Head Guide / Tour Manager

Wild Dreams Hospitality; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading adventure company in Midrand is seeking a dedicated leader to oversee a team of guides. The successful candidate will manage tour logistics, recruitment, and training while ensuring that all guided experiences meet high standards of excellence. Ideal applicants should possess strong leadership skills, extensive knowledge of the Southern African wilderness, and proficiency in scheduling and operations. This role is entirely office-based, requiring exceptional attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in complex scheduling and resource allocation.
• Experience in overland tour guiding is essential.
• Demonstrated logistics, operations, and administration experience.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment of guides.
• Manage qualifications and licenses of guides.
• Train current and new guides.
• Create contracts for tours.
• Schedule guides on tours.
• Debrief tours to address issues.
• Analyze tour reports and client feedback.

Skills

Complex scheduling and resource allocation

Overland tour guiding

Logistics

HR experience in travel/tourism/hospitality

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Team management

Working under pressure

Adaptability

Microsoft Office Suite proficiency

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Overview

This is a unique opportunity to lead a team of passionate guides and ensure every accommodated adventure delivers the high standard of excellence their intrepid travellers expect. If you possess a deep, intimate knowledge of the Southern African wilderness, proven leadership skills, and a dedication to delivering the safari experience of a lifetime, we invite you to apply.

Qualifications

• Solid experience with complex scheduling and resource allocation.
• Experience in overland tour guiding
• Demonstrated experience in logistics, operations, and administration.
• Proven HR experience (travel/tourism/hospitality industry)
• Being highly detail-oriented is ESSENTIAL
• Strong communication and organisational skills are crucial
• Ability to manage a diverse team
• Able to work under a lot of pressure (Peak season can be very hectic)
• Adaptable and able to think on your feet
• Candidate must be able to pay exceptional attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, for detailed scheduling, reporting, cash balancing, and records management.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment of guides
• Managing their qualifications, licenses, etc
• Training of current and new guides
• Creating guide contracts for tours
• Pre-tour briefing for each tour and assisting guides with changes, etc
• Scheduling guides on tours for the year (English & German tours), and managing the vehicle schedule
• Tour debriefing on return to discuss any issues/complaints
• Analysing tour reports & client feedback forms & reporting to management
• Guide support when on tour
• Balancing of tour cash/cards & updating guides' salary books
• Check that the guides have work permits in place for cross-country tours
• Weekend departure briefings for clients (rotational basis)
• Weekend telephonic assistance when needed on the HR emergency phone (transfers, guide queries, etc)
• Update route descriptions/timing sheets, etc, when there are changes to tours

Live out and 100% office-based.