Salary: $80,000 - $95,000 annually
The Director of Airline Operations is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and compliance of all ground handling operations at MSP. This role ensures safe, efficient, and customer-focused execution across ramp, passenger service, cleaning and related operational functions while meeting airline partner expectations and regulatory requirements.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic and tactical leadership to achieve company and operational goals
- Lead and promote a safety-first culture, ensuring a secure work environment and full compliance with all regulatory and company standards
- Own operational performance, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across all functions
- Serve as a key contributor to the company safety program, driving accountability and continuous improvement
- Lead irregular operations (IROPs), including weather events, delays, and diversions, with decisive and coordinated response
- Ensure full compliance with airline-specific procedures, audits, and contractual obligations
- Build and maintain strong relationships with airline partners, airport authorities, and regulatory agencies
- Act as the primary liaison between the company, customers, and government entities
- Lead airline performance reviews and service-level discussions, ensuring expectations are met or exceeded
- Provide input and operational expertise for RFP responses and business development efforts
- Develop, lead, and hold accountable operations managers, supervisors, and frontline leadership
- Drive employee performance, engagement, and retention through coaching, training, and mentoring
- Foster and maintain a positive, accountable, and high-performance culture
- Ensure effective communication across all departments to support operational alignment
- Own workforce planning, including staffing levels, scheduling strategy, and labor cost control
- Track, analyze, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) including on-time performance, baggage handling, safety, and customer satisfaction
- Resolve escalated service and operational issues in a timely and effective manner
- Partner with executive leadership to ensure alignment on goals, priorities, and performance expectations
- Ensure all operations are conducted in accordance with company policies, procedures, and applicable laws
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- 5+ years of airline or ground handling operations experience
- 3+ years in a senior leadership role with responsibility for multi-functional teams
- Demonstrated experience managing large-scale operations (staffing, multiple flights/airlines, complex environments)
- Strong knowledge of ramp operations, aircraft servicing, passenger service operations, and Safety Management Systems (SMS)
- Experience in multi-airline contract environments with an understanding of service-level expectations
- Proven ability to lead during irregular operations (IROPs) and make decisions in high-pressure situations
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage frontline employees, leadership, and external partners
- Ability to analyze and evaluate customer needs to anticipate potential business opportunities
- Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screen and criminal history background check
- Subject to non-DOT drug and/or alcohol testing
- Flexibility for irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, with on-call availability for operational needs
Benefits
- Paid Time Off
- Profit Sharing
- Free Parking
- Life Insurance
- Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage, HSA
- 401K
- Employee Assistance Program
- Travel benefits when requested and approved