Account Executive

Reports to: The Director

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

About Tembo Wild Limited

Tembo Wild Limited is a premier destination management company specializing in luxury travel experiences across Africa. We offer highly customized vacations tailored to the unique needs of families, couples, groups, and solo travelers. At Tembo Wild, we pride ourselves on the deep personal connection we build with our clients – spending time to understand their specific interests to ensure every trip we design is truly exceptional.

About the Role

The Account Executive serves as the vital bridge between our clients and our internal Tour Consultants. This pivotal role is responsible for the end-to-end management of the client experience, acting as the "guardian of the brief" to ensure that every nuance of a traveler's vision is accurately captured and flawlessly executed. The ideal candidate is a highly organized communicator capable of balancing multiple priorities with high-level precision and is deeply passionate about delivering the high-touch, "service from the heart" experiences that define the Tembo Wild brand.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Managing the Sales Cycle and Conversion Performance

• Sales Target Accountability: Take full ownership of key performance indicators (KPIs) by driving the conversion of high-value inquiries into confirmed bookings, ensuring the company meets its revenue and sales objectives.
• Lead-to-Booking Stewardship: Manage the transition of leads from the Business Development Executive (BDE), providing the necessary momentum and strategic follow-up to move prospects through the pipeline to final conversion.
• Conversion Alignment Meetings: Attend and contribute to weekly strategic sessions with the BDE to analyze conversion rates, identify bottlenecks in the sales funnel, and execute immediate actionable items for key accounts.
• Strategic Pipeline Oversight: Monitor the status of all active inquiries, ensuring that no luxury lead stagnates and that every potential guest receives a timely, high-touch response that encourages commitment.

2. Strategic Client Liaison and Itinerary Management

• Initial Concept Development: Receive trip requests and develop preliminary "skeleton" itineraries, establishing the strategic foundation before handing them over to the Tour Consultants for detailed planning.
• Costing Validation and Oversight: Review and audit all trip costings prepared by Tour Consultants to ensure mathematical accuracy and margin integrity, verifying that the final proposal aligns perfectly with the client’s budget while delivering maximum value.
• Primary Point of Contact: Serve as the central liaison between Travel Agents, Clients, and internal teams, ensuring clear, timely, and precise communication throughout the end-to-end planning process.

3. On-the-Ground Guest Experience

• Guest Lifecycle Management: Oversee the guest experience from arrival to departure, including personalized check-ins and, where required, accompanying guests on journeys.
• Trip Execution Oversight: Manage the final execution of all trips to guarantee total client satisfaction, acting as the lead to address any last-minute needs or adjustments.
• Guest Lifecycle and Personalization: Oversee the guest's personal journey from arrival to departure, including personalized check-ins and, where required, providing "on-the-ground" accompaniment to ensure a high-touch experience.
• Quality Assurance and Crisis Management: Act as the final authority on trip execution, proactively resolving last-minute adjustments or service gaps to guarantee total client satisfaction.

4. Operational Excellence

• Document Management and Compliance: Maintain meticulous records of signed guest documents ensuring strict adherence to company procedures.
• Problem Resolution: Act as the lead problem-solver for unforeseen travel adjustments or emergencies, working in coordination with Tour Consultants to maintain a seamless experience.

Required Competencies

• Minimum of 4 years' experience in a Senior Travel Consultant role, with a demonstrated ability to manage complex travel arrangements. Experience in executive support, account management, or coordinating premium travel services for high-profile clients will be considered a distinct advantage.
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, Tourism, or a related field is preferred.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a high degree of professionalism when engaging with diverse stakeholders and high-net-worth clients.
• Operational Precision: Strong research skills and meticulous attention to detail; ability to complete a high volume of tasks and projects with little or no guidance.
• Agility and Judgement: Excellent judgement and the ability to react with appropriate urgency to time-sensitive situations. Must have the capacity to "switch gears" at a moment’s notice.
• Integrity: Proven ability to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential client and company information.
• Technical Literacy: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, CRM tools, and project management software.
• Passion: A genuine passion for travel and a commitment to creating transformational, memorable experiences.
• Leadership: This role is expected to transition into a Team Leader position within six to twelve months. The successful candidate must demonstrate strong leadership capability, with the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing team, drive accountability, and consistently deliver business results through effective team leadership.

Desirable Competencies

• Industry Tools: Proficiency in specialized travel booking software.

Role Dynamics and Travel Requirements

• Destination Insights: To ensure our guests receive a truly bespoke experience, there may be periodic opportunities to conduct site visits and property inspections. These engagements are scheduled strategically to align with our destination priorities and the continued growth of our luxury portfolio.
• Operational Flexibility: As a luxury service provider, this role requires the flexibility to work across multiple time zones. This includes occasional early mornings, late evenings, or weekend hours to ensure seamless communication with international agents and clients.
• Entrepreneurial Environment: Ability to thrive in an intense, "do-it-yourself" environment. This requires a proactive problem-solver who takes full ownership of their work and demonstrates initiative within a growing boutique structure.
• Collaborative Synergy: Proven ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team, including maintaining high levels of coordination and connection with remote team members.