We’re looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking Operations Manager to join our team. If you think you’re the one to lead the way with developing our partner relationships and ensuring our operations run like clockwork, get in touch today!

Co-founded by Claire Copeman and Jim Gaffney in 2018, Adventure Tours UK is putting the UK on the international adventure travel map. Bringing intrepid travellers from around the world to discover incredible wild spaces and life-changing adventure experiences.

As a certified B Corp, playing our part in supporting destinations and communities with sustainable tourism opportunities, while highlighting the very best the UK has to offer through our unique and authentic tour experiences, is critical to our success.

The successful delivery of tours to our high standards depends upon an effective Operations Manager. You will be the critical link that ensures a great product idea becomes a commercially viable tour, delivering a strong margin for the business and an enviable customer experience.

Key Skills

• effective organisation and time management
• business needs-focussed prioritisation
• well-developed commercial awareness
• results-focussed negotiation skills
• commercial relationship development and management
• ability to manage data accurately and securely
• team management
• clear internal and external written and verbal communication
• proficient use of core office software, including Google Workspace, Google Sheets and Hubspot

Primary responsibilities:

• manage supplier bookings to forward plan all tour departure dates across own product and trade client programmes
• lead on contract negotiations with partner suppliers, securing favourable trade rates and terms to complement our own customer booking terms
• coordinate with Sales to manage ATUK tour bookings well within contracted release dates and provide final rooming lists ahead of guest arrivals
• coordinate with trade clients to manage trade tour bookings well within contracted release dates and provide final rooming lists ahead of guest arrivals
• lead on operational issues and incidents, providing appropriate, timely and commercially sound resolutions
• take responsibility for the Operations Executive(s) as their line manager
• manage the risk management programme, including assessment, mitigation and incident management
• manage effective systems and processes to drive efficiency across the business as we continue to scale up
• create a collaborative environment between Operations, Sales and Marketing to foster accuracy, innovation and learning

Additional requirements:

We’re a small team so from time to time you may need to assist in other areas across the business. For example, but not limited to, assisting with networking with industry peers, attending trade shows and fam trips, assisting with the leading of tours or even leading your own tour.

Internal Communications

As part of a small team in a young business, you are integral to our collective success.
This remote-working position requires self-motivation, an ability to manage your workload autonomously, natural organisation skills, acute commercial-awareness and a hunger to learn!

Effective communication is especially important when we’re all working remotely. As such we expect the following commitment to internal communications:

• attend daily stand up meeting with team
• attend twice-weekly 1-2-1 video calls with Claire
• attend the weekly team meeting (usually via video call)
• attend at least one day per month with the team in North Wales (or alternative location tbc)
• utilise collaborative tools to share and store company information, including but not limited to Google Workspace and Hubspot

Could it be you?

As our Operations Manager you will have at least 4 years experience working in the travel industry. A personable person, you will enjoy meeting new people and developing relationships built on trust and integrity with supplier partners and customers alike.

You’ll be joining a small, young business, making you integral to our success. You will be a self-motivated and natural organiser, commercially-minded and hungry for a challenge!

Your key role is to develop and maintain efficient processes to ensure the business runs smoothly as we continue to grow. You will manage key contract negotiations with partner suppliers and be responsible for the management of all supplier bookings. Thorough organisation and effective communication skills are essential.

Your understanding of and shared passion for Adventure Tours UK’s ambitions is vital. You’ll be a keen and active outdoor enthusiast, proud of the wild spaces we have here in the UK. And you’ll care for our environment, actively seeking ways to minimise your own impact on the planet through your everyday actions. Talking about outdoor adventures and responsible travel will come easily to you, because you already live and breathe it.

What you’ll get in return

You’ll be part of a dynamic young business with big ambitions to become the most respected UK adventure tour operator. You‘ll get to work with supplier partners from across the UK and with customers from around the world, helping their dreams for adventure come true by creating truly unique immersive experiences that support local communities and are kind to our planet.

We believe maintaining a work life balance and reducing our impact on the environment are important, so this will be a remote-working role. We are a tight-knit team so daily video calls will keep us all working in harmony and we’ll meet in person at least once a month, more frequently at first while you get up to speed with the business.

• remote working
• flexible hours
• 20 days annual leave, plus public holidays
• an additional day of leave on your birthday
• salary DOE
• health cash plan, giving you money back on everyday healthcare costs*
• pension contributions*
• *Subject to successful completion of 3 month probationary period

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Adventure Tours UK, we value everyone as unique individuals and we welcome the variety of experiences they bring to our Company. As such, we have a strict non-discrimination policy. We believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If this sounds like you, get your journey underway by sending us your CV and a covering note.