Operations Manager - Tourism Transport Startup
OPERATIONS MANAGER — TOURISM TRANSPORT STARTUP (BALI) | BILINGUAL EN/ID
Airport transfers · Day-hire private tours · Tour guide services
Job type: Full-time
Location: Bali, Indonesia (on-site)
Experience level: Mid-level (2+ years)
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
We are an early-stage tourism transport business launching in Bali. Our services span airport transfers, day-hire private tours, and tour guide services, delivered through a network of driver and fleet partners. We are now hiring our first Operations Manager to take full ownership of how the company runs on the ground.
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a foundational hire. You will be the operational backbone of the business — accountable for service quality, fleet partner relationships, escalations, and the performance of every operational staff member on the team, including drivers and tour guides. You will report directly to the founder and have daily influence over how the company is built.
This is a hands-on role. The right candidate is energised by ambiguity, comfortable making decisions without complete information, and unafraid to be on the ground when things need to be fixed — at the airport, in the office, or in the field with a tour in progress.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Service quality ownership. Define service standards across airport transfers, tours, and guide-led experiences. Measure performance, hold the team accountable, investigate root causes of customer issues, and implement lasting fixes. Online reviews and repeat bookings depend on this.
• Fleet partner management. Own the end-to-end relationship with driver and vehicle partners: onboarding, commercial terms, dispute resolution, vehicle standards, and partnership growth.
• Escalation management. Act as the final point of resolution for customer complaints, partner disputes, late or missed pickups, and operational incidents during tours. Decisions made in minutes, not hours.
• Team leadership. Manage all operational staff including drivers, tour guides, dispatch, support, and administrative team members. Recruit, train, roster, and performance-manage.
• Process and systems. Build SOPs from the ground up — airport pickup protocols, tour briefings, guide standards, vehicle checks, customer handling. Identify operational weaknesses and design durable fixes.
• Daily reporting. Provide the founder with a structured end-of-day report covering operational performance, incidents, escalations, partner issues, bookings serviced, and priorities for the following day. No surprises.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
• Minimum 2 years of operations experience, ideally in transport, logistics, fleet, hospitality, tourism, or another service-heavy industry
• Demonstrable people management experience — you have hired, coached, and managed performance
• Fluent in both Bahasa Indonesia and English (written and spoken). This is a hard requirement.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Discipline with daily reporting and follow-through
• Comfortable operating in an early-stage startup environment
PREFERRED
Experience in airport transfers, ride-hailing, tour operations, hotel front-of-house, or any guest-facing tourism business in Bali or elsewhere in Indonesia.
WHAT WE OFFER
• Foundational role with significant influence on company direction
• Direct reporting line to the founder
• Performance-based bonus structure tied to operational KPIs
• Salary: competitive for an early-stage Bali startup, discussed at offer stage based on experience
• BPJS and standard Indonesian leave entitlements
HOW TO APPLY
Submit your CV along with a short written response (English or Bahasa Indonesia) to the following question:
"What is the most difficult operational problem you have personally resolved, and how did you approach it?"
Applications without a written response will not be considered.