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. With around 100 countries to choose from, 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 flourish. In a complicated world that's full of potential, we strive to be better than yesterday.

We put people at the heart of everything we do and are proud of the extensive benefits we offer.

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: £38,000-42,000   

About the role:

This is a newly created role. As the Product Coordinator Manager, you’ll be responsible for the overall delivery of loading and maintaining products, rates and services across systems. You’ll be responsible for managing the team’s workloads effectively, setting prioritisation and making the decision to shift the team’s priorities at short notice. You’ll collaborate closely with teams around the business to ensure the onboarding of new tours and the ongoing management of existing ones. You’ll line manage our team of Product Coordinators as well as taking responsibility for our Outsource Team in India who assist with day-to-day administrative tasks.

A typical working day:

People management and team development are crucial for success, so time will be spent meeting with the Product Coordinators to check-in on their wellbeing, personal development and how’re they’re progressing with their objectives, ensuring they understand why their role matters and how they impact on our team and business objectives.

You will be in regular contact with our Outsource Team of four in India, managing their workload, ensuring they are on track with their weekly task list and answering specific questions they have.

There will be times in the year when you are completing specific tasks – for example inputting or amending contracted rates, setting up new dates or new tours. On other days you’ll find yourself amending services in a tour, setting up a new local partner, reviewing discrepancies on invoices or assisting our team of Product and Programme Managers with various projects.

The Product Coordinator team are the first point of contact into the product team for various departments around the business as well as our overseas suppliers, so you’ll be answering queries and providing information regarding forthcoming trips which may include details of itinerary changes and booked services. As a large part of the role involves answering queries from around the business, the volume of these will vary depending on the time of year.

You’ll spend time collaborating with other teams around the business as we continually strive to make our processes as optimal as they can be.

Am I the right person?  We are looking for your application to demonstrate:

Experience of working in a senior administrative or operational role in a tour operator 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.

Previous experience of leading a team and managing performance is essential, as is the ability to manage workloads efficiently and set clear priorities for a team, adapting these as needed based on business requirements. Experience of managing change successful within a team would be advantageous.

We operate in over 100 countries, and work with countless partners around the world, and so you must be able to celebrate diversity and be able to build great relationships with these world-wide partners, whilst having high and fair expectations of them. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential.

The desire for continual improvement is built into the company DNA as we live up to our values to #BeBetterThanYesterday, so experience of implementing changes to processes and teams would be beneficial.

We have ambitious growth plans and so a growth mentality is essential. This role would suit someone who is curious, has a challenger mindset and is 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 and someone who gets things done. We welcome diverse thinking and people who can work out what doing the right thing is.

We aim to be better than yesterday and our values will be close to your heart.

Diversity is to be celebrated. Life would be dreary, and change would be slow, if we all thought the same way. We challenge our ideas, each other, and our business partners - always with respect and kindness.

Explore is part of Hotelplan Group, a well-established and diverse family of specialist tour operators, with a long tradition of developing and operating market-leading experiences. The family comprises ski, walking and Lapland holidays with Inghams and Santa’s Lapland; adventure travel with Explore; and self-guided holidays with Inntravel. Sustainability and responsible tourism is at the core of everything we do, and should be a passion for everyone employed by the group.