Adventure Travel Operations Manager

This mid-level position is the ideal choice for someone with a love of soft adventure travel, and with solid project management, budgeting, field operations and customer service experience.

If you like managing and administering projects, orchestrating the movements of people and goods, and ensuring the expectations of guests are exceeded, this may be for you. If you’re ready for responsibility as key member in the growth of an exciting organization, we’d like to talk.

This is a management position. If you are the right candidate but need some training to become a manager, we will hire you at a senior coordinator level and expect that you will be able to rise to the manager level within 6 to 12 months.

The Company

Maple Leaf Adventures is an award-winning company with a long history of operation.

At Maple Leaf, you will be a key part of a small, dynamic team that is dedicated to providing exceptional experiences aligned with the values of ecotourism. You’ll be proud to work hard, with lots of attention to detail, and participate in the rewards of a high-calibre adventure travel company on our spectacular coast.

A small business requires people to “wear several hats” and sometimes do work on different professional levels. You will find this applies here. Your focus will change from season to season.

Position Summary

Reporting to the President, the Adventure Travel Operations role has three main (and related) areas of responsibility:

• Administration of trips, permits and budgets
• Logistics of operations
• Guest services delivery

In order to fully understand these functions, the successful candidate will also be able to work as crew on several Maple Leaf wilderness cruises each year.

Areas of Responsibility

You will manage the following, as well as doing some of the work yourself and supervising another team member doing some of the work:

Government permitting, compliance and relations

The company’s applications for and compliance with all permits, agreements, and certifications required to operate our trips.

Trip operational management

You will facilitate the smooth functioning of our operating season. This includes budgeting, preparing the annual operating calendar, prepping the ship and crew for the season, coordinating the logistics of ship supplies and all pre- and post-trip movements of people and goods, creating public documents involving trip logistics, and creating crew resource materials, training on new systems. You’ll interface with third-party suppliers; you’ll recommend and make improvements; you’ll manage to a budget, ensure proper fiscal management of the trips, and report your status.

Guest services and satisfaction

You will help ensure that our trips are exceeding guest expectations at all times, which includes becoming familiar with the trips by working as a crew member from time to time, gathering and analyzing feedback, putting together and overseeing some assigned aspects of guest services delivery, and developing improvements.

Administration and office systems management

You’ll be responsible for some areas of company administration, including insurance, office suppliers, policies and some HR functions.

Other projects

You’ll perform management functions for complex projects, provide research, analysis, reports or other documents, and other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications Required – The right attitude is everything!

Below are the qualifications that the perfect candidate would have; the world is not perfect, so if you believe you are ready for the challenge and responsibility, and you have the attitude of a great team player, we encourage you to apply and explain how you’ll kick this out of the park.

• 5+ years professional experience, with a mix of operational and administrative functions, including people or project management and budget management.
• Proven ability to work independently but as part of a close-knit team.
• Ability to understand and improve systems, while keeping the details straight.
• 4-year degree or equivalent education and critical thinking demonstrated.
• Strong proficiency with office software including Excel, Word and calendars.
• Tact and the ability to build good relationships, across geographic and cultural boundaries.
• Proven leadership abilities.
• Good written and verbal communication and good analytical skills.
• Great attention to detail.
• Love of multi-tasking, managing many details, and handling changes.
• Understanding of small business.
• Wilderness recreational or professional guiding experience.
• Ability to work as crew on the ship in remote BC/Alaska locations.
• MUST BE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO WORK IN CANADA.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

An individual with a “let’s make this happen” attitude will get most out of this position.

• You thrive in a fast-paced, “whatever it takes to get it done” work environment.
• Familiarity with boats, including passenger-carrying yachts/boats is a big plus.
• Tourism-specific experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with Transport Canada rules and regulations is a plus.
• Knowledge of the remote BC coast is an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainability.

Compensation and Location

• This is a full-time position that pays a competitive salary with benefits package.
• You’ll experience first-hand the magic of the adventures, rated the “Trip of a Lifetime” by Frommer’s and one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler.
• This position is in beautiful Victoria, B.C., capital of B.C.’s vibrant tourism community, in an attractive office in old town. You will also be required to work on several trips in the BC or Alaska wilderness aboard our sailing ship.

How to Apply

• Please send resume with cover letter to Jobs@MapleLeafAdventures.com by Monday, June 30 at 4 p.m. No phone calls please.
• Please do not send Microsoft Word documents. Please use either PDFs or paste your resume into an email message. Thank you!