Office Administrator The XTC Dive Center resort, located in the coastal fishing village of Xcalak, Mexico, is looking for a special individual to come and run our offices in paradise.
XTC Dive Center is a world-class scuba diving and watersports resort. Located within the Xcalak Reef National Marine Park a strictly protected region of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and 36 nautical miles from the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve, XTC (which stands for Xcalak to Chinchorro ) is the only dive operation running in both locales, and the only privately owned company with a permit for diving the pristine reefs and abandoned shipwrecks of Banco Chinchorro. XTC Dive Center and its divisions (recreational, technical and professional diving, watersports and flyfishing), along with the Flying Cloud Hotel and The Coral Bar and Grill, operate as sister businesses. They share physical and soft infrastructure, and work symbiotically to offer end-to-end hospitality products that include lodging, excursions and meals. Each business unit is run by an onsite General Manager who handles its daily operations, human resource management and business development. For this new, admin level position, we are searching for a key team member to run (and build on) the administrative common core shared by our business units
in Xcalak, and to actively and significantly contribute to our success by working closely with the General Managers in administrative operations. As the Office Administrator will often be the first and last point of contact with our customers, the most important attributes we require for this position are superior interpersonal and communication skills, both in person and in writing, and experience and training in sales best-practices, via email, social media and in person. Beyond being an accomplished customer service/sales professional is his or her own right, the Administrator will routinely deliver sales training sessions for our staff, to make sure our entire team performs to the highest standards. So, aptitude and experience in training is highly desirable. And, given the breadth and depth of administrative duties related to financial reporting, accounting, etc., some formal training and experience in financial management is necessary, as is advanced-level use of MS Office applications. We offer an attractive compensation package that includes a competitive salary, benefits and performance-based bonuses.
Duties and Responsibilities Client Communication and Sales (mainly via email) Daily tasks and responsibilities will include responding to all incoming email inquiries in a timely manner (the goal is 1 to 2 hours; maximum time is 3 to 4 hours), and to a very high standard. And while it is important to respond to every question our customers have, it is even more important to read into customers underlying needs and wants, then put together offers that exceed their expectations and allow us to successfully and regularly upsell. This requires a certain degree of familiarity with travel/leisure and/or hospitality sales, and trip or experience building. We have multiple incoming email addresses for our different businesses, both B2C and B2B. The Administrator will be responsible for overseeing them all and delegating follow-up tasks to other team members accordingly. The Administrator will also manage our customer database, making sure that it is updated throughout the sales process. For example, the team member answering a customer inquiry must first search the database to determine if we have had contact with that customer previously. If we have, the team member determines what that contact entailed (e.g., an inquiry that didn t turn into a sale; a previous visit, etc.), then incorporate the information into the new email response and update the database. If we have not had contact with the customer before, a new database entry is created and updated as appropriate. When a sale is made, the Administrator will ensure the customer receives an invoice that was correctly generated from our invoicing system, and that the customer has the correct information to pay it based on their preferred payment form (e.g., credit card, wire transfer in Mexico or the USA, etc.), and then, liaise with our offsite accounting department to confirm that payment was received. Once payment has been confirmed on our end, the Administrator will contact the client
Duties and Responsibilities to confirm payment receipt, and to forward any and all information they might need for their upcoming trip (usually contained in in a PDF). The Administrator will also follow up on subsequent payments due from the client, if any, according to agreed-upon terms. office/reception area where walk-in guests are greeted, and an adjacent retail shop where we stock a mix of necessities (sunscreen, aftersun, etc.), branded items such as apparel (t-shirts, rash guards, etc.), custom art items, and a selection of gear (masks, fins, snorkels, etc.) for sale. This reception area doubles as After a sale is made, the Administrator will the front desk for the Flying Cloud Hotel, and generate different checklists, complete with all is the base for most hotel check-in, check-out necessary information, so that our operations and concierge services. The Administrator staff can provide superior customer service. will oversee these processes are carried out These checklists involve different platforms smoothly and to a high standard of service. and applications, and include details such The Administrator will also make sure the as: dates of arrival and departure (calendar sales floor and displays are well-stocked, clean management), activities booked, meals and attractive, along with managing inventory requested, special requests/preferences, etc. and supply orders. The XTC reception office will be the Administrator s main workspace, where he/she will routinely meet and greet In-Person Customer Service and Administration any walk-in guests and attend to their needs (typically: inquiries about diving, fishing and The Administrator will be our customer other excursions, hotel/restaurant services, or reception onsite, which consists of a single purchases from the retail shop).
Duties and Responsibilities On the diving/excursion side of the business, the Administrator will ensure that all divers/ clients fill out the appropriate release forms and/or waivers, and that these documents are archived appropriately upon the clients departure. For scuba diving courses, further paperwork may be required. house intranet (Confluence) where procedure manuals are kept, but also effective use of other applications such as Basecamp, Highrise, MS Excel, as well as accounting and POS systems. The Administrator will be help produce financial reporting onsite. This includes: daily sales and expense reports, cash management, Staff Training and Financial Reporting an in-house Boat Log that helps us determine daily profit/loss based on The Office Administrator will develop training operations, calculating accrued commissions materials for other team members, including XTC for staff and other important information. Divemaster interns, and will personally conduct formal training sessions to make sure other staff The Administrator will liaise with other and interns are qualified to independently and managers to work on budgets (payroll, competently cover reception duties. procurement, maintenance, etc.) and in turn, work with our Corporate Operations Manager The Administrator will work with our on site to ensure all regular and irregular expenses are Operations Manager to develop SOPs for all budgeted in a timely manner and all payments administrative tasks that can be referenced are made correctly and on time, whether onsite online as needed. This includes use of an inor via wire transfer.
