Head of Operations

Macs Adventure; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 33 days

Pension scheme

Staff discounts

Travel insurance

Flexible working

Job summary

Macs Adventure in Glasgow offers a hybrid, senior-operations leadership role overseeing a 30+ person team. You will transform how we operate, build scalable processes, and ensure efficient, high-quality booking fulfilment across a fast-growing active travel business.

The role reports to the Chief Delivery Officer and sits within our Delivery function, shaping the future of our operational systems and customer experience.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multi-team operations in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven track record transforming operational processes for efficiency.
• Ability to design and implement operating systems and metrics.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Operations team across multiple managers and ~35 staff.
• Build a scalable operations operating system with visibility and processes.
• Drive efficiency by simplifying processes and applying automation/AI.
• Own booking fulfilment and operational performance with strong controls.
• Collaborate with Product, Customer Service and Supplier Partnerships to reduce friction.
• Contribute to strategy and planning as part of the Delivery leadership team.

Skills

Operational leadership

Transformation experience

Operational systems

AI mindset

Commercial judgement

People leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

c. £60-70k - dependent on experience + bonus

Glasgow, UK (hybrid - 3 days per week in office)

Ready to transform the engine room of a high-growth travel brand?

Are you an operations (reservations) leader who is constantly thinking about how to improve things and build better? If you love a fast-paced, scaling environment, thrive on transforming how a high-volume, customer-facing operation works, and want to help thousands of travellers enjoy their #MacsMoment, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a rare opportunity to put your stamp on the engine room of Macs Adventure. Our operations team are responsible for making the reservations that deliver the perfect active travel adventure for our customers. Leading a team of 30+ specialists led by four managers, you'll ensure the day-to-day runs smoothly and efficiently, whilst transforming how we operate to take us to our next stage of growth.

Reporting to our Chief Delivery Officer, Matts Stenback, you’ll be one of four pillars of our Delivery function alongside Product, Customer Service and Supplier Partnerships. This is a hybrid role, with three days a week in our Glasgow office.

About Macs Adventure

We’re a scaling adventure tour operator on a mission to be the leading global brand in self-guided, active travel.

Welcoming over 40,000 customers on walking and cycling trips to destinations around the world, we employ over 140 people across the UK, US and Germany who share our purpose to create #macsmoments by leading, advocating & enabling self-guided, active travel as a positive force for people and planet.

Our Culture

We’re an ambitious, forward-thinking business with a bold vision for the future, and our culture reflects these ambitions. We’re an action-oriented, fast-paced organisation and we like to have fun along the way. We’re looking for people who can grow with Macs and grow with us on our journey to become the world’s leading active travel company. It’s not the easy route and we’re looking for people who enjoy challenges, love learning, want to make an impact and align with our core values:

• Love the journey: A Macs trip is all about the journey, not the destination. We are all believers in Macs’ unique brand of self-guided, active travel and shout about it. As more travellers convert to the Macs Way, we accept our business will grow and change. We welcome new connections, and embrace to new opportunities. Carpe diem!
• Take a different path: We’re not different for different’s sake; but we won’t succeed if we’re just the same as everyone else. We devise creative solutions to problems, find new ways of doing things, and trust colleagues who are doing so too. We are brave and feel empowered to take the initiative. We ask ourselves: is what I’m doing authentically Macs?
• Tread thoughtfully: We are considerate, empathetic and try to put ourselves in our customers’, suppliers’ and each other’s shoes. We support local, and find ways of having less negative impact on the planet. We find ways of having positive impact on people and communities. We are fair, and we do the right thing.
• Go the extra mile: We know that creating a perfect #MacsMoment involves going that bit further. We imagine the best feedback we can get and set out to earn it. We take ownership and accountability – it’s yours, not someone else’s, problem. We step up and help our team mates when they need us.

What you’ll do;

When a customer books, our Operations team gets to work securing their accommodation, luggage transfers and every other part of their trip. It’s the engine room of Macs – every trip we deliver depends on it being booked quickly, accurately and to the standard that keeps our customers coming back.

