Ground Operations Manager

**_Salary Range $70,000 CAD._**

**City Experiences is seeking a Ground Operations Manager for our Business Operations operation in Toronto, Ontario and Niagara Falls, Ontario.**

**About You**:
**About the Opportunity**:
As Ground Operations Manager, you will be the active leader of our operations in Niagara Falls and Toronto, working to build our Toronto operations from the ground up and supporting and expanding our existing business in Niagara Falls. Aside from being heavily involved the early development and launch of our new walking tours, food tours, and day trips in the region, you will focus on the details and the customer-facing experience; recruiting and managing the right team of Guides and Coordinators; managing relationships with any external partners or suppliers; ensuring that our operations procedures line up with our needs on the ground and our central teams and leadership are well informed.

You will be the key decision-maker for the day-to-day running of your market, focused on the details to ensure that the vision of a tour lines up with the reality on the day. You will be the chief gatherer of feedback - from guides, partners, guests and personal experience. Working with the Central Ops Team you will remain up to date on the financial performance of each of our tours, trouble-shooting discrepancies in tour costs and brainstorming ways to improve.

This role will be based in the Golden Horseshoe region and will be responsible for supporting our continued growth in both Niagara Falls and Toronto through developing and nourishing a network

of Guides, Suppliers, and Coordinators. This is not a typical desk job; we expect you to be out and about at least half of the time, trialing new and existing products, meeting with suppliers and tour guides, networking and creating opportunities for growth. You would need to be available to work on a flexible schedule with the need to be present for tours departing from Niagara Falls early in the morning, weekly visits to Toronto, and for off-schedule events and travel.

**Essential Duties & Responsibilities**:

- Product development and redevelopment, where product revisions are required or requested; offering feedback on new opportunities and providing product training for new operations, customer service or central staff
- Procedures & Documentation: develop and upkeep all relevant Guide & Product documentation
- Assume responsibility for the existing operation in Niagara Falls: managing the day-to-day operations and post-tour reconciliation
- Manage the working relationship with a wide range of partners such as sites, restaurants and other food tour vendors, transport suppliers, any other external partner/operator; including setting up agreements, negotiating rates and maintaining relationships
- Recruitment, onboarding, and training of guides & coordinators
- Guide and coordinator scheduling & optimal staffing: ensuring we have enough high-quality guides to meet demand
- Guide & Coordinator communications & support
- Ground Operations Quality: ensuring consistent quality of our Guide pool, through regular training, feedback and monitoring.
- Accounting: Guide and Vendor Invoicing and Cash & Ticket distribution and tracking, as well as any other expenses needed to run daily operations
- Carefully monitor and report on market performance and proactively strive to improve our margins, procedures, efficiencies and quality
- Material and Branding: procurement and distribution
- Workflow support for Operations team where volume requires
- Provide Ground support in case of emergency/need/high flux

**Cross-team collaboration points**:

- Central Operations Team
- Global Guide Department
- Leadership Team

**Requirements & Qualifications**:

- Minimum 3 years previous experience in tourism either in hiring, coaching, training and managing people or operations and product development
- Excellent organizational & people management skills
- Professionally efficient in all forms of communication
- Dependability, candor, strong work ethic, time management are all pre-requisites
- High attention to detail required
- Strong technical skills, and the ability to learn multiple systems in a fast-paced environment
- Fluency in English
- Familiarity with Microsoft suite, Asana, Slack desired

**About Us**:
Walks is a leader in the tours and activities industry, offering unique and memorable travel experiences across the globe. Recently acquired by a major US-based travel group, City Experiences, Walks has joined forces with award-winning food tour operator Devour Tours with a shared mission to create amazing experiences for our guests. We are an innovative, ambitious, travel-loving team working within an environment that allows you to be a part of the larger picture and encourages your development. We strive for a culture that is laid back, but professional, allowing the ability to learn and collaborate in an approachable environment. Have questions? Ask them Our di