Customer Operations Manager - Tour Operator

The Customer Operations Manager plays a pivotal role within the Tour Operator function, working collaboratively with four fellow managers to lead a 24/7 team of 18 Customer Operations Executives. This team is the first point of contact for all TUI UK&I customer incidents and disruptions, including escalations that fall outside standard policy. Reporting to the Senior Customer Operations and Incident Manager, this role carries full team management responsibilities, including recruitment, training, setting objectives, and contributing to business planning. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential to co-manage effectively across the wider leadership team.

The Customer Operations Manager acts as the first escalation point for live incidents. They provide guidance to the Incident Management team on customer policy, ensuring consistent and customer-centric decision-making during high-profile events. This involves close coordination with key stakeholders across Airline, Cruise, Ski, Contact Centres, Retail, TUI MM, and Group SHS—always with a focus on doing the right thing for our customers while protecting the TUI brand.

The role also includes representing the Tour Operator on crisis calls, owning follow-up actions, and supporting the team in resolving customer issues and travel disruptions. This is an operational role, based at Wigmore House, Luton, on a shift pattern. You will be working a pattern of 12-hour shifts, both day and night shifts (0700-1900 or 1900-0700), which includes weekends and bank holidays.

Now accepting applications until Wednesday 10th September.

About the Job

1. Lead, recruit, and train the 24/7 Customer Ops team to manage daily and major disruptions, resolve customer issues, and escalate incidents in line with TUI UK&I policies and crisis procedures.
2. Drive high performance by regularly coaching & developing your team, managing under-performance as appropriate.
3. Lead the operational response alongside the Senior Customer Ops & Incident Manager team in the event of crisis/customer incident.
4. Act as the initial escalation point for incidents or disruption both during and out of office hours.
5. Lead the customer operations team in our vision of being the \’hub\’ of the UK&I business—promoting the operational function, building relationships with stakeholders, and setting a high example of lean ways of working to the team of execs.
6. Lead an engaged team of customer ops execs through regular performance reviews & retrospective feedback on handling specific instances of customer disruption, empowerment, etc.
7. Own the customer communication workstream for flight delays over 3 hours, ensuring timely, brand-aligned messaging to minimise reputational risk and customer dissatisfaction.
8. Deliver regular operational reports to senior stakeholders.

Qualifications and experience:

• Proven experience leading and operating within a 24/7 incident response team.
• Strong customer-centric approach with a passion for enhancing customer service within a large team.
• Effective collaboration skills as part of a wider management team, with effective communication abilities.
• Excellent grammatical skills, able to draft letters, customer policies, and communications for publication.
• Proven ability to lead change, develop, and engage teams.
• Capability to challenge senior-level decisions, up to Director level, during crises or disruptions, and make informed decisions.
• Strong collaboration and networking skills, able to work independently and manage escalated incidents confidently.
• Ability to handle pressure, multitask, and make informed decisions within tight deadlines.
• Innovative thinker who is not afraid to challenge conventional ideas.
• Experience in handling difficult conversations with customers over the phone.
• Ability to represent the company at a senior level with external third parties, such as ABTA/FCDO.
• Knowledge of overseas operations, Retail, Airline, Cruise, and Contact Centres is desirable.

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