Senior Cricket Tour Specialist

Innovation Advance Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovation Advance Group is seeking a Senior Cricket Tour Specialist to lead large cricket travel groups, events, and complex logistics with precision. You will shape the SA Cricket Travel offering, set standards, and drive commercial success while guiding a high‑performing operations team.

You bring 15+ years in travel, strong tour operations knowledge, Amadeus, and Tourplan experience, enabling you to deliver exceptional service, manage budgets, and grow the business in a fast‑paced

Qualifications

• Matric / Grade 12, with minimum 15 years travel industry experience.
• Strong understanding of Sports Tour Operations.
• Experience coordinating domestic and international group travel, incentives, and events.
• Ticketing with complex routings; Amadeus knowledge.
• Tourplan experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of sports travel events and groups.
• Develop SA Cricket Travel offering and ensure high-quality output.
• Manage client relationships, costings, and documentation.
• Drive margins and profitability within budgets.
• Report on operations performance to GM.

Skills

Leadership / team management

Communication

Negotiation

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Education

Matric / Grade 12

Tools

Amadeus

Tourplan

MS Office

Job description

Senior Cricket Tour Specialist

If you’ve spent years mastering the craft of group travel, sports operations, and high‑stakes event delivery — and Cricket is the world you understand best — this role gives you the chance to lead, influence, and shape something meaningful.

You’ll join a Sports & Events DMC environment where excellence is the baseline, complex logistics are your playground, and your experience is genuinely valued. This is senior role that is strategic, operational, relationship‑driven, and commercially impactful. You won’t just manage Cricket travel — you’ll elevate it.

Why this role matters — and why it’s worth your next move

• You’ll manage large sport groups, major events, and high‑profile Cricket movements with precision. Your insight, calm leadership, and operational mastery will set the tone for every project.
• You’ll play a key role in developing and standardising the SA Cricket Travel offering — ensuring the output is consistent, high‑quality, and commercially strong.
• This environment values maturity, professionalism, and the ability to motivate through competence rather than authority. You’ll guide the operations team, set performance standards, and build a culture of excellence.
• Clients trust you. Teams rely on you. Sales partners collaborate with you. You become the anchor in a fast‑moving, high‑pressure environment where communication and clarity are everything.
• Margins, budgets, profitability — you’ll have the autonomy and responsibility to drive financial performance and ensure every event delivers both exceptional experience and commercial success.

What you’ll do:

Client Relationships

• Deliver exceptional service and consistently exceed expectations.
• Offer clients the best available product, pricing, and creative solutions.
• Build and nurture strong client relationships.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with clients and internal teams.
• Ensure all proposals, costings, presentations, and documentation are accurate and delivered on time.
• Follow up on leads and maintain high client retention.
• Set and uphold minimum service standards across the team.

Technical Skills

• Manage large sport groups and events with confidence and precision.
• Work within PSA Cricket Travel turnaround times and client specifications.
• Execute effectively on Tourplan and Zoho.
• Understand customer needs, internal policies, and product requirements.
• Prepare accurate costings and packaged products.
• Oversee full documentation management: itineraries, contracting, vouchers, rooming lists, recon, filing.
• Improve margins and drive commercial performance.
• Lead the operations team through positive intervention and strong customer care.
• Handle complaints professionally and solve problems proactively.
• Consistently exceed customer expectations.

Event & Project Management

• Manage full delivery of events and projects end‑to‑end.
• Identify key activities aligned with Sports & Events strategies.
• Implement operations plans in line with budgets and business goals.
• Ensure client satisfaction and retention.
• Set and manage performance targets for the operations team.
• Motivate staff and lead by example through skill and professionalism.
• Maintain knowledge of policies, procedures, and relevant regulations.
• Drive operations goals and maintain overall budget profitability.
• Work closely with the GM to implement policies, systems, and procedures.
• Report weekly/monthly on operations performance.
• Manage logistics and delivery for groups and events.
• Support sustainable growth by securing and nurturing customer relationships.

Qualifications & Expertise

• Matric / Grade 12.
• Minimum 15 years travel industry experience.
• Strong understanding of Sports Tour Operations.
• Proven experience coordinating domestic and international group travel, incentives, and events.
• Experience travelling with groups (outbound, domestic, inbound).
• Ticketing experience with complex routings — Amadeus knowledge.
• Strong MS Office skills.
• Strong product knowledge.
• Tourplan experience preferred.

Competencies

• Mature, professional approach to people and relationships.
• Confidentiality, tact, and discretion.
• Excellent planning, decision‑making, and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication.
• Integrity, honesty, and reliability.
• Project management and problem‑solving ability.
• Strong negotiation and liaison skills.
• Research, organisational, and presentation capability.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to work long hours and weekends when required.
• Ability to achieve annual sales targets and drive business growth.
• Ability to manage client expectations and multi‑task across multiple projects.

Salary

Competitive and based on relevant experience.