Operations Manager

About Kuoni Tumlare

At Kuoni Tumlare, we deliver truly inspiring and innovative solutions and experiences that create value both for our Partners and Society at large. Our wide portfolio of products and solutions is built on 100+ years of destination management experience.

Our solutions include series tours, technical visits, educational tours, Japanspecialist travel consulting, as well as meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Our product portfolio includes MyBus excursions at destinations as well as guaranteed departure tours devised and delivered by our Seat-in-Coach specialists, Europamundo (EMV) and MyBus Landcruise.

We cater to a wide range of customer needs in close collaboration with our trusted suppliers and powered by our team of destinations experts - enabling us to make a real difference to the world.

About the Business

Our Destination Management services form the core of our business. Together with our destination experts, our sales and account management teams generate business by partnering with our customers (Tour Operators, Travel Agencies) to shape exciting itineraries suited to their traveler’s needs. We take care of everything from ground support, hotel bookings, sightseeing, restaurants, and local guides; all while providing 24/7 customer support so that travelers from over 50 countries can enjoy memorable travel experiences worry free.

About the Role

The Operations Manager plays a pivotal role in leading the Planning and Operations teams, managing the staff responsible for booking and coordinating services such as motorcoaches, restaurants, trains and attractions. This role ensures seamless execution of daily activities and long-term strategic initiatives by guaranteeing service quality, efficiency, compliance, and customer satisfaction. Acting as a key link between strategy and execution, the Operations Manager fosters cross-department collaboration and ensures that processes, people, and performance are aligned to achieve business excellence.

Key Responsibilities

·       Business & Process Management
Responsible for the Planning and Operations teams, overseeing daily activities to ensure service quality and alignment with market needs. Plan and monitor operational activities for both teams on a seasonal, monthly, and weekly basis, ensuring proactive follow-up on deadlines and consistency with company strategy, market trends, and customer expectations.

·       People Management
Lead, coach, and support the operations team to achieve high performance. Foster engagement, collaboration, and open communication, ensuring clear information flow, constructive feedback, and effective alignment within the team and with other stakeholders. Support team development through continuous coaching, feedback, and recognition to build a high-performing and motivated team.

·       Analysis & Performance Optimization
Proactively monitor and analyse KPIs, SLA adherence, pending tasks, overall costs, volumes, and margins to identify strategic improvement opportunities and guarantee excellent quality standards. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to optimize supplier costs, drive revenue growth, and maximize profitability. Lead the development and implementation of lean standard procedures to enhance operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and foster operational excellence through data-driven decision making.

Reporting Structures and Key Relationships

·       Reporting to the General Manager

·       Daily interaction with all local departments, European Destination Offices and Worldwide Sales teams.

Key Activities

·       Maintain deep knowledge of the business, including market trends, customer expectations, and company policies.

·       Plan the operational season in advance to ensure pre-booking and other preparatory activities for each season are completed on time and in an organized manner.

·       Schedule and oversee planning activities according to deadlines set by HQ.

·       Ensure adherence to operational procedures by both Team Leaders and team members through regular audits and continuous monitoring; identify opportunities to enhance efficiency and compliance.

·       Facilitate clear and effective communication with direct manager, other departments, and the team, ensuring alignment with company strategy and regular check-ins as needed.

·       Act with a dual focus on customer satisfaction and compliance with company policies, maintaining strong relationships with Sales and fostering a feedback-oriented culture.

·       Manage the team and continuously monitor workload allocation, providing support, assessing efficiency, and tracking KPIs; identify and implement process improvements to maximize performance.

·       Ensure new staff members are effectively onboarded and trained to foster a healthy and collaborative team environment.

·       Analyze team performance using company tools, identify development areas, ensure adherence to deadlines and SLAs, and monitor key targets while optimizing team performance to maximize margins and quality.

·       Handle escalations and complex operational issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution.

·       Identify opportunities to enhance overall team performance and operational processes, driving continuous improvement.

·       Promote a culture of accountability, proactivity, and excellence, encouraging innovation and problem-solving across the team.

·       Support cross-functional initiatives to optimize operations, improve service delivery, and enhance overall customer experience.

 Required Skills

• Proven experience in operations management (experience in Tourism is a plus)

• Strong leadership skills, with experience managing and developing high-performing teams.

• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to monitor and interpret costs, volumes, and performance metrics.

• Experience in process improvement, lean operations, and operational excellence initiatives.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across multiple departments and regions.

• Ability to plan, prioritize, and execute operational activities.

• Strategic mindset with a focus on efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

• Fluent in English and Italian; additional language skills are a plus.

What We Offer: 

·       Opportunity to work in an international environment.

·       Diverse & Inclusive culture.

·       Learning and training opportunities for growth.

·       Dedicated Employee Engagement Activities.

·       Flexible & Hybrid Working.