Travel Operations & Concierge Executive - Italy

Travel Operations & Concierge Executive – Italy

Posted: 18.05.2026

Job reference: eab41ff81ffb34293e8d680a988ef022

BEFORE YOU APPLY - PLEASE READ

Please apply only if you meet ALL of the following non‑negotiable criteria. We receive a high volume of applications and can only consider candidates who match the brief:

• You are resident in Italy or the United Kingdom. Applications from other countries will not be considered.
• You are educated to university degree level. The subject of study is less important than the level of education, although a degree in travel, tourism, hospitality or a related field is a plus.
• You are fluent in written and verbal English, and have at least conversational Italian.
• You have demonstrable experience in a service, hospitality, concierge or coordination role where you have managed bookings, suppliers and live client communication. This does not need to come from the travel industry.
• You are comfortable being available to clients during their stays, including evenings and weekends in peak season (clients are predominantly US‑based).
• If based in Italy: you must already hold a VAT account (Partita IVA), or be willing to open one. This is non‑negotiable and applies to all Italy‑based hires. Please do not apply if you are not prepared to register as self‑employed.

Essenza Escapes is a luxury travel provider specialising in villa rentals and bespoke itineraries in Italy. We are looking for a Travel Operations & Concierge Executive to work alongside our Travel Planners, taking ownership of the booking, documentation and live‑trip support that turns a planned itinerary into a flawless guest experience.

This is a hybrid operations and concierge role. In the lead‑up to each trip, you will be confirming services, liaising with property owners and activity suppliers, and producing client‑facing travel documents. Once guests are on the ground, you become their point of contact via our in‑app messaging — handling last‑minute changes, requests, adjustments and any issues that arise during the stay, with calm and care.

It is not a heavily client‑facing role at the booking stage — the Travel Planner owns the client relationship — but during travel you become the friendly, capable voice making sure everything runs smoothly.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Pre‑trip

• Book and reconfirm villas, transfers, experiences and other services on behalf of the Travel Planners.
• Liaise with property owners and activity suppliers to lock in details, timings and special requests.
• Produce accurate, polished client travel documents (itineraries, vouchers, welcome packs).
• Maintain meticulous records in our CRM system so every detail is captured and accessible to the team.
• Flag risks, gaps or supplier issues to the Travel Planner ahead of arrival.

During travel

• Act as the client’s day‑to‑day point of contact via our app, responding promptly and warmly to messages.
• Handle last‑minute changes, restaurant bookings, additional experiences and on‑the‑ground requests.
• Resolve issues swiftly — a broken appliance, a weather change, a missed transfer — coordinating directly with owners and suppliers.
• Keep the Travel Planner informed of anything material, and elevate where needed.

Low season

• In quieter months, when fewer clients are travelling, you will support the wider team with a broader range of tasks. These may include property inspections in Italy, reviewing and refreshing supplier documentation, sourcing new activity providers, refining standard operating procedures, and contributing to projects that improve how we work.
• This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the role — it is when you get to deepen your destination knowledge, visit properties first‑hand and shape how we deliver.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• A service‑first mindset: you take genuine pride in looking after people and solving their problems.
• Exceptional organisation and attention to detail: you keep dozens of moving parts straight without dropping anything.
• Calm under pressure: when a client messages at 10pm about an issue, you respond promptly and reassuringly.
• Excellent written English: warm, professional and concise — this is how guests will mostly experience you.
• Conversational Italian: you can comfortably handle phone calls and emails with Italian‑speaking owners and suppliers.
• Confident with technology: CRM systems, Microsoft Office, messaging apps and digital tools. Experience with Zoho is a plus but not essential.
• Strong problem‑solving instincts: you think on your feet and find practical solutions quickly.
• Flexibility around US client hours: evening and weekend availability is part of the role during the travel season.
• Self‑motivated and disciplined: this is a remote role and requires real autonomy.
• A collaborative, no‑ego approach: you will work closely with a small, dynamic team.

Backgrounds That Tend to Map Well to This Role

Travel industry experience is welcome but not required. We have seen strong candidates come from adjacent service‑led backgrounds, including:

• Hotel concierge, guest relations or front office in luxury hotels and resorts.
• Reservations, guest experience or villa management in short‑term luxury rentals.
• Customer service or VIP support in premium consumer or lifestyle businesses.
• Event coordination or production (live logistics, last‑minute problem solving).
• Executive Assistant or personal assistant roles supporting high‑net‑worth individuals.
• Luxury retail with clienteling responsibilities.

Please note: we are looking for the service and coordination skills, not simply the industry exposure. If your CV does not demonstrate hands‑on guest, client or supplier coordination experience, please do not apply.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A competitive package based on the candidate’s profile (see note on salary below), plus a performance‑based bonus.
• Fully remote working, with travel within Italy throughout the year.
• Bi‑annual company workshops in Italy or the UK.
• Opportunities to stay in our luxury properties and experience our product first‑hand.
• A warm, ambitious and supportive team within a fast‑growing company.
• Genuine long‑term career progression.

A Note on Salary

Salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis, depending on the candidate’s experience, skills, market knowledge and overall profile. Any salary figures shown on LinkedIn or other job portals are auto‑generated estimates and do not reflect the actual package on offer. Please disregard them.

HOW TO APPLY

This role is advertised exclusively on LinkedIn. We do not have profiles on other job boards. To apply, please email your CV with the subject line: “Travel Operations application – [Your Full Name]”.

In the body of your email, please answer the following three questions briefly (a few sentences each is plenty):

• Where are you currently based, and do you hold the right to work there?
• Give one concrete example of a time you handled a difficult guest or client situation, and how you resolved it.
• If based in Italy: do you already hold a Partita IVA, or are you willing to open one?

Applications without answers to these questions will not be reviewed.

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