Travel Product Manager in Farnborough

Explore is an adventure travel expert focused on sustainable small group holidays which create stories to tell for a lifetime. From classic group tours and family adventures to walking wildlife and cycling trips, our customers explore the world with us. Join us on our journey creating extraordinary travel experiences for all. At the heart of all of this is a passion to travel responsibly. We aim to always be welcomed back for communities and cultures to benefit and wildlife to a complicated world that's full of potential we strive to be better than yesterday.

This role is based in Farnborough Hampshire with 2 days per week in the office. Our office is within walking distance of the train station and has free parking. This is a full-time position; however, work-life balance is important to us and so we are open to discussion on flexible working patterns (minimum 4 days per week). Salary: 39000 - 42000 p.a. Fixed term contract for 12 months.

About the role: Every role at Explore is equally important. As a Product Manager at Explore, you will create our unforgettable worldwide adventures, be it a cultural experience, a bucket-list trek, a cycle ride through the backroads of a little-known destination, or an amazing family holiday. You'll generate ideas for exceptional experiences seeing them through to their fruition as small group adventures. It's the Product Manager's role to deliver sustainable profitable itineraries which operate within our safety guidelines, continually innovating to ensure that Explore always offers market-leading trips which exceed our customers' expectations.

You will manage a portfolio of tours within a specific geographical area and be (or become) the company expert for these regions; the successful candidate for this role will look after a variety of destinations in Europe including the Balkans and Greece.

• You will be in regular contact with our overseas suppliers for various reasons such as discussing on-the-ground delivery, talking about itinerary improvements, obtaining discounts for staff/press trips, or just having a catch-up chat.
• There will be times in the year when you are completing specific tasks, for example negotiating rates, setting dates/capacity, or putting together inspiring text for new tours.
• On other days you'll find yourself conducting competitor analysis, onboarding a new local partner, talking to a tour leader about on-the-ground operations, or reviewing customer feedback and implementing changes to improve customer satisfaction.
• You will spend some time training the wider Explore team on your portfolio of trips and from time to time you'll present at trade or customer events.
• There will also be occasions when you get on the phone to customers to answer pre-travel questions or to talk about their experience on a recent trip.
• On other days you'll find yourself dealing with the completely unexpected; perhaps helping deal with an on-tour issue or as a member of the crisis team.
• You will take on responsibility for the out-of-hours duty phone on a rota basis.

We are looking for someone who has experience of working in a sales operations or product role in a tour operator, travel agent, or ground agent along with their own personal travel experiences. A passion for sustainable travel and a knowledge of what this means is non-negotiable. We operate in over 100 countries and work with countless partners around the world, so you must be able to celebrate diversity and build great relationships with these world-wise partners whilst having high and fair expectations of them. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential. It's vital that you are passionate about providing exceptional customer experiences as one of our targeted aims is to raise our NPS. The desire for continual improvement is built into the company DNA as we live up to our values to #BeBetterThanYesterday, so experience of delivering quality improvements to a portfolio of tours would be beneficial. We have ambitious growth plans and so a growth mentality is essential. This role would suit someone who is curious and quick to adapt as change is a constant in the product sphere. We're looking for someone who is able to bring new ideas to the table, is energetic, a strong negotiator, and someone who gets things done. We welcome diverse thinking and people who can work out what doing the right thing is. Usual requirements such as being someone who is both an independent thinker and a team player, and a person who can demonstrate a record of working to tight deadlines, delivering excellent attention to detail, and working under pressure are essential traits for this role. Whilst we work hard, the company ethos is that we work in a place that is both positive and fun, and so it is essential that the successful candidate is able to fit into this environment.

• Time Management
• Data Analytics
• Analytical
• Agile
• Requirement Gathering
• Strategic thinking
• Visio
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Market Research
• UML
• Cross Functional Teams

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1

Yearly Salary: 39000 - 42000