Operations Coordinator in Farnham

World Challenge has spent over 30 years empowering young people through experiential travel, offering them the chance to lead student expeditions across the globe. Through these journeys, students develop key life skills such as leadership, resilience, and self-belief. We collaborate with schools to create transformational travel experiences that foster personal growth and global citizenship.

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a customer-focused individual to help create exceptional experiences for our customers, ensuring their journey with us is seamless from start to finish. As part of our Operations team, you will play a pivotal role in delivering outstanding support during the planning stages and while teams are in destination.

Key Responsibilities:

• Communicate with parents, students, and teachers via phone and email, addressing queries and ensuring participants are well-prepared for their trips.
• Provide ongoing support for teams during their expeditions, handling and documenting incidents, and ensuring participants can continue to enjoy their experience.
• Follow up on overdue payments, contacting customers who haven't responded to automated reminders and ensuring payments are processed within set timeframes.
• Ensure all participant data, including medical information and passport details, is up-to-date and approved before departure.
• Act as a point of contact for customer feedback, resolving issues when possible and collaborating with other departments to improve customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate with School Relationship Managers and internal teams to address concerns regarding individuals or groups during expeditions.
• Identify and implement opportunities for improvement in operations and customer service.

What we are looking for:

• Experience in a customer-facing role (preferred but not essential).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a friendly, professional approach.
• Desirable: Experience using a ticketing or email management system.
• Highly organised, able to prioritise tasks and balance multiple responsibilities.
• Detail-oriented with the ability to maintain focus over extended periods.
• Able to respond quickly to changing priorities and adapt to evolving situations.
• Comfortable thinking critically and offering solutions that balance customer needs with business objectives.
• Initiative-driven, with the ability to implement improvements to enhance processes and customer service.
• A passion for travel, education, and youth development.

Work Times & Shift System:

This role involves working as part of a rota to provide operational support throughout the year. Due to the nature of our activity and the seasonal demands of team travel, working hours vary and include a combination of standard office hours, evening and weekend work, and periods of night-shift coverage.

• No teams travelling: Standard Monday–Friday office hours with no weekend work.
• Peak season (Mid-June – Early August): Includes on average 12 scheduled night shifts as part of a structured rota. The exact number will vary depending on the length of peak period and number of teams travelling. A night shift premium will be paid for each night shift completed.
• Quieter periods: Overnight and weekend cover is usually provided via an on-standby system, with daytime shifts making up the majority of hours.
• Flexibility required: Applicants must be comfortable working rotating shifts, including nights, evenings, weekends, and standby cover when required.

We are seeking someone who can adapt to seasonal demands, work effectively as part of a team providing 24/7 support during peak months, and maintain reliable availability for standby duties during quieter periods.

Working for us:

• Full training provided in operating procedures, mental and physical first aid, and safeguarding.
• Hybrid working pattern split between our office and working from home.
• Opportunities to travel overseas on familiarisation trips.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus public holidays and a bonus day off for your birthday, with an additional tenure-based allowance up to 5 extra days.
• Recognition and reward programme.
• Access to extensive online learning resources.
• In-house training opportunities.
• Regular social events.
• Various employee discounts and offers, including discounted trips with our brands.

We believe that people are happier and perform best when they are able to be their true selves and that diverse teams deliver better results. We are committed to building an inclusive culture and embracing diversity in all its dimensions. This includes inspiring change through increasing awareness of unconscious bias. Together we will cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, where everyone can flourish.