IME Team Leader

Role Overview

This role places you at the heart of a well-established destination management company serving premium clients across East and Southern Africa. As IME Team Leader, you will take charge of the Incentives, Meetings and Events portfolio alongside leisure group travel, balancing commercial growth targets with flawless operational execution. Day to day, you will chase new business, shape compelling proposals, nurture key client relationships, and then oversee every logistical detail that turns a proposal into a successful event or group journey.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue revenue opportunities within the corporate, incentive, association and travel-trade segments, building a robust sales pipeline.
• Own the end-to-end client journey: lead exploratory conversations, understand client objectives, and convert briefs into tailored, commercially sound bids.
• Design detailed itineraries, quotations and presentation materials for conferences, incentive trips, exhibitions, corporate events and inbound leisure groups.
• Coordinate all on-the-ground elements of programme delivery, from venues, accommodation and transport to guides, entertainment and special experiences.
• Negotiate favourable rates and terms with hotels, ground handlers and other suppliers, while maintaining strong working relationships across the region.
• Monitor project profitability, margins and service standards, flagging operational risks early and adapting plans as conditions change.
• Supervise and develop the IME Assistant, ensuring workload is prioritised and quality remains consistent across every assignment.
• Represent the company at industry trade shows, roadshows and networking functions to raise its profile and generate qualified leads.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A degree or diploma in Tourism, Hospitality, Business, Events Management or a closely related discipline.
• At least five years of experience in tourism, destination management or hospitality, with no fewer than three years in a supervisory or team leadership capacity.
• Proven track record managing inbound leisure groups, conferences or incentive programmes from enquiry through successful completion.
• Demonstrated sales and business development ability, backed by strong client relationship management skills.
• Sharp commercial judgement, confident negotiation skills and the organisational discipline to manage multiple projects at once.
• Excellent written and spoken English, with clear, professional communication across proposals, presentations and client correspondence.
• Familiarity with Tourplan or Wetu is an advantage, as is fluency in an additional language relevant to the region.