Travel Product Manager - Japan

Job no: 523793
Work type: Full time
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Wholesale & Product

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About the opportunity 

Discova is seeking a highly motivated Product Designer Team Leader to lead the product strategies across Japan. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in the region's travel industry to develop innovative travel products that cater to customer trends and market demands from our clients. The ideal candidate will provide insightful leadership, ensuring Discova's offerings remain its place as market leaders. Combining your design and operational expertise with a strong commercial acumen, this role will bridge the gap between strategic vision and a unique product range that prioritizes authentic local experiences and delivers exceptional profitability. 

 

Key Responsibilities 

  • Collaborate on design standards, ensuring product competitiveness and profitability. 

  • Conduct research and benchmarking for all new products. 

  • Manage product portfolio, catering to diverse customer needs. 

  • Identify and address product gaps across destinations and themes. 

  • Analyze product design impact on metrics (search traffic, inquiries, bookings). 

  • Oversee product lifecycle from development to operation. 

  • Organize product familiarization trips for team & agents. 

  • Collaborate with marketing, sales, and business development on product effectiveness. 

  • Stay updated on travel trends and share knowledge internally. 

  • Manage supplier selection for multiday itineraries. 

  • Oversee product selection for high-value tenders and agent renewals. 

  • Champion Discova products to sales teams and agents, highlighting competitive advantages. 

  • Conduct regular product training for sales teams. 

  • Partner with overseas teams to understand B2B customer needs. 

  • Manage and maintain product contracts following "One Best Way" standards. 

  • Ensure quality and safety standards during product inspections. 

  • Source content, images, and product information for appropriate loading. 

  • Timely deliver costings and updates to ensure product accuracy and speed-to-market. 

  • Collaborate with the load team to prioritize product loading based on needs and preferences. 

  • Maintain accurate attribute tagging for products. 

  • Provide product itineraries for sales and product teams. 

  • Advocate for "One Best Way" practices within the department for efficiency and effectiveness. 

  • Lead the team in achieving strategic business goals. 

  • Support team member development and well-being. 

  • Build strong internal and external relationships through excellent communication. 

  • Be self-directed, motivated, and able to set goals, learn independently, and solve problems. 

Key Leadership Competencies 

  • Lead by example in behaviour, attitude, and performance. 

  • Provide clear, concise, and timely feedback. 

  • Align personally with Discova's values and philosophies. 

  • Effectively use Discova Communication Systems and AM Planner and participate in Weekly Business Meetings. 

  • Share information transparently to inspire team members. 

  • Develop personal development plans for each team member. 

  • Coach and mentor team members. 

  • Support ongoing training and development of team members. 

  • Empower team members through appropriate delegation and training. 

  • Develop strategies to improve business results and manage contingencies. 

  • Create a supportive, connected, and empowering environment. 

  • Demonstrate constructive conflict resolution skills. 

  • Create a vision and obtain buy-in from the team. 

  • Drive business and team success using the vision and business plan. 

  • Set and work to achieve daily goals and deadlines. 

  • Communicate daily with the team about individual and team sales targets. 

  • Set clear expectations, follow up, and outline consequences. 

  • Encourage and assist team members in solving their challenges. 

  • Ensure business objectives are met. 

  • Conduct monthly one-on-one performance reviews with team members, providing fair, concise, and timely feedback. 

 

About You 

The Essentials 

  • A bachelor’s degree or a minimum of five years' experience in product development and management. 

  • Comprehensive knowledge of the travel industry and a thorough understanding of Discova destinations. 

  • Fluency in both written and spoken English. 

  • Extensive travel to or experience living in our destinations is a strong advantage. 

  • A minimum of twelve months' experience in team leadership is required. 

The attributes 

  • Excellent problem-solving skills. A proven ability to identify, analyse and resolve complex issues. 

  • Customer-focused with a commitment to high service standards, dedicated to exceeding customer expectations and delivering exceptional service. 

  • The ability to clearly and concisely communicate ideas and information to a variety of audiences, both verbally and in writing. 

  • A keen understanding of business principles (commercial acumen) and the ability to analyse data to inform decision-making through analytical insights. 

  • Meticulous attention to detail and strong time/priority management:  

  • Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, with confidence, in a cross-cultural environment. 

  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively 

  • Strong decision-making and leadership qualities 

  • Willingness to travel for business purposes regionally, and when needed, internationally 

  • A strong working knowledge of all the core Microsoft Office programs. 

  • This position is open for any nationality. 

 

About Discova 

As a leading regional destination management company operating in numerous destinations across South, East, and Southeast Asia, joining the Discova team means being in your element. 

 

Discova holds responsible travel at its core, working responsibly with customers, host communities and local business partners to offer the best value, highly rated experiences with customer satisfaction as a hallmark of their service. As a company, we provide thrilling global career advancement opportunities, a wonderful and supportive team culture, distinctive leave benefits, and social events that stand out in the industry. 

 

Discova’s people are homegrown—95% are locals, blending local know-how with an understanding of what makes a Discova trip to their home country special. 

 

To be part of the Discova family is to be in your element, and being in your element means being the best you can be in any situation, doing what you love, whatever your role, being valued for who you are and what you do, continuing to grow as the world changes, and joining a family that creates a world of possibilities. 
 

To learn more about Discova click: https://www.discova.com/ 

 

Work Perks! 

What's in it for you: We are renowned internationally for having amazing perks and an even better culture. We understand that our people are our most valuable asset. The passion and dedication of our teams keep the company on top of the industry ladder. That's also why we offer some great employee benefits and perks outside of the norm. 

 

Have fun: At the heart of everything we do at Discova is a desire to have fun. Reward and Recognition: Celebrate your and others' success at our regular Buzz Nights and the annual Global Gathering—you'll have to experience it to believe it! 
 

Use your smarts: Our people always use their quick thinking, expertise, and tenacity to figure things out. 

 

Love for travel: We were founded by people who wanted to travel and wanted others to do the same. That passion is evident in our people and service. From travel discounts to inspection trips, travel invigorates, and this transcends into our culture. 

 

Be appreciated: Our benefits go beyond the industry standards as we truly value those seeking growth with Discova for an extended period. Working holidays, extended leave and work anniversary benefits are all part of the Discova philosophy. 

 

Personal connections: We are a big business founded on personal relationships. "We work globally, live locally" is one of our credos that really makes a difference in our world of travel possibilities. 

 

A career, not a job: We offer genuine opportunities for people to grow and evolve. We back our people all the way, regardless of the results. We are firmly committed to supporting every employee's professional and personal development. 

 

Giving Back: As one of the very few, we are proud to provide corporate social responsibility programmes across all our departments. These programmes support nominated charities through workplace giving, promote volunteering, and support fundraising initiatives through our employee giving and office environmental Programmes. All our employees can even enjoy one volunteer day per calendar year. We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected to continue the process will be contacted. 

 
 

Exclusivity Notice: We are not currently engaging with external recruitment agencies for this specified position. Any applications received through a recruitment agency will be considered under the sole ownership of Discova. Should the situation change, we will communicate any updates accordingly 

Advertised: Tokyo Standard Time
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