This is an exciting opportunity to assist with the management of a portfolio of Naturetrek holidays from our Mingledown Barn office in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire.

The successful applicant will require meticulous administrational and organisational skills, attention to detail, accuracy, common sense, outstanding literacy and numeracy skills, a confident telephone manner, motivation within a busy office, and a natural ability for flexibility and negotiation. Confident IT skills, including a high degree of proficiency in MS Office, are also essential. The role will involve assisting one of our operations managers in liaising with hotels, airlines, local ground operators, tour leaders and other suppliers, as well as offering first-rate customer service and advice to Naturetrek clients, on the phone and over email.

This office-based role could be combined with some travel and tour leading if the candidate is a keen, active and knowledgeable birder, botanist or lepidopterist with outstanding people skills and a clean driving license. First and foremost, however, we are looking for an office-based administrator.

Person specification:

• Demonstrable communication and interpersonal skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent team player
• Proactive and focused
• Pride in work
• Passion for travel and the natural world

For tour leading (if you wish to be considered for this), you will need to be a sharp field birder or botanist, with outstanding people skills, an unflappable temperament and a full, clean driving license

Main Duties

• Assisting one of our Operations Managers in the planning and execution of our industry-leading wildlife holidays
• Receiving and handle enquiries from our clients
• Liaising with our tour leaders regarding pre-trip information
• Compiling and distribute joining instructions and leader packs
• Helping to log and handle payments, dietary requirements, flight and seat requests
• Helping to collate holiday images and highlights for social media and e-marketing purposes
• Booking rental vehicles, train tickets, hotels and other services
• Helping to research and put together new holidays, and to occasionally travel with this purpose

Salary and benefits

• Negotiable depending on experience
• 20 days holiday plus bank holidays initially, climbing to 25 days
• Beautiful rural office surroundings in Jane Austen’s village of Chawton
• Fun-loving, wildlife-obsessed colleagues
• Opportunities for travel

This is an opportunity to combine a passion for the natural world with a rewarding position at the market-leading wildlife tour operator. The successful applicant will be an energetic, wildlife and travel expert joining our Tailormade team to market, design and sell unique wildlife experiences to those clients of ours who prefer not to travel as part of a group. The role will include the packaging of such new destinations and, more importantly, all aspects of both the organisation and operation of Naturetrek Tailormade itineraries to both these new, and existing, Naturetrek destinations. Existing travel trade experience is strongly desired although not essential, as well as being a keen naturalist, and having a wide-ranging travel experience. Most importantly, the successful applicant will require meticulous administration skills, attention to detail, accuracy, common sense, good literacy and numeracy skills, a confident telephone manner, motivation within a busy office, and a natural ability for flexibility and negotiation. Computer competence is also essential.

The role will be office-based, offering advice to Naturetrek clients, using both phone and email, dealing with hotels, airlines, local ground operators, guides and other suppliers. Tour leading opportunities may also be available to appropriate candidates, as well as occasional opportunities to travel and research destinations.

Salary
A competitive remuneration package (plus pension contributions), commensurate with experience, is offered. You will also have the advantage of occasional discounted holidays offered by our suppliers and tourist boards.

Hours & contract information
Hours: Full-time (9am – 5.30pm, or similar) 
Holiday: 20 days initially, climbing to 25 days plus Bank Holidays 
New position: Yes
Replacement position: No 
Closing date: Open

This role is for a position within our Reservations & Customer Support team. Strong customer service skills, an excellent telephone manner and meticulous attention to detail is essential. Confident IT skills, including a proficiency in MS Office, are also preferred, as is an interest in wildlife and/or travel. Full time position. Phone Annie Dale at Naturetrek on 01962 733051. Send a C.V. with a handwritten letter to Naturetrek, Mingledown Barn, Wolf’s Lane, Chawton, Hampshire GU34 3HJ.

Hours & contract information
Hours: Full-time (9am – 5.30pm, or similar)
Holiday: 20 days, initially, plus Bank Holidays 
Replacement position: No
Closing date: Open

Although not actively recruiting, we will accept CVs from expert and enthusiastic ornithologists and naturalists, and especially botanists, preferably with wide all-round natural history knowledge and experience, to lead Naturetrek’s natural history tour groups overseas on a freelance basis, particularly to Europe, but also to Africa, Asia, Australasia, the Americas, and occasionally to the Arctic and Antarctica. We are not currently accepting CVs for whale-watching/marine life guides or African safari guides.

As well as being an expert birder, naturalist or botanist, with a portfolio of overseas experience relevant to Naturetrek destinations, a successful applicant will need to be a natural organiser and communicator, gregarious and outgoing. A good sense of humour, positive outlook and the ability to make each holiday fun, as well as educational, are further essential qualities. As well as organising, managing and leading each group, applicants may also need to demonstrate experience of driving a 9-seater minibus (used on some western European tours) and the ability to be calm and proactive in problem-solving situations.

An ability to present clear post-tour accounts (with receipts for expenditure), and to write well and to produce post-tour natural history ‘tour reports’, preferably illustrated with images taken on tour, is also required. Additional work may include overseas tour research and the enhancement of the Naturetrek programme of natural history tours.

Salary/fee
Negotiable, and depending on experience.

Terms & contract information
Employment: Freelance, per-tour contract, though some tour leaders are full-time, salaried staff members.
Hours: On call 24 hours each day whilst on tour

The successful applicant will be a well-travelled and experienced wildlife expert to combine the management of a portfolio of Naturetrek holidays (from our Mingledown Barn  office, near Alton, Hampshire) with the leadership of around four to five tours each year. In addition, the successful applicant will be asked to actively improve and develop our holiday product by visiting and researching new regions each year. The role will include the packaging of such new destinations and, more importantly, all aspects of the both the organisation and operation of Naturetrek tours to both these new and existing Naturetrek destinations.

As well as expert wildlife and travel knowledge, the successful applicant will require meticulous administration skills, attention to detail, accuracy, common sense, good literacy and numeracy skills, a confident telephone manner, motivation within a busy office, and a natural ability for flexibility and negotiation. Wide-ranging computer skills are also essential. Previous travel trade experience is preferred, but not essential. When not leading or researching tours, the role will be office-based, dealing with hotels, airlines, local ground operators, tour leaders and other suppliers, as well as offering advice to Naturetrek clients, using both phone and email.

Salary
A good salary package (plus rewarding incentive scheme and pension contributions), commensurate with experience, is negotiable. You will also have the advantage of occasional discounted holidays offered by our suppliers and tourist boards.

Hours & contract information
Hours: Full-time (9am – 5.30pm, or similar)
Holiday: 20 days, initially, plus Bank Holidays 
New position: Yes – due to business expansion
Replacement position: No
Closing date: Open

Applicants should have meticulous attention to detail, accuracy, knowledge of airlines, routes, booking processes and ticketing procedures. The role would best suit a hard-working and conscientious travel industry professional.

Alternatively we would consider a bright, keen recent graduate (travel and tourism or other discipline) who would like to train on the job, working with a highly professional team of wildlife travel specialists.

We have a lovely rural office location on the outskirts of Alton, Hampshire, free parking and an active social scene.

Salary
A competitive remuneration package (plus pension contributions), commensurate with experience, is offered. You will also have the advantage of occasional discounted holidays offered by our suppliers and tourist boards.

Hours & contract information
Hours: Full-time (9am – 5.30pm, or similar) 
Holiday: 20 days, initially, plus Bank Holidays 
Replacement position: No
Closing date: Open