Director

Summary

Join Context, a global day tour operator, as the Delivery Director for Asia-Pacific! This key leadership role, based remotely in Japan (Tokyo/Kyoto preferred), requires overseeing the company's fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. You will be responsible for developing and executing the regional strategy, building a portfolio of compelling experiences, sourcing and nurturing a community of experts, securing local partnerships, and expanding into new destinations. The role involves managing all operational functions, from client experience to portfolio development, and reporting to the VP of Global Delivery and the CEO. You will collaborate with senior leadership across Europe and the Americas. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of Context's Asia-Pacific operations and make a significant impact on the company's growth and success.

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of work experience in the travel or hospitality sector, including at least 3 years in a leadership role with demonstrated growth in the travel industry
• Deep knowledge of Japan, extensive travel experience in other Asia-Pacific countries, and an infectious desire to share this knowledge with others
• Deep understanding of the needs and interests of North American travelers to Asia
• Extensive contacts in the region, with a strong view of the best local partners, venues, restaurants, and sites that will help our guests to experience hidden gems they wouldn’t have otherwise ever known about
• Excitement to work in a fast-paced environment
• Commercial savviness and a proactive, self-starter mentality
• Strong verbal and written communication skills (active listening, collaboration, etc.)
• A curious, open mind, and a willingness to learn and grow

Responsibilities

• Vision and execute against regional strategy to drive brand loyalty, growth, and profitability
• Proactively identify and cultivate high-value commercial partnerships with local businesses, luxury hotels, tour operators, DMCs, and travel advisors to drive direct bookings and premium experience offerings
• Develop and implement revenue-generating initiatives, such as co-branded experiences, upselling opportunities, and cross-promotions with regional partners to maximize per-guest spend
• Develop and implement merchandising strategies that address customer needs and desired outcomes
• Hit monthly sales and profitability targets
• Represent Context at industry events, networking forums, and tourism boards to establish the brand as a preferred partner for exclusive, high-end travel experiences in the region
• Identify portfolio gaps and unique commercial opportunities based on research, source-market demand, and macro trends
• Understand regional competitive landscape, ensure portfolio is priced competitively and to meet overall company objectives
• Ensure sales and marketing teams understand the depth and breadth of regional portfolio and expert network
• Seek out opportunities for building new relationships with on the ground venues, vendors & suppliers; nurture and maintain those relationships as we scale and grow the region
• Inform regional supply strategy, including expert recruitment and offboarding, prescheduling, tour assignment distribution, and ticket inventory
• Nurture expert engagement through community events, training, and 1:1 relationships
• Establish tour distribution strategy by destination to meet individual and regional targets
• Understand the regional landscape for competitive guide fee requirements and establish strategy to ensure Context is current
• Understand and address frequent on-the-ground challenges for customers
• Activate best-in-class client experience and operations by providing destination-specific training and resources for US- and Europe-based teams
• Develop, grow, and nurture the regional team. Direct managerial responsibility over 2 reports to start. We anticipate the need for additional hires down the road; the hiring plan will be reviewed together after 6 to 12 months, based on the overall company strategy, global and regional performance
• Oversee the region’s full lifecycle of end-to-end operations and workflow from customer planning and selection to booking, fulfillment, post-booking changes, delivery, feedback, repeat booking, and brand advocacy

Preferred Qualifications

Fluency in English and Japanese, additional languages are a bonus!

Benefits

• A supportive, mission-oriented work environment with colleagues who care
• Unlimited access to digital lectures and, audio guides, and in-person small group tours
• Annual learning & wellness stipend to pursue personal and professional interests
• Tech stipend
• Flexible PTO (with no caps, encouraged minimums, and parental leave)
• A remote-first work policy
• An annual company retreat to connect and celebrate with colleagues in person. (Past locations include New York City, Philadelphia, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Mexico City. In 2024 we took the whole company to our birthplace, Rome, to celebrate our 20th anniversary.)