective/preventative measures to avoid or minimize these which have a financial impact on the business.
• Double check high risk itineraries – high risk due to volume, value or importance and work closely with the guest relations team.
• Assist the team with extensions, waivers, cancellations, ad hoc discounting required and approved by the Head of Yield & Revenue Management based on yield allowances.
• Proactively manage all agent and guest complaints with care and efficiency to resolve and ensure our relationship and our brand come out stronger.
• Facilitate all complaints with the shared service teams to assist with the best resolution and take ownership of this with the agent affected.

Technology & Reporting

• Optimise business processes – continuously striving to improve business effectiveness and efficiency with innovation, flexibility, and integration within the business’s technology working closely with the Group Head of Reservations to ensure a group approach within Wilderness is considered at all times.
• Contribute to strategic business planning to develop and grow our agents.
• Contribute to newsletters and market related ideas, keeping abreast with industry developments and ways to better our service delivery.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualification:

• Matric certificate – with maths (minimum standard grade or above)
• Tertiary certificate in Travel & Tourism/hospitality.

Experience:

• 10 – 15 years in the travel & Tourism industry.  Management experience advantageous
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office, email, Internet)
• Proven English literacy
• Working knowledge of Tourplan and WISH or similar booking/operating system. 
• Extensive product knowledge on Southern & East Africa.  Not only product focussed but destinations and logistics for movement of big groups
• Personal or educational travel experience to the regions that Wilderness operates in will be advantageous.

Skills:

• Leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral.  Be able to actively listen and communicate clearly. 
• Excellent attention to detail