Senior Director of Operations

Senior Operations Director

Final title will reflect the selected candidate's experience and organizational structure.

Position summary

Micato Safaris is seeking an accomplished operations leader to oversee the work that turns each confirmed booking into a consistently exceptional guest experience. The role combines responsibility for guest readiness before travel with close coordination of Micato's destination offices while guests are in Africa or India. This leader will guide the people, processes, and systems supporting these responsibilities, strengthen accountability across offices, and improve operational effectiveness while preserving Micato's personal approach to service.

Primary Responsibilities

Guest readiness and pre-trip operations

• Oversee guest documentation, communications, materials, pre-trip amenities, and departure readiness.
• Ensure hotel, camp, lodge, and airline inventory is accurately controlled and aligned with confirmed guest arrangements.
• Maintain the accuracy and quality of guest-facing and operational information.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, support timely service recovery and ensure adherence to Micato's service and brand standards.
• Review Safari Director reports and ensure that material observations, issues, and opportunities receive appropriate follow-through.

Destination operations and cross-office coordination

• Work closely with Micato's offices and destination teams in Africa and India to ensure operational readiness for every departure.
• Create clear handoffs and consistent communication between the United States and destination teams before and during travel.
• Coordinate prompt, thoughtful responses to operational challenges affecting guests on the ground, with clear shared ownership across offices.

Leadership and continuous improvement

• Lead, coach and develop the Operations team, with clear priorities, accountability and measurable outcomes.
• Build a collaborative, high-performing culture and develop future operational leaders.
• Improve workflows, systems and operating disciplines that support accurate, efficient service delivery.
• Use reporting, performance measures and sound judgement to identify risks, make decisions and guide improvement.
• Partner effectively with executive leadership and other departments on priorities that cross functions or offices.

Experience and qualifications

• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, luxury travel, hospitality, guest services or another premium service industry.
• Demonstrated success leading multiple operational functions and complex service-delivery workflows within a mid-sized organization, including coordination across departments or geographies and management of varied products or departures.
• Experience serving affluent or high-touch clients where discretion, personalization, and attention to detail are essential.
• A strong record of improving processes, introducing useful technology, and leading organizational change.
• Experience with departmental planning, budgets, staffing, resource allocation, recruiting and team development.
• Bachelor's degree required. A degree in business, hospitality, tourism, operations management, or a related field is preferred; an advanced degree is an asset.

Systems and communication

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the confidence to communicate across leadership, employees, partners, suppliers, advisors and guests.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and experience with CRM platforms, operational databases, dashboards and reporting tools.
• Strong systems aptitude and the ability to evaluate and improve business applications and workflows. Familiarity with EOS or another structured operating system is helpful but not required.

Leadership profile

• A collaborative and authentic leader who builds trust and develops people.
• Strategic and hands-on, with the ability to translate priorities into consistent execution.
• Calm under pressure, highly organized and able to balance competing priorities.
• Commercially astute, decisive and attentive to both detail and the broader organizational picture.
• Committed to extraordinary guest care, continuous improvement and clear accountability.

Success in the role

• Reliable pre-trip readiness and smooth delivery while guests are traveling.
• Consistently strong guest satisfaction, issue resolution and adherence to Micato's standards.
• Clear accountability and effective collaboration across U.S. and destination offices.
• A capable, well-led Operations team with growing leadership depth.
• Accurate, efficient, and scalable processes that support growth without weakening personal service.

Compensation and benefits

• Competitive base salary of $125,000-$175,000, commensurate with experience, plus an annual performance incentive.
• Medical, dental and vision insurance; 401(k) retirement savings plan; paid vacation and holidays.
• Professional development and educational travel or industry familiarization opportunities

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