🤝 About Viatu & Your Opportunity
Viatu is the next-gen travel platform that lets you design and book your next adventure of a lifetime all in one place. Thanks to our technology, complex itineraries like exploring Namibia’s ancient dunes, witnessing the Great Migration, or gorilla trekking in Rwanda become seamless to plan and easy to book. Built by former Googlers, Booking.com engineers, and Rocket Internet entrepreneurs, our platform delivers scalable tech solutions through a fully integrated trip builder tailored for multi-stop travel in remote destinations.
We believe in a culture where every team member at Viatu is a driver of change, encouraged to take full ownership of their contributions. We operate with agility, embracing calculated risks and a commitment to move fast and innovate constantly in pursuit of progress. Importantly, our success is intrinsically linked to our responsibility as a certified B-Corp, ensuring we always look after our people and the planet.
As our Head of Operations, you will join our leadership team and oversee all aspects of our Sales, Product (Supplier Management) and Customer Success. You have at least 5 years of relevant experience in leading operational functions and a proven track record of driving efficiency and growth in a fast-paced environment. This role has the clear potential to evolve into the Chief Operating Officer (COO) position as the company scales.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
As our Head of Operations, you will:
Operational Leadership & Strategy
Define and execute Viatu’s operational strategy and goals across Sales, Product (Supplier Management), and Customer Success.
Design and implement a scalable operational infrastructure encompassing talent development, hiring strategies, and training and KPI framework for rapid expansion.
Hire, develop, and lead high-performing teams within Sales, Customer Success and Product (Supplier Management) as the company grows.
Collaborate with the CEO and other functional leaders across tech and marketing to ensure alignment and effective communication.
Sales Management
Develop and execute the strategy for our sales team and set ambitious sales targets.
Leverage state-of-the-art sales tools, frameworks and dashboards to convert our inbound leads and grow our happy customer base.
Collaborate with the marketing team to manage and optimise lead volume and quality.
Product (Supplier Management)
Own and improve supplier relationships, focusing on performance, reliability, and strategic alignment across travel partners such as accommodations, activity and transportation providers.
Source and establish partnerships with new suppliers, managing contract negotiations and ensuring a smooth onboarding process.
Work closely with our tech team to transform manual processes into seamless automation that drives speed, accuracy, and scale.
Customer Success
Design and optimise customer success processes to enhance satisfaction, retention, and long-term engagement across the entire journey.
Manage and develop the Customer Experience department, setting clear goals, ensuring high performance, and fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
Streamline and integrate support workflows into the platform by leveraging automation and customer insights, ensuring scalable and efficient operations.
About You
5+ years in operations with experience in leading teams in a fast-growing company/startup with a hands-on approach.
A proven track record of driving operational efficiency and achieving ambitious goals.
Strong understanding of CRM systems, sales processes, and customer success principles.
Experience in building and managing relationships with external partners and suppliers, with experience in Africa being a significant plus.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with a data-driven approach.
Strong leadership, communication, and presentation skills with the ability to influence and motivate others across different cultures and time zones.
A customer-centric and solution-oriented mindset.
A bachelor’s degree in business, operations management, or a related field.
Passion for travel, particularly African travel experiences, and a strong understanding of the travel industry landscape is highly desirable.
Willingness and ability to travel regularly to Africa for supplier testing (safaris), team visits, across both continents, and industry conferences.
Compensation
Our compensation package is designed to be highly competitive for a startup in South Africa, reflecting our strong commitment to attracting top local talent. While we are open to receiving applications from European candidates, please be aware that the compensation package will be structured to align with a leading South African startup salary, which may differ from typical European benchmarks.
Beyond salary, all roles include a:
Performance bonus based on target achievement
Attractive stock option incentives.
Our Ideal Candidate
Preference is given to candidates based in Cape Town, South Africa, with proximity to our business partners and is excited about the opportunity to build and scale the operations of a disruptive travel tech company.
The Good Stuff
As part of our team, you will enjoy:
Working in an international and dynamic environment that nurtures your personal and professional growth.
Working on exciting projects with some of the world’s leading brands in tourism.
Working with the most talented and motivated minds in our industry, including experienced professionals from various backgrounds.
Having flat hierarchies and agile decision paths.
Having a competitive compensation package with long-term incentives and stock options.
Getting access to attractive travel incentives and educationals for yourself and your family.
Having flexible working hours and the option to work remotely.
Having a direct impact on people and planet in the destinations we operate in.
Reporting
You will report to our CEO and have frequent interactions with our executive team.
Viatu is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.