Operations Manager

Roots Adventure Travel; Menteşe; On-site; TRY 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Roots Adventure Travel in Turkey seeks an Operations Manager to lead our team and oversee day-to-day running. You will coordinate all departments, turning plans into clear tasks and ensuring that journeys meet Roots' standards for quality and guest experience.

This senior, hands-on role requires managing people and logistics, fixing issues before guests notice, and working closely with founders Altay Özcan and Rikki Roath to keep operations smooth.

Qualifications

• Experience managing operations and teams in travel, hospitality, destination management, or a related service business.
• Strong organization and follow-through, with the ability to manage several programs at once.
• Confidence setting expectations, holding people accountable, and supporting their development.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Turkish.
• Sound judgment and a calm, practical approach under pressure.
• Commercial awareness and attention to budgets and detail.
• Confidence using project-management tools, spreadsheets, and shared documents.
• A willingness to spend time in the field when needed.
• Experience with luxury travel, bespoke itineraries, outdoor activities, or international travel partners would be an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team: Manage office and operations staff, assign responsibilities, set priorities, and follow up on delivery.
• Coordinate departments: Keep sales, reservations, tour planning, logistics, guides, and equipment support aligned.
• Oversee tour delivery: Ensure itineraries, accommodation, transfers, activities, staffing, equipment, and suppliers are confirmed and ready.
• Control operational costs: Monitor tour budgets, supplier costs, and expenses with the reservations and pricing team; flag issues early.
• Improve systems: Maintain clear workflows, checklists, and accurate information in Asana and shared documents.
• Handle operational issues: Lead the response to last-minute changes, supplier problems, and guest concerns, escalating when necessary.
• Keep leadership informed: Provide concise updates on upcoming programs, team workload, risks, and decisions requiring attention.

Skills

Operations management

Team leadership

Budget awareness

English/Turkish bilingual

Tools

Project management tools

Spreadsheets

Shared documents

Job description

Roots Adventure Travel creates bespoke journeys in Turkey, combining outdoor adventure, culture, food, and exceptional hospitality. We work with discerning international guests, travel companies, and luxury hotels to deliver unique, next-generation experiences.

We are looking for an Operations Manager to lead our team and oversee the day-to-day running of the business. Working directly with founders Altay Özcan and Rikki Roath, this person will coordinate all departments and ensure that every journey is carefully planned and delivered to Roots' standards.

The role

You will be the central point of coordination between leadership, the office team, and field operations. You will turn plans into clear responsibilities, keep people and projects moving, and resolve issues before they affect our guests.

This is a senior, hands-on role for someone comfortable managing both people and the practical details of a travel business.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the team: Manage office and operations staff, assign responsibilities, set priorities, and follow up on delivery.
• Coordinate departments: Keep sales, reservations, tour planning, logistics, guides, and equipment support aligned.
• Oversee tour delivery: Ensure itineraries, accommodation, transfers, activities, staffing, equipment, and suppliers are confirmed and ready.
• Control operational costs: Monitor tour budgets, supplier costs, and expenses with the reservations and pricing team; flag issues early.
• Improve systems: Maintain clear workflows, checklists, and accurate information in Asana and shared documents.
• Handle operational issues: Lead the response to last-minute changes, supplier problems, and guest concerns, escalating when necessary.
• Keep leadership informed: Provide concise updates on upcoming programs, team workload, risks, and decisions requiring attention.

What we’re looking for

• Experience managing operations and teams in travel, hospitality, destination management, or a related service business.
• Strong organization and follow-through, with the ability to manage several programs at once.
• Confidence setting expectations, holding people accountable, and supporting their development.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Turkish.
• Sound judgment and a calm, practical approach under pressure.
• Commercial awareness and attention to budgets and detail.
• Confidence using project-management tools, spreadsheets, and shared documents.
• A willingness to spend time in the field when needed.
• Experience with luxury travel, bespoke itineraries, outdoor activities, or international travel partners would be an advantage.

What success looks like

• Trips are fully prepared, with clear responsibilities and fewer last-minute surprises.
• Team members know their duties and deliver without repeated reminders.
• Information moves reliably between the office, suppliers, and field teams.
• Operational costs and payment obligations are visible and controlled.
• Problems are resolved at the appropriate level, with important issues escalated early.