The Head of Operation is responsible for the organization’s daily operations, including reservations and quotations of tour & ticketing, visa application, and travel coordination. This includes developing protocols and safety standards to ensure smooth operations using financial, people and resource management. S/he is resourceful with strong organizational and interpersonal skills. S/he is able to manage good working relationships with vendors and manages any issues with them. S/he works well in a team and works closely with internal stakeholders to provide feedback on products and services. S/he gives strategic guidance on the plans covering all operational aspects.

JOB SCOPE

• Oversees all activities of the entire Operation department, and reports directly to Chief Operating Officer. The Head of Operation provides supports to Chief Operating Officer and the business in advancing overall company goals and objectives.
• Develops and implements Operational strategy and plan to maximize operational performances, cost effectiveness, improving decision-making, and ultimately driving the operational effectiveness, efficiency, integration and synergy.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Leads the entire Operation department, overseeing all activities of Operation Lead Managers,
• Managers, and junior staff members in ensuring proper execution of company plan to deliver objectives.
• Supervises the Operational personnel and ensuring accurate execution of their duties. Acts as a mentor to key managers and talents to encourage their professional growth, and to ready them for the succession of higher positions in the future.
• Assists operation department Lead Manager and Manager in the development and implementation of Operational plan of their own responsible areas; and long-term strategy in order to maximize customer satisfaction and customer share growth.
• Works with Head of Business Development, Head of Marketing, Head of Sales & Service to develop and implement Commercial Strategy and Plan to grow revenue, market share and profitability.
• Contributes in Product Development by offering operational inputs and destination management capability to achieve competitive product advantages, cost leadership and operational efficiency. Ensures appropriate product training and refreshment programs are conducted for relevant personnel to achieve excellence execution of new product launch and improve existing product quality.
• Champion product quality by ensuring finer detail quality assurance of vocations or tours such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance and other services; and take immediate trouble shooting and fix the glitches and provide the best available alternative to tourist enroute, if any. Ensuring smooth and unparallel customer experience in the entire customer journey. Identify constraints and opportunities throughout the process and build improvement plan to continue raising the bar of operational
• performance.
• Heads and manages Operation Finance to obtain robust costing management, compliances to financial policies and internal memorandums. Manages Operation department budget processes and produces supply forecasting, customer reports, market intelligent reports in a complete, accurate, and timely manner.
• Additionally, plays a leading role in the optimization of operational management systems and processes.
• Keeps the Operation department abreast of changes of the industry, legislations, regulations and ensures that all operational transactions across the business are in legal compliance.
• Conducts research and identifies opportunities for business to continue raising the bar of business performance.
• Evaluates and analyses industry dynamics, operational performances by service category and markets in order to provide recommendations and solutions to further enhance Operational effectiveness.
• This includes a detailed understanding of customer requirements and behavior, knowledge of operational details and challenges by utilizing and recommending appropriate information tracking tools to assist in implementing strategy.
• From all available sources, maintains and updates detail information of destinations, modes of travel, accommodation, sightseeing, immigration, health and security rules about various permits required to travel, tour products, costing and pricing package tour and other optional tours. Evaluates all available options and offers recommendations to provide a unique and unforgettable travel experience to tourists during their journey. Such information is to share regularly and timely with relevant team members and cross departments to ensure accurate usages for the greater good of the customers.
• Sponsors the collective efforts in putting in place effective vendor management practices, where enable effective advancement of new product or plant Introduction to promote an exotic destination,
• Compliances to the destination’s regulations, Establishing dependable contacts and engagement capability in the destinations.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, preferably Tourism and Hospitality Management.
• The equivalent of the same in practical experience is also acceptable.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant working experience, with 5 years in management roles.

MS Office and Software

• Possess good computer skill, being proficient in Digital Social Apps, Ms Excel, Ms Outlook, and PowerPoint, which will all be necessary for the effective performance of the creation of reports, proposals and recommendations.

Other Skills

• Effective in handling multiple projects and meeting tight deadlines, be result and detail oriented, be self-starter, be proactive, going beyond the call of duty, be a person of high integrity, be comfortable working in a highly collaborative setting, has an ability to learn and adapt quickly, has exceptionally good problem-solving, selling and negotiation skills, be an outspoken and comfortable in dealing with major clients.
• Exceptionally good communication skill, portraying an ability to influence a cross-functional teams and senior leadership teams as well as stakeholders in a unified direction and with common vision.
• Confident yet likable and relatable individual who is able to form strong and meaningful relationship with others which will inspire trust and confidence.