Ground Operations Manager Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

We’re hiring an experienced Tour Operations Manager to own end-to-end planning, coordination, and logistics execution across a portfolio of multi-day affinity travel tours. Working hand-in-hand with brand leads and a dedicated tour marketer, you’ll be the operational backbone of the business. This is a role that requires hitting the ground running, bringing established industry relationships and working vendor networks, as well as experience working with on-the-ground operators. You'll serve passionate audiences and work within a dynamic and agile team poised to grow this business through exceptional experience.

Vendor & Partner Network

– Activate existing relationships with local ground operators and destination specialists in key domestic and international markets.

– Leverage active consortium or host agency memberships (Virtuoso, Travel Leaders, Signature, or equivalent) to deliver preferred rates, priority inventory, and added amenities across the portfolio of experiences.

– Evaluate on an ongoing basis when to self-operate versus hand off to a trusted operating partner, and manage those relationships with clear performance expectations, brand standards, and financial terms.

– Manage the submission and processing of vendor invoices in coordination with the accounting department to ensure timely and accurate payments.

– Benchmark vendor pricing through consortium relationships and competitive sourcing, bringing measurable efficiency to each tour’s P&L.

Planning & Logistics

– Build and manage master operations timelines for tours— vendor confirmations, rooming lists, payment schedules, and participant communications.

– Develop itineraries in close collaboration with brand leads, ensuring each experience reflects the editorial identity and audience expectations of each distinct brand.

– Manage trip budgets from planning through reconciliation, tracking costs against budgeted revenue and contribution margin targets.

– Prepare complete trip operations documents: run-of-show, rooming lists, meal selections, transfer manifests, and emergency protocols.

– Serve as a liaison with the customer service team for each tour, addressing operational matters and responding to general inquiries to ensure a seamless experience for participants.

– Demonstrate proficiency in managing and populating tour landing pages, collaborating closely with the development team to ensure accuracy, functionality, and a polished user experience.

– Initiate and oversee final customer invoicing, ensuring all charges are accurate and payments are requested promptly upon project completion.

– Travel on select tours as Tour Director or deploy and manage on-site tour directors to maintain consistent hospitality standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

– Partner with brand leads on destination selection, itinerary design, and brand-specific programming — expert speakers, exclusive access, editorial tie-ins, etc.

– Work closely with the tour marketer on registration timelines, pricing, capacity management, and go/no-go decisions on minimum thresholds.

– Serve as a liaison with the customer service team for each tour, addressing operational matters and responding to general inquiries to ensure a seamless experience for participants.

– Demonstrate proficiency in managing and populating tour landing pages, collaborating closely with the development team to ensure accuracy, functionality, and a polished user experience.

– Debrief after every tour with brand leads, the marketer, and vendors to continuously raise the bar on product quality.

Participant Experience

– Oversee pre-departure communications: welcome packets, packing guides, health and mobility requirements, pre-trip Q&A.

– Manage participant special requests — dietary needs, accessibility, roommate pairings — with care and discretion.

– Serve as the AIM point of contact to manage in-trip problem resolution calmly and decisively.

– Vendor and travel expert networks that you can activate immediately.

– Established relationships with local ground operators in domestic and international markets.

– 3+ years in group travel operations or destination management with direct responsibility for international multi-day itineraries of 12–25+ participants.

– Proven track record managing vendor contracts and partnerships across multiple countries, with the judgment to know when to partner versus self-operate.

Additional Experience:

– Strong financial acumen — comfortable owning per-tour P&Ls, tracking margin, and identifying cost savings without compromising quality.

– Exceptional organizational skills; able to manage 12+ tours in various stages of planning without dropping a detail.

– A natural collaborator, equally comfortable presenting itinerary options to an editorial brand lead as they are negotiating terms with an outside vendor.

– Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, including accompanying select tours on an as needed basis.

– Background in affinity, alumni, or special-interest travel working alongside editorial or media brands.

– Multilingual skills

– Professional certifications in travel and tourism (e.g., CTA, CTC, CTP, or similar credentials) are a plus

Active Interest Media values diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.