Sales Team Lead

Job description

ABOUT ASILIA Asilia Africa is one of East Africa’s long-standing safari companies. Meaning ‘genuine’ or ‘authentic’ in Swahili, we’ve built a reputation for incredible safari experiences and our unwavering commitment to empowering both people and nature alike in the region. Founded in 2004, Asilia has a leading presence in the main safari destinations in Tanzania and Kenya as well as a driving role in several pioneering projects. Asilia’s goal is to turn crucial and fragile natural habitats into lasting conservation economies, benefitting both the environment and local communities. At present, the company owns and operates 18 lodges and camps as well as a ground handling operation. Asilia is the first sustainable safari/lodge company in Africa to receive a 5-star rating for sustainability from GIIRS, was recognized as one of the “Best Companies for the World” in 2013 and was awarded the 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Business Award. WHAT WE BELIEVE IN We believe that world-class travel can go hand in hand with improving livelihoods and conservation of nature. Our luxury camps and lodges are in some of the most special places on earth. Places we want to safeguard for the future. We strive to transform whole areas, from crucial fragile natural habitats with often impoverished communities into lasting conservation economies; effectively protecting wildlife whilst providing opportunities for local people to prosper. Whichever department you work in, your efforts will be crucial in achieving our conservation goal. POSITION OVERVIEW The Sales Team Lead is the Regional Sales and Reservations Manager's operational partner and the team's first point of support during the working day. The role keeps daily sales activity organised, maintains consistent quality, helps consultants solve problems and ensures risks are identified and addressed early. This is an internally focused leadership and operational support role. The Team Lead will not carry a standard consultant workload and will not be responsible for direct agent communication or agent relationship management. Sales Consultants retain ownership of their quotes, bookings and agent communication. The role is suited to a candidate who understands our systems, standards and products and is ready to build leadership experience while remaining close to day-to-day team delivery. SCOPE AND DECISION RIGHTS: The Team Lead manages day-to-day delivery and makes routine operational decisions within agreed policies and service standards. The Regional Sales and Reservations Manager, referred to below as the Regional Manager, remains accountable for formal people decisions, material commercial exposure and matters outside standard policy. THE TEAM LEAD DECIDES AND ACTS Daily enquiry allocation, QA corrections, team cover, handovers and first-line resolution of routine queries and incidents. Day-to-day coaching, service recovery within standard policy and action to address quality or response-time slippage. THE TEAM LEAD PREPARES AND THE REGIONAL MANAGER DECIDES Performance ratings and improvement plans, recruitment and role changes, formal employee relations matters and leave approval. Incidents with material financial or service impact, reputational risk, rate exceptions, concessions and policy departures. RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: DAILY SALES OPERATIONS AND CAPACITY Lead the daily team check-in so priorities, deadlines, cover needs and risks are clear. Oversee enquiry allocation and reallocation based on complexity, consultant experience, pairing arrangements and current workload. Monitor response and turnaround times and act before agreed service standards are missed. Provide first-line internal guidance on quoting, itinerary design, rates, product, logistics and systems, helping consultants reach the right answer without routinely taking over their work. Coordinate cover and handovers for leave, training, absence, standby and out-of-hours support. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND INCIDENTS Complete the agreed quality checks for each consultant, prioritising new colleagues and higher-risk or complex work. Check itinerary logic, quote accuracy, rates, margins, inclusions, exclusions, fees, transfers, logistics and correct system capture. Record findings consistently, ensure corrections are completed and use feedback to support learning. Coordinate the team-level incident process by establishing the facts, recording the issue, agreeing corrective action and following through to closure. Escalate repeated, systemic or high-impact risks and any matter involving material financial exposure, service impact, reputational risk or a decision outside policy. PEOPLE SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT Coach consultants through regular check-ins, practical feedback and support with day-to-day challenges. Identify knowledge or skills gaps and work with the Regional Manager to agree targeted development support. Support onboarding and help new colleagues understand team standards, systems, workflows and escalation routes. Address minor conduct or working-practice concerns early and respectfully, referring formal performance or employee-relations matters to the Regional Manager. PERFORMANCE AND REPORTING Maintain an accurate view of enquiry volumes, open quotes, provisional bookings, workload, service levels and quality trends. Prepare clear weekly updates for the Regional Manager, highlighting achievements, pressure points, incidents, repeated issues and recommended actions. Use available data and observations to identify where workload, quality or team support needs attention. INTERNAL COORDINATION AND IMPROVEMENT Work with Sales Support, Allocations, Agent Relationship Managers, Finance and Operations to resolve issues that affect team delivery. Ensure internal queries and escalations reach the correct owner and are followed through to resolution. Identify recurring process or system issues and support practical improvements with the Regional Manager and relevant teams. Share approved updates, changes and lessons learned so the team applies them consistently HOW SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED Success will be assessed through consistent evidence of team delivery and leadership rather than a single measure. Key indicators include: Quality checks. Response and turnaround times. Incidents investigation and recording. Workload management. Coaching and feedback. REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS ESSENTIAL Demonstrated strong performance in a Sales Consultant role or a comparable role. Confident use of systems, dashboards and Microsoft Excel or equivalent reporting tools. Strong organisation, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing demands. Sound judgement and the ability to make routine operational decisions within agreed authority. Clear internal communication, coaching and feedback skills, including the confidence to handle difficult conversations constructively. A calm, reliable and discreet approach, with the ability to work independently and collaborate across teams. ADVANTAGEOUS Previous formal or informal leadership, mentoring or coordination experience. Experience working across Sales Delivery Platform teams or supporting cross-team workflows. Experience with quality assurance, onboarding, training, reporting or process improvement REQUIRED WORK PRACTICES Communicate decisions, priorities and feedback clearly, respectfully and consistently. Keep accurate records of quality checks, incidents, handovers and agreed follow-up actions. Use confidential team and performance information only for legitimate business purposes. Apply policies and standards consistently, escalating when a decision falls outside delegated authority. Take ownership of follow-through and raise emerging risks early. CONDITIONS AND WORKING HOURS This is a Cape Town-based role, subject to Asilia's applicable workplace arrangements. Working hours will follow the team's operating schedule and the conditions set out in the successful candidate's employment agreement. The role participates in agreed standby, weekend and out-of-hours support arrangements when scheduled. Occasional flexibility may be required during peak periods, major incidents or business-critical handovers. Any material matter arising outside normal hours must be escalated through the agreed management route.