About Our Company XTC Dive Center has been in business for more than 20 years and has earned a reputation for stellar customer service. Our tenured and experienced staff knows their craft well, and we work with a network of trusted local partners throughout the region that meet our high standards of quality and service. We accommodate a wide range of customers in terms of group size, interest (big animals, photography, technical diving, training, etc.) and budget. The common thread among our guests has always been and remains: a keen interest in unique experiences. We have designed our company and infrastructure around our clients needs and we continuously look for ways to better cater to them. Our Values XTC is committed to environmental conservation and sustainable tourism. We have developed specialized protocol for diving in fragile environments, and we ensure that our staff, partners and guests are properly trained before they dive. Our trips are supported by local, independently run businesses, and we incorporate local cultural elements and native artisanal products whenever possible. Designed as a 100-percent self-contained facility, XTC Dive Center features elaborate systems for conserving fresh water and reducing waste, including a biodigestive septic system for complete wastewater treatment. On principal, XTC does not buy any plastics, nor does the restaurant serve any seafood (other than the invasive lion fish). We are also committed to sustainable communities on dry land: By paying fair wages and employing our staff year-round, we provide stable jobs and help to keep money circulating in the local economy. Our Culture While our various branches specialize in different things, our company culture always nourishes individuals who strive to achieve high performance, and who value freedom
and responsibility over structure and stability. Although we are in the diving/eco-tourism industry and we often operate in remote locations, we are also a modern, growing company with international partners and ambitious expansion plans. We are run by a team of like-minded, international staff who do seek to escape the rat race, but aren t afraid of working very smart (but also hard), to do so in a rewarding field and environment. We don t measure people by how hard they work or how much they are in the office; we care about accomplishing great work. We highly value performance, freedom and responsibility. We value context over control (Context: strategy, metrics, assumptions, objectives, clearly-defined roles, knowledge of the stakes, transparency around decisionmaking; Control: top-down decision making, management approval, committees, planning and process valued more than results), aiming for highly aligned but loosely coupled business units (read: as little bureaucracy as possible). We offer competitive commissions and salaries, and we assist with immigration/visa applications when necessary. Additionally, we provide our staff with many opportunities for promotion and professional development, including a 50 percent discount on all dive training courses. Our team is comprised of a mix of nationalities and backgrounds. In vetting potential applicants and in working together day-to-day, XTC does not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, age, race or ethnicity. We seek only the best of the best in terms of top qualifications, relevant experience and flawless references. Daily Life in Xcalak The fishing village of Xcalak, Mexico (population ~ 400), located just north of the border with Belize, has become a model for sustainable eco-tourism. Over the past decade in particular, local and national groups have successfully implemented a plan to protect and preserve this natural area, blocking overdevelopment and gentrification. Xcalak is about a 2-hour drive from Chetumal, the state capital, and 4 hours from Playa del Carmen. Most international visitors arrive via Cancun airport. Despite its remote location, or perhaps because of it, this area is home to some of the most spectacular, untouched dive sites on the Yucatán Peninsula. It offers visitors and staff the opportunity to enjoy a pristine marine environment far away from the crowds.
Although we at XTC work hard, especially during busy holiday periods, we are fortunate to do so in an idyllic, peaceful location where we are close to nature, and of course, doing what we love to do best. Day-to-day life in Xcalak is slow-paced and, both by choice and by necessity, ecologically conscious. Housing is very inexpensive in Xcalak, and because it is a small village on a peninsula, it is not necessary to own a private vehicle. There are a few small, locally owned restaurants in town. Fresh fruit and veggies are delivered by truck a few times a week, and basic supplies are available in the local tiendas. Cell phone service can be intermittent and internet access is best described as temperamental. And while it is certainly well worth the effort, it takes a certain level of competence and confidence to live off the grid. For example, we pump our own well water and connect our own cooking gas. In most houses, a generator is needed to top off the available solar and/or wind power. Needless to say, Xcalak is a quiet place. In addition to the local village population, there are a few ex-pats living along the coast. However, there is not a lot of activity in in the village in the evenings, other than the occasional town party which means, not everyone will love the lifestyle here. The dive shop is generally the focal point of social activity for our staff, with frequent movie nights, poker nights and barbecues. When hiring a new team member, we look for people who not only have superlative qualifications and references and who actually really want to live here but also for people who want to help us create and sustain this community. Cancu Can nccun un Merida Playa Pl ayya D aya Del ell Carm Carm armen men Coz Co ozum zume zu um mel m el Tulum Sian Ka an Biosphere p Reserve Mahahuall Banco ncco Chinchorro nchor chorrro Biosphere pherree phere p Reserve rvve Chetumal maa Xcalak X calak ak GUATEMALA BELIZE San Pedro (Belize) Xccalak Xcalak l k la National N Na ation nal al Marine M arine arine Park P arkk ark
How to apply Please send a full CV, references and cover letter addressed to Daniel Ponce Taylor, Executive VP of XTC Dive Center, to dan@thechilamgroup.com We look forward to hearing from you!