Tour Operations Lead

Lost Plate is a multi-country food tour company creating authentic, small-group culinary experiences for travelers who want to discover Vietnam through its food, neighborhoods, stories, and local people. Our tours are built around strong local knowledge, reliable daily operations, excellent guest care, and close coordination with guides, vendors, and restaurant partners. We are looking for an experienced, highly motivated Vietnam Tour Operations Lead to oversee our tours in Vietnam, including HCMC and Hanoi. This role owns the full operational performance of Vietnam: guiding tours and multi-day trips, tour design and execution, team leadership, product quality, and financial performance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1 Tour Leading
- Lead weekly small-group food tours in HCMC
- Lead occasional multi-day trips across Vietnam
2 Tour Logistics and Performance
- Coordinate all routes, vendors, transportation, and scheduling
- Manage tour capacity, guide coverage, and demand forecasting
- Maintain strong relationships with local partners and suppliers
- Coordinate hotel booking, transportation, guide, and vendors for all multi-day trips across vietnam
- Negotiate supplier prices for our tour and multi-day trip
3 Guide Leadership & Development
- Recruit, train, and manage full-time and part-time guides
- Provide structured, ongoing performance feedback based on tour data and customer reviews
- Develop and maintain training materials, SOPs, and tour handbooks that follow Lost Plate standards
- Build a strong team culture focused on accountability, performance, and guest experience
4 Customer Experience & Quality Control
- Own customer satisfaction metrics (NPS, reviews, feedback trends)
- Monitor tours regularly and implement improvements based on feedback
- Identify issues proactively and resolve escalated customer situations
- Ensure every tour consistently delivers a high-quality, consistent, and memorable experience
5 Tour Design & Product Development
- Design, refine, and optimize tour routes and experiences
- Source and manage relationships with local restaurants, vendors, and partners
- Continuously improve product offerings based on guest feedback and operational insights
- Maintain deep knowledge of the local food scene and evolving opportunities
6 Financial Performance & Cost Control
- Own tour-level profitability and overall Vietnam margins
- Track and manage expenses across guides, vendors, and logistics
- Identify cost optimization opportunities without sacrificing quality
- Oversee guide reimbursements and monitor spending behavior
7 Data, Reporting & KPIs
- Expert use of our online booking system and analytics reporting tool
- Track and report on key metrics, including NPS/customer satisfaction, profit margins, and tour performance
- Use data to identify trends, diagnose issues, and drive improvements
- Contribute to forecasting, reporting, and operational planning