Expedition Reservations Manager

WHO WE ARE

Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.

POSITION SUMMARY

Our reservations – or Expedition Specialist - team are the off-ship “face” of the company. And with many of our guests booking expeditions, 9, 12, 18 or even 24 months in advance, they are who our guests and travel partners develop relationships with and who set the tone for a Lindblad-National Geographic experience. The Reservations Manager plays a key role on the Reservations team as a leader and coach to Expedition Specialists. This person will provide guidance, support, training, and motivation on a daily basis to help Expedition Specialists exceed sales goals. The Reservations Manager will also work with internal partners to fulfill our brand promise to do “Whatever It Takes” in their guest and travel partner interactions just as much as our Field Staff and Crew do on the ship.

As Expedition Specialists provide exceptional service and effectively close sales, the main objective of the Reservations Manager role is to support Expedition Specialists through both day-to-day coaching and contributing to longer-term, strategic initiatives. This position requires a self-motivated individual with strong time management skills and an ability to prioritize, along with excellent communication and customer service skills. The Reservations Manager must be team-oriented, as the position requires interaction with various partners, including the Revenue Management, Inventory, Operations, and Sales & Marketing. The ideal candidate will also have a strong ability to multi-task and a passion for travel. To assist guests and travel advisors as well as Expedition Specialists, the Reservations Manager will need to become an expert in our reservations systems and processes as well as our products.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Support in development and management of reservations team, including administering production-based bonus program, leading coaching program for reservations agents, and contributing to workstreams

Carry out regular one-to-one with Expedition Specialists, developing a culture where training and development are part of the team, identifying actions and working with trainers to ensure the skills and knowledge are developed effectively

Review reservations for quality assurance and accuracy

Serve as first point of escalation for resolving reservations issues from guests and travel advisors

Assist with recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new hires as well as on-going training

Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal partners to effectively support operational processes

Appropriately prioritize team and individual goals to effectively achieve business objectives

Support in managing department responsibilities such as reservations processes, guest communication, data entry, accounting requests, etc.

When needed, assist on special projects with other members of Reservations team

Manage day-to-day time and attendance for the Expedition Specialist team, including reviewing and approving timecards to ensure accurate, on-time payroll processing

Review and approve time-off requests, balancing individual schedules with team coverage needs during peak call volumes

Model and reinforce strong time management practices across the team, helping Expedition Specialists prioritize effectively across sales, service, and administrative work

Manage daily operations and workforce planning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

4-year college degree or equivalent experience required

Excellent problem solving and strategic thinking skills

Outstanding time management and organizational skills, with a strong ability to prioritize and resolve issues effectively and independently

Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, including Word and Excel

Salesforce and Seaware experience required

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills

At least 2 years of supervisory experience in sales or call center environment preferable

Willingness to work occasionally outside of the normal business hours as required by business needs