Travel Operations & Business Development Manager

Telescope Recruitment Incorporated; Vaughan; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Telescope Recruitment Incorporated is seeking a hands-on Travel Operations Manager to improve day-to-day operations, support travel advisors, manage complex itineraries, and introduce practical tools that boost efficiency across corporate, leisure, and group travel.

Based in Thornhill, this role focuses on optimizing bookings systems (Sabre, NDC, CRM), developing SOPs, coaching staff, and delivering measurable KPI improvements while aligning with supplier and business goals.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in travel operations, project management, or operations management.
• Travel-industry experience strongly preferred, but strong project-management candidates with travel knowledge may be considered.
• Strong understanding of complex travel, international itineraries, and operational coordination.
• Ticketing and airfare experience strongly preferred; TICO certification preferred or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations across corporate, leisure, and group travel.
• Improve workflows across reservations, ticketing, fulfillment, and post-booking support.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, service standards, and quality controls.
• Coordinate across Sales, Operations, Accounting, and Leadership.
• Track operational KPIs including productivity, margins, and service levels.
• Provide operational insights and recommendations to leadership.

Skills

Hands-on

Technology-curious

Entrepreneurial

Organized

Commercially aware

Strong communicator

Project-management

Tools

Sabre GDS

NDC

CRM

Back-office systems

Excel

AI tools

Job description

Our employer is a privately held company (Located in Thornhill) and one of Canada’s largest private travel companies, specializing in faith groups, corporate and leisure travel, and customized tours.

We are seeking a hands-on Travel Operations Manager to improve day-to-day operations, support travel advisors, manage complex travel requirements, and introduce practical tools that improve efficiency.

Compensation: $100,000–$120,000 CAD

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Strategy

• Oversee day-to-day operations across corporate, leisure, and group travel
• Improve workflows across reservations, ticketing, fulfillment, and post-booking support
• Develop and maintain SOPs, service standards, and quality controls
• Coordinate across Sales, Operations, Accounting, and Leadership

Booking Systems & Technology

• Support and optimize Sabre, NDC, CRM, and back-office systems
• Identify opportunities to automate administrative and operational tasks
• Introduce practical AI and technology tools that improve agent productivity
• Help advisors adopt and effectively use new tools and workflows
• Support supplier relationships and commercial initiatives where needed
• Identify opportunities to improve margins, reduce errors, and control avoidable costs
• Ensure operational processes align with supplier and business requirements

Leadership & Travel Support

• Support and coach travel advisors and operations staff
• Assist with complex itineraries, high-value bookings, and escalations
• Improve service quality, turnaround times, and booking accuracy
• Support hiring, onboarding, and employee development

Financial & Performance Management

• Track operational KPIs including productivity, booking accuracy, margins, and service levels
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cost-control initiatives
• Provide operational insights and recommendations to leadership

Requirements

Experience

• 5+ years of relevant experience in travel operations, project management, or operations management
• Travel-industry experience strongly preferred, but strong project-management candidates with genuine travel knowledge may also be considered
• Strong understanding of complex travel, international itineraries, and operational coordination
• Ticketing and airfare experience strongly preferred
• TICO certification preferred or willingness to obtain

Technical Skills

• Sabre GDS strongly preferred
• Amadeus considered an asset
• Experience with NDC, CRM, and back-office travel systems
• Strong Excel, process-improvement, automation, and AI-tool capabilities

Profile

• Hands-on: comfortable solving operational issues and supporting complex travel
• Technology-curious: actively looks for practical tools that improve workflows
• Entrepreneurial: proactive, accountable, and execution-focused
• Organized: able to manage multiple priorities and complex projects
• Commercially aware: understands margins, efficiency, and business impact
• Strong communicator: works effectively with advisors, suppliers, and leadership

Nice to Have

• Experience with group, wholesale, or faith-based travel
• Experience implementing travel technology or automation tools
• Project-management experience involving multiple stakeholders
• Hiring and onboarding experience

Why Join?

• Work with one of Canada’s established independent travel groups
• Exposure to corporate, leisure, group, and customized travel
• Opportunity to improve operations and introduce new tools
• High-impact role with direct exposure to leadership