Commercial Manager - Zambia
Job Description
ORGANISATION: Bangweulu Wetlands
LOCATION: Nkondo
REPORTING TO: Park Manager
African Parks – Bangweulu, engaged in the protection and rehabilitation of the Bangweulu Wetlands, the Commercial & Enterprise Manager will be responsible for devising and implementing best-suited, sustainable and efficient revenue streams that are critical to ensure the park’s long-term viability.
MAIN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Tourism
- Negotiate and supervise all relevant third-parties tourism agreements.
- Manage, develop and maximize our current partnership with tourism operators in Bangweulu Wetlands.
- Design, set-up and run first tourism products, with a view to target national and niche international market and develop innovative offers, taking inspiration from and capitalize on successful, outstanding offers developed in other APN Parks.
- Devise and implement a marketing and communication plan in collaboration with the Media & Communications Manager to boost Bangweulu Wetlands
- ’s visibility as a top nature and wildlife destination in Zambia.
- Coordinate with Operations and Research & Monitoring Departments to scale up existing facilities and co-create research related tourism attractions.
- Recruit, train and manage staff, with a focus on local workforce and field-guide development.
- Build and manage key relationships with tour operators, travel trade partners and other key role players in tourism, while ensuring synergies and economies of scale with other APN parks.
- Manage and coordinate all guided tourism activities, with a focus on quality, safety and guest satisfaction.
- Manage and ensure tourist revenue collection as well as associated administrative requirements such as indemnity forms, entry and exit permits etc.
- Monitor and manage efficiencies within all tourism operations to maximize net revenues
- Manage and maintain appropriate customer feedback mechanisms and market surveys
- Maintain and develop key visitor information for the park e.g. newsletter, Facebook page, Trip Advisor, web pages, road signage, and media publications.
- Report performance (visitor statistics, revenues, P&L, etc.) on a monthly and annual basis
Business Development
- Implement and manage case studies (in partnership with Research & Monitoring, Community Development and Human Wildlife Conflict departments) to identify the best suited Income Generating Activities to develop throughout the park, focusing on sustainable bush meat, fish harvesting, honey production, small-scale logging and other vegetation exploitation in the eco development zone of the park as well as its periphery.
- Investigate and, if relevant, implement carbon sales in coordination with APN Head Office Business Development.
- Identify funding partners as well as private or institutional investors.
- Design, develop and manage MOUs with implementing partners.
- Identify and exploit synergies with regional partners with the objective to develop sustainable value chains at a national level.
- Ensure and maximize market access and distribution.
- Ensure quality monthly and annual reporting to Park Manager.
Other Ad-hoc Tasks
- Be cognizant of the wider implications of the project, working effectively with other African Parks functions in-country and sometimes at regional level.