Senior Travel Designer / Travel Concierge

Senior Travel Designer / Travel Concierge

Memorii Journeys | Cape Town | Full-time | R40,000 to R45,000 per month, cost to company, plus a quarterly performance bonus.

Memorii Journeys is an ultra-luxury travel network. We curate private homes, villas, yachts, boutique cruises, safaris and private-tier experiences worldwide, and we deliver them through partner programmes serving the world's top travellers.

We are growing, and we are contimnuing to building out our travel design team in Cape Town, South Africa, serving a global client base.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Travel Designer and Travel Concierge who combines real travel expertise with exceptional client service, strong supplier relationships, and the ability to carry a bespoke journey from concept to completion.

The Opportunity

This is a client-facing role for a confident, polished and highly experienced travel professional who understands what ultra-luxury travellers expect.

You will work closely with clients to understand their preferences, uncover what matters most to them, and design personalised journeys that go beyond what they asked for.

You will take ownership of the whole travel design process, from the first consultation and itinerary development through to supplier coordination, booking and ongoing client support. You will have real latitude in how you do it.

Key Responsibilities

Client Management and Travel Design

• Build strong, trusted relationships with discerning international clients.
• Consult with clients to understand their travel preferences, interests, expectations and budgets.
• Design highly personalised, bespoke itineraries and experiences across the globe.
• Recommend distinctive destinations, ultra-luxury accommodation, private villas, yachts, cruises and private-access activities.
• Deliver a warm, polished and professional client experience throughout the journey.
• Communicate confidently with American and European clients.
• Act as first point of contact during live trips, resolving what you can and bringing me in when it matters.

Supplier and Destination Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with ultra-luxury travel suppliers and destination partners.
• Source suitable accommodation, experiences, transport and other travel services.
• Negotiate competitive rates, availability and value-added services.
• Work closely with destination management companies, hotels, villa providers, yacht operators and other travel partners.
• Maintain current knowledge of destinations, suppliers and ultra-luxury travel offerings worldwide.

Itinerary Development and Booking Management

• Prepare detailed, creative and compelling travel proposals.
• Manage the full booking process from initial enquiry through to final confirmation.
• Coordinate multiple suppliers and travel components so that delivery is seamless.
• Monitor booking details, confirmations, deadlines and special requirements.
• Manage amendments, client requests and unexpected challenges professionally.
• Own our itinerary platform, Safari Portal, and the standard of everything we build in it.
• Ensure every part of the journey reflects that client's individual requirements.

Minimum Requirements

• At least five years' experience in a travel agency, travel management company or ultra-luxury travel business, designing and selling travel.
• Strong experience designing and managing bespoke travel itineraries.
• Genuinely global destination knowledge. Our clients travel to Asia, Europe, Japan, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean as often as they travel in Africa, and experience limited to one region is a limitation rather than a qualification.
• A research method you can explain. We want to know how you satisfy yourself that a property or an experience is worth a client's money and will fulfill the brief.
• Fluency with AI in your daily work, and the confidence to challenge what it produces rather than take it at face value.
• Proven experience dealing directly with clients and managing the full booking lifecycle.
• Established supplier and destination-partner relationships.
• Excellent knowledge of travel suppliers, destinations, accommodation and experiences.
• Strong negotiation, organisation and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Confidence dealing with international clients, particularly those based in the United States and Europe.
• The ability to work independently, manage several client journeys at once and meet deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to service that clients notice.

The Ideal Candidate

We am looking for someone who is:

• Experienced. At least five years in the travel industry, with a real understanding of what bespoke travel involves.
• Entrepreneurial. You will see the whole business rather than a slice of it. We want someone who brings ideas, spots the opening we have not taken yet, and is energised by building something.
• Client-focused. Naturally warm, personable and confident with demanding, high-value clients.
• Well-connected. Established relationships with quality travel suppliers and destination partners.
• Commercially astute. Understands pricing, margins, supplier negotiation and where the value sits.
• Creative. Designs distinctive, meaningful journeys rather than assembling components.
• Technically fluent. Comfortable in itinerary platforms such as Safari Portal, Wetu or Travefy, and quick to become the expert in whichever we run on.
• Highly organised. Manages several itineraries, bookings, suppliers and client requirements at once without anything slipping.
• Polished and professional. Comfortable representing a premium international travel brand.
• Proactive and accountable. Takes ownership, anticipates what a client will need, and knows when to decide and when to bring me in.

The Practical Details

• Native English-speaking; additional languages a plus
• Cape Town based, full-time, employed locally on a South African contract.
• Working hours of roughly 12pm to 8pm so that we overlap the United States. Up for negotiation. Travelling clients occasionally need attention outside those hours.
• Remote, with the expectation to come to the office 2-3 times a week at in Cape Town CBD/Gardens area