Local Partnership Development Specialist – Tourism Network

About the role

The Local Partnership Development Specialist will lead the sourcing, evaluation and onboarding of qualified local tour guides across South Africa. The role is central to expanding the company’s trusted network of guide partners and strengthening relationships with tourism associations, universities and community organisations.

Key responsibilities

• Source qualified tour guides through directories, tourism associations, social media, guide marketplaces, university programmes, tourism offices, referrals and community groups.
• Build and maintain relationships with university tourism departments, lecturers, student organisations and alumni networks to enrich the candidate pipeline.
• Conduct comprehensive background research on prospective guides, covering specialties, language skills, certifications, customer reviews and online presence.
• Perform structured screening interviews to assess professionalism, communication, storytelling ability, destination knowledge, safety awareness and operational readiness.
• Evaluate and rank candidates using standardized criteria while keeping an organised pipeline of qualified partners.
• Prepare concise candidate profiles, highlighting strengths, weaknesses and market‑fit for management review.
• Negotiate basic partnership terms and coordinate onboarding activities, including contracts, scheduling, pricing guidance and operational set‑up.
• Continuously identify and test new sourcing channels such as community organisations, tourism job boards, alumni networks and industry events.

Required profile

• Proven experience in partnership development or guide recruitment within the tourism sector.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills for building relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to conduct structured interviews and assess candidate suitability objectively.
• Excellent research skills to verify credentials, certifications and online reputation.
• Organised, detail‑oriented approach to managing a pipeline of candidates and partnership contracts.

Required skills

• Proficiency in using online directories, social media platforms and guide marketplaces for talent sourcing.
• Experience with structured interview techniques and candidate assessment frameworks.
• Negotiation skills for partnership agreements.
• Strong written communication for preparing candidate profiles and recommendations.