Crew Liaison
Brand: Global Touring (Topdeck, Back-Roads & Grasshopper Adventures)
Position: Crew Liaison
Location Base: Hybrid (office location is in Chiswick, London)
Reporting to: Operations Manager
Contract: Permanent
Being a part of the Global Touring team means you will have the opportunity to inspire travellers through life changing travel experiences. We have three dynamic brands – Topdeck Travel, Back-Roads Touring & Grasshopper Adventures – and each cater to different customer segments in unique ways. At Global Touring (GT), we enjoy meeting new people, experiencing other cultures and embracing our differences. We are looking for someone to join the team that aligns perfectly with our organisation vision and values... if this sounds like you then keep reading!
The Crew Liaison is crucial in assisting with the delivery on the Global Touring vision of the best Global Touring experience every time, for everyone. Reporting into the Operations Manager, this role assists with leading our remote working crew to achieve operational excellence. This role has an overall responsibility to ensure our customers have a safe, smooth and enjoyable experience and requires proactive management to continually improve and ultimately provide an industry leading tour operation.
Key Responsibilities:
Assist with the execution of brand strategies within tour operations
Be part of the Operations Team, in promoting a company culture that ensures a high standard of delivery of global product, brand engagement and high morale
As part of the Operations Team, assist with the roll out of any new systems and procedures, to ensure operations efficiency and on road delivery
Responsible for all areas of trip/tour preparation to ensure that everything is complete for the start of the operating season, which includes (but not limited to), crew uniform orders, start of season setup, trip/tour administration such as crew resources and trip notes, and ensuring returning crew are completely up to date with any changes
Give input and assist with all general crew communications throughout the season – including the development of an improved plan and calendar to ensure crew feel that they are kept up to date and engaged
Assist the Customer Relations team with responses or investigations regarding any potential customer complaints
Produce and maintain trip/tour manuals along with the Operations Team which details operational objectives in each trip/tour alongside product’s master itineraries
Ensuring that the Crew SharePoint site is updated and maintained across the season to allow crew to successfully operate trips & tours
Be part of the Operations Team in the management of all incident and trip/tour reports to ensure that these are tracked and actioned as necessary
Be part of the crisis management team if a crisis arises
Take part in the on-call rota holding the emergency telephone as required
Assist with the crew recruitment and training trip processes
Assist with ensuring that the Product Team are made aware of any on tour issues with suppliers immediately and assist to remedy the issues
Assist with the process to ensure that all crew members are fully contracted in time for the start of the operating season
Ownership of crew profile creation and crew assignment into Travel Studio, in a timely manner to ensure all information is up to date prior to trip departure
And of course – all general operations to ensure that all trips/tours are operated successfully
To meet the expectations of this role, candidates must have the following experience:
A curious and solutions-oriented approach to achieve efficiencies and improvements within GT Operations
Ensure GT achieves operational excellence
Excellent relationship management skills
Experience in Crisis Management, with on ground crew experience preferred
Proven operational skills
2+ years’ experience in travel, tour leading and/or operations
Ability to make sound decisions in line with company policies and act with integrity at all times
Clear communication to ensure all Crew have a clear understanding of our culture and values
The ideal candidate will have the following behaviours:
Destination knowledge: geographical, cultural and historical knowledge of the destinations Global Touring travels – extensive travel experience is a must.
Leadership and communication: excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to inspire and motivate teams and remote workers, set clear expectations and KPIs and hold yourself and others accountable.
HR and people development: knowledge of HR best practice and the ability and desire to coach and develop skills in others.
Customer focus: a drive for exceptional customer satisfaction, always putting the customer at the heart of all decisions.
Efficient: a strong head for planning and project management with an understanding of financial management and the ability to be adaptable, on time and look outside the box.
Work under pressure and resilience: an ability to manage several priorities at once, conflict management skills, business negotiation and crisis management experience.
And of course…a passion for all things travel related!
Other role expectations:
- There is a requirement to answer phone calls out of hours on rotational coverage of Operations phone.
- Due to peak tourism periods, some restriction of annual leave is in place from May to September.
Global Touring Values
Our values aren’t just words on a page. They’re the backbone; the steering wheel; the soundtrack to how we embrace each day. Like a well baked brownie, every ingredient combines to achieve the rich consistency fueling the soul of Global Touring.
Stay Curious: We are natural born explorers. Our people question old solutions, apply alternative thinking and embrace being challenged in the search for outcomes. We’re excited by the journey on and off the road – expanding our knowledge, adapting to feedback and questioning the status quo. Value ideas over hierarchy. Have the courage to take risks. Don’t let perfection prevent growth.
Choose Transparency: We take the right way, not the easy way. We’re straight up even through the toughest conversations; tackling challenges head-on and with integrity. Honour commitments. Communicate with clarity. And build relationships based on mutual respect. Forget hidden agendas, we treat everyone fairly – despite a preference for instant coffee.
Don’t pass the buck: If we do it, we do it well. We are empowered to make decisions based on data and experience – holding each other accountable along the way. Spare the excuses. Be fearless in the pursuit of results. And take responsibility – even when no one’s looking. There will be bumps in the road; that’s ok. We own our mistakes and learn from the challenges as well as the successes.
Together we go further: Across oceans and office desks, it’s more than a love for travel that keeps us connected. There are no silos here; we are each other’s toughest critics and loudest supporters – especially around the ping pong table. People with diverse backgrounds, different identities and varied experiences make our company exceptional. We embrace alternate perspectives, recognise each other’s strengths and champion collective genius.