Operations Manager

Gecko Travel Recruitment Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work pattern

Travel opportunities

On-call rota

Job summary

Gecko Travel Recruitment Ltd in London is seeking an Operations & Customer Experience Manager to oversee group-travel operations and the full participant journey from registration to post-trip follow-up.

You will manage suppliers, budgets and operational systems, resolve customer issues and improve the participant experience, and you will line-manage an Operations & Customer Experience Coordinator. Hybrid role with two days in the Central London office and three days from home.

Qualifications

• Proven customer service experience with enquiries, complaints handling and strong customer experience.
• Experience independently managing group-travel operations, including bookings and preparation.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with proactive participant engagement.
• Experience managing budgets, forecasting, spreadsheets and operational reporting.
• Experience supervising or line-managing a colleague or small team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee group-travel operations and the full participant journey from registration to post-trip follow-up.
• Manage suppliers, budgets and operational systems.
• Resolve customer issues and improve the participant experience.
• Line-manage the Operations & Customer Experience Coordinator.

Skills

Customer service

Group travel operations

Budget management

Supplier management

Team leadership

Tools

Booking systems

Job description

Operations & Customer Experience Manager | London - Hybrid | Salary circa £40,000

Gecko Travel Recruitment are working with an adventure travel business who arrange challenges for university students across the UK and Ireland. They are looking for an Operations & Customer Experience Manager to join their team.

The Role:

As Operations & Customer Experience Manager, you will oversee group-travel operations and the full participant journey, from registration and fundraising preparation through to safe trip delivery and post-trip follow-up. The role also involves managing suppliers, budgets and operational systems, resolving customer issues, improving the participant experience and line managing an Operations & Customer Experience Coordinator.

You Will Have:

• Proven customer service experience, with the ability to manage enquiries, resolve complaints and deliver an excellent customer experience
• Experience independently managing group-travel operations, including airline group bookings, overseas ground suppliers and trip preparation
• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills, with a proactive approach to participant engagement and support
• Experience managing budgets, forecasting, spreadsheets and operational reporting
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities
• Experience troubleshooting operational issues, improving processes and working with booking or participant management systems
• Experience supervising or line managing a colleague or small team
• A calm, solution‑focused approach, with experience handling customer escalations and ideally overseas travel incidents
• Experience in student travel, adventure travel, fundraising challenges or working with charity partners would be advantageous

Additional Info:

• Salary Circa £40,000 depending on experience
• Hybrid working: two days in the Central London office and three days from home (flexible)
• Generous annual leave entitlement plus additional long-service days
• Opportunities to travel on company trips
• External training budget and team away days
• On‑call rota during active trips, with an allowance paid when on rota
• Clear progression opportunities
• ASAP start

Due to the high number of applications we receive, we're unable to respond to everyone. If you don't hear from us within 7 days, thank you for applying and please keep an eye on our website for future opportunities.