Background

Summit Recruitment & Search was established in 2009 to address the recruitment, mass recruitment, executive search, outsourcing and training needs of companies based in Kenya or wanting to enter the Kenyan, East African, South African and African market. We have a leading proven track record in our field in South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rw...

Role Context

The successful candidate will lead the central reservation functions for their East African portfolio. He/She will be the strategic heartbeat of their booking operations, responsible for maximizing group revenue through meticulous inventory management, high-conversion inquiry handling, and the seamless integration of AI-driven booking tools. He/She will ensure that every guest’s journey begins with the world-class hospitality that East Africa is known for.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive yield optimization through static and dynamic pricing strategies in collaboration with Revenue Management, ensuring rate parity across all channels.
• Control and allocate inventory for groups, weddings, and corporate retreats to maximize occupancy and ADR.
• Monitor market and competitor performance using tools such as STR and Lighthouse to adjust positioning in real time.
• Lead, mentor, and upskill centralized and remote reservations teams, embedding a “sales-through-service” culture.
• Implement and optimize digital solutions including PMS platforms and AI chatbots to improve efficiency and guest response times.
• Define and track KPIs focused on conversion, upselling, and overall revenue contribution.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with key trade partners, while personally overseeing VIP and high-security bookings.
• Produce revenue forecasts and pickup reports, while developing and auditing SOPs to ensure operational consistency and compliance.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5+ years in senior reservations roles, including at least 2 years at multi-property or group level.
• Strong regional expertise in the East African tourism circuit (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda), with Safari Lodge experience highly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in PMS (Res Request or Opera), CRS, and Channel Managers (e.g. SiteMinder), with exposure to AI-driven booking tools.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to convert complex data into effective sales and revenue strategies.
• High cultural intelligence and proven experience managing diverse, multi-national teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, with Swahili as a strong advantage.

• Drive yield optimization through static and dynamic pricing strategies in collaboration with Revenue Management, ensuring rate parity across all channels.
• Control and allocate inventory for groups, weddings, and corporate retreats to maximize occupancy and ADR.
• Monitor market and competitor performance using tools such as STR and Lighthouse to adjust positioning in real time.
• Lead, mentor, and upskill centralized and remote reservations teams, embedding a “sales-through-service” culture.
• Implement and optimize digital solutions including PMS platforms and AI chatbots to improve efficiency and guest response times.
• Define and track KPIs focused on conversion, upselling, and overall revenue contribution.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with key trade partners, while personally overseeing VIP and high-security bookings.
• Produce revenue forecasts and pickup reports, while developing and auditing SOPs to ensure operational consistency and compliance.

• Proficiency in PMS (Res Request or Opera), CRS, and Channel Managers (e.g. SiteMinder)
• Exposure to AI-driven booking tools
• Analytical skills
• Cultural intelligence
• Verbal and written communication skills in English
• Swahili (strong advantage)

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5+ years in senior reservations roles, including at least 2 years at multi-property or group level.
• Strong regional expertise in the East African tourism circuit (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda), with Safari Lodge experience highly preferred.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to convert complex data into effective sales and revenue strategies.
• High cultural intelligence and proven experience managing diverse, multi-national teams.