Here’s the exiting bit. You'll be joining at the exact time that we are re-thinking and re‑building our operational systems and processes so you'll have a chance to heavily influence our future way of working.

• Lead and develop our Operations team – through four Operations Managers and a team of around 35 people, building strong leaders and a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Build the Operations operating system – creating the visibility, processes, performance measures and management routines that enable us to deliver consistently and stay ahead of problems.
• Transform how we work – driving operational efficiency by simplifying and standardising processes, reducing manual work and harnessing technology and AI to help us scale effectively.
• Own booking fulfilment and operational performance – ensuring trips are confirmed quickly, accurately and reliably, with the right capacity, resources and controls in place to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Work across the business to improve how we deliver – partnering with Supplier Partnerships, Product and Customer Service to remove friction, improve bookability and ensure the trips we sell can be delivered brilliantly.
• Shape the future of Delivery – as part of the Chief Delivery Officer's leadership team, contributing to strategy, business planning and the continued evolution of our Tribes & Squads operating model.

What you’ll bring;

• Experienced operational leader – a strong track record of leading multi-team operations through managers in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment, ideally with high volumes and time-critical delivery.
• Proven transformation experience – you've successfully redesigned and improved operational processes, delivering measurable gains in efficiency, productivity, speed and quality while maintaining great customer outcomes.
• Ability to build and improve operational systems – you know how to create the processes, performance measures, reporting and management routines that give teams clarity, control and accountability.
• Technology and AI mindset – you see opportunities to simplify and automate work, understand how technology can improve operational performance and know how to turn ideas into practical improvements.
• Strong operational and commercial judgement – you're comfortable managing budgets, planning resources against fluctuating demand, managing operational risk and making sound decisions under pressure.
• An empowering and accountable people leader – you build capable managers, give people ownership, set high standards and address performance challenges constructively, while bringing teams with you through change.
• A collaborative, business-minded approach – you work effectively across functions, challenge existing ways of working and influence decisions to improve outcomes for customers and the wider business.

Not essential, it would be a bonus if you have;

• Operations experience at a tour operator, DMC or elsewhere in the travel industry – particularly booking accommodation or other travel components – a huge plus, but not essential
• Previously redesigned supply-chain or supplier processes, ideally in a multi-supplier environment
• Hands‑on experience implementing AI or automation tools in an operational setting
• Exposure to working in a matrix or cross‑functional team model, such as Tribes & Squads or other agile ways of working
• A background in operationally focused roles in other industries
• Lean, Six Sigma or other continuous-improvement methodology

You could belong here;

To deliver adventures for more than 40,000 customers we need to build a company that’s reflective of their diversity. We’re building an inclusive workplace that promotes and values difference, where everyone, from any background, can do their best work and be proud to belong.

What we’ll offer

As well as your salary;

• ANNUAL LEAVE: We want you to be able to take holidays that matter to you, so 8 public holidays are included in your annual leave allowance of 33 days, which increases to 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• BIRTHDAY BOOSTER: An extra day off on your birthday!
• PENSION: We offer a contributory pension scheme.
• DISCOUNTS: Enjoy generous discounts on Macs Adventure trips — you'll get to experience the same self-guided adventures we create for our customers, at a price that makes it easy to say yes. It's a perk built around what we love doing most: getting outside and exploring!
• TRAVEL INSURANCE: We provide you and your spouse/partner/children with annual worldwide travel insurance.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING: A flexible work culture - you’ll be able to work from home as well as coming into our hub office in Glasgow 3 days per week to collaborate with colleagues.
• GETTING TOGETHER: Regular team, management and leadership meetings and retreats.
• CULTURE: An innovative, fast growth, international and solution focused culture, where we work hard to embed our values across the business.
• L&D: We support your self-guided learning journey to make the most of your strengths.
• WELLBEING. We'll support you in looking after your health and wellbeing so you can do your best work.
• TRAVEL: Occasional international travel may be required.
• IMPACT: The opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives and the planet.