Head - Operations - B2B Holidays

Head - Operations - B2B Holidays (DMC Operations)

Role Overview:

The Head of DMC Operations will lead and own the entire operations function across destinations, ensuring scalable, efficient, and high-quality delivery of all B2B holiday services. This role goes beyond execution - it requires strategic leadership in process excellence, supplier ecosystem development, team building, and service innovation.

The incumbent will be responsible for driving operational efficiency, improving partner experience, optimizing costs, and building a future-ready operations framework to support business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Operations Ownership

- Own end-to-end DMC operations across FIT, GIT, and series departures globally.

- Define and execute the operations strategy aligned with business growth targets.

- Build scalable systems and processes to support multi-destination expansion.

- Act as the central decision-maker for all operational escalations and risk management.

2. Team Leadership & Capability Building

- Lead, structure, and scale the operations team across geographies and destinations.

- Hire, mentor, and develop second-line leadership (team leads, assistant managers).

- Drive a high-performance, accountability-driven culture with clear KPIs.

- Ensure continuous training on destinations, systems, and service excellence.

3. Service Excellence & Customer Experience

- Define service standards and ensure consistent delivery across all bookings.

- Own key B2B partner experience and satisfaction metrics (CSAT, repeat business).

- Oversee handling of high-impact escalations and critical live tour issues.

- Build proactive service recovery frameworks to enhance partner trust.

4. Supplier Strategy & Ecosystem Management

- Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with global DMC partners, hotels, transporters, and ground handlers.

- Collaborate with contracting/product teams to optimize rates, allocations, and availability.

- Establish supplier performance frameworks, SLAs, and quality benchmarks.

- Drive cost optimization without compromising service quality.

5. Process Excellence, Automation & SOP Governance

- Design, implement, and continuously improve SOPs across the operations lifecycle.

- Drive automation and digitization through CRM, B2B platforms, and workflow tools.

- Reduce manual errors, improve turnaround times, and enhance operational efficiency.

- Standardize operations across destinations for consistency and scalability.

6. Commercial & Financial Oversight

- Partner with finance and product teams on margins, cost controls, and profitability.

- Oversee dispute resolution related to cancellations, refunds, and supplier claims.

- Monitor operational costs, leakages, and inefficiencies.

- Contribute to pricing strategy through operational insights.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Work closely with B2B sales to improve conversion through operational confidence.

- Align with product and contracting teams on destination readiness and supply gaps.

- Support business expansion into new destinations with operational feasibility inputs.

8. MIS, Analytics & Governance

- Drive data-led decision-making through detailed MIS and dashboards.

- Monitor KPIs such as TAT, booking accuracy, issue rates, cost per booking, and partner satisfaction.

- Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities proactively.

- Present periodic reviews to leadership with actionable insights.

Skills & Competencies

- Strong leadership with strategic and execution balance

- Deep understanding of global DMC operations and supplier ecosystems

- Excellent problem-solving and crisis management ability

- Commercial acumen with cost and margin awareness

- High process orientation with a focus on scalability and automation

- Strong stakeholder management across internal and external teams

Qualifications & Experience

- Graduate/PG in Tourism, Hospitality, or related field (MBA preferred)

- 8+ years of experience in DMC / tour operations

- Minimum 3-5 years in a leadership role managing large operations teams

- Strong experience in B2B outbound/inbound operations with Indian travel agents

- Proven track record of scaling operations and improving service metrics