Job Description

TK45351

TYPE: Permanent, full-time
WORKING HOURS: 9:00-17:30, 37.5 hours per week (*) Some Saturday work will be required on a rota basis, with additional pay and time off in lieu to compensate
SALARY: \xc2\xa324-26K depending on experience, plus uncapped bonus
START: January 2024
LOCATION: Bristol (Office-based. They\xe2\x80\x99re willing to consider applications for hybrid or remote working, subject to demonstrating task competency.)
OTHER: Good benefits

Japanese speaking Travel Operations Specialist Main Responsibilities:

• Confirm travel arrangements (e.g., accommodation, restaurants, activities, excursions, guides, transportation, etc) using phone, e-mail, e-Fax, and online reservation systems
• Utilise our \xe2\x80\x98Master Planner\xe2\x80\x99 to monitor, book, and schedule our Insiders and freelance tour leaders as required for tailor made trips
• Make sound judgements regarding suitable alternatives when first-choice options are not available and execute accordingly, escalating to a Quality Control Specialist where necessary
• Maintain strong, mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers and external partners to secure the delivery of our trips
• Input relevant and accurate reservation details into Axum to ensure smooth generation of Info Packs for clients and reliable information
• Accurately record costs of services in Axum, liaising with the Finance Team so supplier invoice payments and refund transactions can proceed smoothly
• Assist with the ticketing of international flights, checking all details match what has been entered into Axum to prevent errors
• Generate Info-Packs on Axum, manually updating fields where required e.g. train time, meeting points, customized service descriptions, etc.
• Check final travel documents (Info-Pack) with the tickets and package the deliverables with the accompanying welcome letter for our clients prior to their arrival
• Monitor shared inboxes to assist our Sales teams with queries, issues and requests
• Contribute to the annual Group Tour allocation and re-pricing project (overseen by the Product function) to ensure successful operational delivery of our Group Tour program
• Conduct quality control of Group Tour bookings in Axum, planning tasks, sending reminders, checking client arrangements and altering client documents to ensure all information held is correct and complete
• Liaise with Insiders to ensure they have everything needed to run Group Tours, e.g. itinerary info, cash sheets and passenger manifests generated from our internal Booking System (Axum), and information specific to our various itineraries
• Organize final rooming arrangements for Group Tours, ensuring we are holding the correct number/configuration of rooms and releasing any that aren\xe2\x80\x99t required

Japanese speaking Travel Operations Specialist Ideal Candidate:

• Passion for Japan/Asia as a travel destination and desire to help others discover the country
• Fluency in both English and Japan (professional working level)
• Strong geographical and logistical understanding of Japan and our core destinations
• Familiarity with the processes involved in confirming a wide range of travel arrangements
• Well-developed problem-solving skills, able to use initiative with confidence
• Independence and organisation, able to handle a volume of complex tasks simultaneously
• A high level of productivity and accuracy, able to get a lot done at a high level under pressure
• High quality communication/interpersonal skills in emails, in-person and on the phone
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook, Teams and SharePoint)
• Advanced level of English, both written and spoken

** All applicants for the Japanese speaking Travel Operations must have the right to work in the UK as the Company is not able to offer visa support.