Fresh Jobs at Wilderness

PRIMARY PURPOSE

• The core purpose of this position is to help, support and assist with the daily operational duties of the Touring team, ensuring a once in a lifetime trip is achieved through a high-touch guest experience service delivery during travel. Working efficiently and accurately to manage the flow of information between various parties to ensure a personalised bespoke service is provided.
• The candidate is specifically accountable for the performance and leadership of the Operations team. Ensuring their high service standards with a goal to achieve guest satisfaction and improve our service delivery pre and during travel.

This position is based in Cape Town

Detailed Responsibilities:

Vehicles & Depot

• Oversee the duties of the vehicles / fleet manager.
• Manage Operations team schedules, weekend shifts and annual leave.
• Assist with the replacement of vehicles.
• Assist with the handling of vehicles incidents (damage / accidents).
• Maintain and utilize vehicle tracking systems.
• Ensure that vehicles are maintained and cleaned according to set standards
• Ensure procedures are followed with re-fuelling, maintenance and usage of vehicles.
• Liaising with landlord regarding depot matters.

Guides

• Interviewing of all potential new guides to ascertain their suitability to the Wilderness guest profile.
• Briefing of guides to ensure that they are acquainted with our specific requirements, expectations and standards.
• Co-ordinating training of existing & new guides in accordance with our operational procedures.
• Ensure new guides adhere to the Code of Conduct and are appropriately attired in Wilderness uniform.
• Continually update guide lists / guide mailing lists / guides Bio’s.
• Monitor and update Guide availability in RT.
• Continually monitor guests feedback forms.
• Maintain strong relationships with all guides by communicating regularly (informal and via email).
• Handle guide complaints, suggestions and encourage feedback.
• Assist guides with requested documents.
• Maintain and distribute guide uniforms, headsets and airport greeting boards.

After Hours

• Oversee the smooth functioning of After Hours.
• Update After Hours with new guide and other relevant information.
• Assist After Hours with management of incidents as and when required.
• Manager After Hours requirements (cell phone, Laptop, annual leave).

Guest Service & Product

• Enhance and grow the current Touring division offering by sharing in-depth knowledge and additional experiences that add value to our guests, agents and suppliers, by;
• Formulate and develop new product offerings.
• Build strong relationships and liaise with 3rd party suppliers to establish and maintain standards and pricing.
• Assist with all contracting – rates and mark ups on a yearly basis.
• Negotiating incentive overrides with 3rd party suppliers which can fall part of the contracting process.
• Assist Wilderness with product and itinerary updates and amendments on a continual basis.
• Continually updated and aware of new restaurants, new offerings, activities in and around Cape Town and surrounding areas.
• Update recommended restaurant lists and various other collateral on an annual basis.
• Continually monitor guest feedback forms for restaurant / activity feedback.

Sales & Marketing

• Maintain strong relationships with agents and assist with product and itineraries.
• Attend Trade shows as required.
• Present product webinars / training to agents.
• Personally guide agents that are visiting Cape Town and surrounding areas.
• Personally guide Staff Fam Trips to Cape Town and surrounding areas.
• Assist Wilderness with monthly newsletter content.
• Develop Wilderness Touring’s quarterly newsletter.
• Maintain WETU, Intranet and website – All marketing content.
• Partake in Internal Sales – round robins, staff presentations and training.

Reservations

• Assist consultants with itineraries, guide allocations, restaurant recommendations and new product information.
• Assist consultants with the investigation of managements of complaints.
• Feedback to reservations where services do not meet our minimum standards and ensure the. reservations teams are kept informed of supplier trends and all elevated expectations are implemented at reservations level.

Finance

• Ensure guides recons and invoices are checked and sent for payment.
• Ensure that all suppliers banking details are loaded correctly.
• Ensure correct procedure is followed with approval of invoices for payment.
• Final assessment and release of supplier payments.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualification:

• Matric with Maths 
• Tertiary qualification in Travel & Tourism/Hospitality.
• Valid Tourist Guide Certification for the Western Cape with PDP

Experience:                    

• 8-10 years in the travel & Tourism industry in either a Sales or Direct client engagement position.   
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office, email, Internet) 
• Proven English literacy.
• Excellent product knowledge on Southern and East Africa. 
• Personal or educational travel experience advantageous within Africa in the luxury travel circuits.  

Skills:           

• Has a strong service-driven mentality and be capable of problem solving, pro-active, level-headed and high empathy skills being essential.
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral.
• Be able to actively listen and communicate clearly.
• Excellent attention to detail 
• Be guest focused and deliver efficient solutions and credible service to all internal and external stakeholders.

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About the Role

• As a Senior Travel Designer, you’ll deliver exceptional, personalised travel experiences for our guests and agents. You’ll combine deep product knowledge with high-touch service, fast response times, and a consultative approach. Your mission: build strong relationships, curate bespoke itineraries, and drive sales while maintaining healthy margins.

Key Responsibilities

• Service Excellence: Deliver prompt, professional, and solution-oriented service to agents and guests. Communicate proactively and with clarity.
• Itinerary Design & Upselling: Curate bespoke journeys reflecting guest preferences and Wilderness standards. Identify upselling opportunities to enhance guest experiences.
• Agent Relationship Management: Build trust-based relationships, understand agent preferences, and collaborate with Sales and Operations teams.
• Booking Accuracy: Quote accurately and timeously, maintain meticulous booking files, and ensure seamless execution of itineraries.
• Operational Coordination: Work closely with Operations Specialists to ensure a high-quality guest experience and manage all booking logistics.
• Performance & Margin Focus: Optimise bed nights and margins, track financial performance, and ensure revenues are secured.
• Product Knowledge: Stay current on Wilderness camps and experiences across Southern & East Africa, and confidently position our offerings.
• Systems & Technology: Use industry systems (Wilderness Window, WETU, Smartbox, Tourplan, etc.) to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.

Candidate Profile

• Qualifications: Matric with Maths (Standard Grade or higher); tertiary qualification in Travel & Tourism or Hospitality.
• Experience: 4–5 years in a senior travel design or reservations role; proven experience in itinerary planning, customer service, and sales; familiarity with TourPlan and Microsoft Office.
• Skills: Exceptional attention to detail, strong communication (English required, European languages advantageous), organisational skills, and ability to upsell and personalise travel experiences.
• Personal Attributes: Creative, proactive, service-driven, passionate about wildlife and conservation, able to work under pressure, and dedicated to customer satisfaction.