Tour Operations Manager

We’re hiring an experienced Tour Operations Manager to own end-to-end planning, coordination, and logistics execution across a portfolio of multi- day affinity travel tours. Working hand-in-hand with brand leads and a dedicated tour marketer, you’ll be the operational backbone of the business. This is a role that requires hitting the ground running, bringing established industry relationships and working vendor networks, as well as experience working with on-the-ground operators. You'll serve passionate audiences and work within a dynamic and agile team poised to grow this business through exceptional experience.

What You’ll Own

**Vendor & Partner Network **

– Activate existing relationships with local ground operators and destination specialists in key domestic and international markets.

– Leverage active consortium or host agency memberships (Virtuoso, Travel Leaders, Signature, or equivalent) to deliver preferred rates, priority inventory, and added amenities across the portfolio of experiences.

– Evaluate on an ongoing basis when to self-operate versus hand off to a trusted operating partner, and manage those relationships with clear performance expectations, brand standards, and financial terms.

– Manage the submission and processing of vendor invoices in coordination with the accounting department to ensure timely and accurate payments.

– Benchmark vendor pricing through consortium relationships and competitive sourcing, bringing measurable efficiency to each tour’s P&L.

Planning & Logistics

– Build and manage master operations timelines for tours— vendor confirmations, rooming lists, payment schedules, and participant communications.

– Develop itineraries in close collaboration with brand leads, ensuring each experience reflects the editorial identity and audience expectations of each distinct brand.

– Manage trip budgets from planning through reconciliation, tracking costs against budgeted revenue and contribution margin targets.

– Prepare complete trip operations documents: run-of-show, rooming lists, meal selections, transfer manifests, and emergency protocols.

– Serve as a liaison with the customer service team for each tour, addressing operational matters and responding to general inquiries to ensure a seamless experience for participants.

– Demonstrate proficiency in managing and populating tour landing pages, collaborating closely with the development team to ensure accuracy, functionality, and a polished user experience.

– Initiate and oversee final customer invoicing, ensuring all charges are accurate and payments are requested promptly upon project completion.

– Travel on select tours as Tour Director or deploy and manage on-site tour directors to maintain consistent hospitality standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

– Partner with brand leads on destination selection, itinerary design, and brand-specific programming — expert speakers, exclusive access, editorial tie- ins, etc.

– Work closely with the tour marketer on registration timelines, pricing, capacity management, and go/no-go decisions on minimum thresholds.

– Serve as a liaison with the customer service team for each tour, addressing operational matters and responding to general inquiries to ensure a seamless experience for participants.

– Demonstrate proficiency in managing and populating tour landing pages, collaborating closely with the development team to ensure accuracy, functionality, and a polished user experience.

– Debrief after every tour with brand leads, the marketer, and vendors to continuously raise the bar on product quality.

Participant Experience

– Oversee pre-departure communications: welcome packets, packing guides, health and mobility requirements, pre-trip Q&A.

– Manage participant special requests — dietary needs, accessibility, roommate pairings — with care and discretion.

– Serve as the AIM point of contact to manage in-trip problem resolution calmly and decisively.