Our client is a premier inbound destination management company in Africa, with offices located in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. With a dedicated team of travel consultants specializes in offering clients personalized services and exceptional products, including private guided tours, FIT arrangements, group travel experiences, and MICE products. We pride ourselves on building strong human-to-human business partnerships, supported by robust systems and processes, and providing expert insights into unique tour and safari destinations at competitive prices.
We are seeking to hire a Deputy General Manager.
The Deputy General Manager - Touring will drive the strategic direction, performance, and integration of Sales & Reservations, Product Development, and Contracting. This senior leadership role ensures operational excellence, commercial growth, data-driven decision-making, and exceptional client experiences. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of strategic insight, regional coordination, digital transformation capability, and strong supplier and stakeholder management.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership:
Oversee Sales & Reservations, Product, and Contracting departments across multiple countries.
Implement efficient systems, SOPs, and processes to ensure seamless service delivery and scalability.
Strengthen operational reporting, digitization, and system integrity (Tourplan, CRM, ERP).
Harmonize touring operations across all East African offices.
Financial & Commercial Management:
Support budgeting, forecasting, and revenue/margin performance.
Provide timely financial reporting and translate insights into action.
Lead product innovation, pricing, contracting, and profitability initiatives.
Sales, Product & Business Development:
Align operations with commercial growth strategies.
Drive development of differentiated travel products and flagship experiences.
Maintain strong supplier relationships and represent the company in industry forums.
Customer Experience & Quality Assurance:
Champion a customer-first culture and uphold brand standards.
Oversee client satisfaction, service recovery, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Team Leadership:
Lead, mentor, and empower multi-country and multi culture teams to ensure great team cohesion in order to maximize performance output.
Drive a high-performance culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
Compliance, Risk & Sustainability:
Ensure regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and operational continuity.
Promote ESG principles in product design and supplier engagement.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Tourism Management, Finance, or related field; a Master's degree (MBA/Strategy/Leadership) is highly desirable.
5-10 years of progressive leadership experience in the travel and tourism sector, with at least 5 years in a senior executive role.
Proven success in managing large-scale operations, budgets, and cross-functional teams.
Strong commercial acumen, negotiation, and contract management expertise.
Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.
Experience in multi-country/regional operations is an added advantage.
High integrity, resilience, and ability to drive change and innovation.