Head of Guest Support & Relationships

Etihad; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading airline company in the UAE is looking for a Head of Guest Support & Relationships to shape service recovery and manage guest feedback. This pivotal leadership role oversees a global Guest Relations function, ensuring quality and accountability across teams. Ideal candidates have 12+ years in customer experience leadership, strong vendor management skills, and a passion for creating exceptional guest experiences. This role presents an opportunity to impact service excellence worldwide.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of experience in guest support, contact centre operations, or customer experience leadership.
• Proven expertise in BPO/vendor management, SLA governance, and contract performance oversight.
• Strong background in guest satisfaction metrics (NPS, FCR, DSAT) and operational performance improvement.
• Demonstrated experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders and leading large, multi-site teams.
• University degree is preferred.
• COPC certification or Six Sigma Green Belt preferred.
• PMP or equivalent project management certification is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a long-term Guest Support strategy aligned with service recovery philosophy.
• Lead global Guest Relations operations, including complaint handling, baggage claims, and disruption management.
• Own the full lifecycle of vendor performance, including setting KPIs and SLAs.
• Develop and manage centralized performance dashboards to improve NPS and DSAT.
• Define and uphold service quality standards across all guest recovery and contact-centre operations.
• Drive automation and digital transformation initiatives to enhance support journeys.
• Inspire and develop a high-performing, geographically distributed team.
• Act as a senior liaison with various departments to address systemic issues.
• Present strategic insights to the Executive Leadership Team.
• Lead the function’s response to high-profile complaints and regulatory escalations.

Job description

Synopsis

At Etihad, delivering exceptional guest experiences is an integral part of who we are. The Head of Guest Support & Relationships plays a pivotal role in shaping how we recover service failures, manage guest feedback, and deliver compassionate, efficient support across every touchpoint.

This leadership role oversees the strategic direction and operational delivery of our global Guest Relations function and outsourced contact centre network. You’ll champion innovation, quality, and accountability across internal teams and vendor partnerships, ensuring every interaction reflects Etihad’s brand values and commitment to service excellence.

If you are a seasoned operations leader with a passion for customer experience, stakeholder collaboration, and performance transformation, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact on our guests worldwide.

Accountabilities

• Strategy & Vision: Define and implement a long-term Guest Support strategy aligned with Etihad’s service recovery philosophy and brand promise.
• Operational Leadership: Lead global Guest Relations operations, including complaint handling, baggage claims, and disruption management, across both in-house and outsourced teams.
• Vendor & BPO Governance: Own the full lifecycle of vendor performance, including setting KPIs and SLAs, managing compliance, resolving risks, and driving commercial alignment across BPO partnerships.
• Performance Insights & Improvement: Develop and manage centralized performance dashboards and analytics to improve NPS, DSAT, FCR, and root‑cause resolution across guest‑facing channels.
• Service Standards & Quality: Define, monitor, and uphold வாழ்க்க? service quality standards across all guest recovery and contact‑centre operations, ensuring consistency with Etihad’s brand and regulatory requirements.
• Digital Transformation: Drive automation and digital enable数组? initiatives in collaboration with IT and Transformation teams to enhance complaints and support journeys.
• Leadership & Capability Building: Inspire and develop a high‑performing, geographically distributed team, including internal leaders, SMEs, and vendor staff, while building talent pipelines for future growth.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Act as a senior liaison with Legal, Procurement, Airport Services, Network Operations, and other departments to address systemic issues and embedSERV? guest‑centric thinking across the business.
• Executive Engagement: Present strategic insights, business cases, and service recovery trends to the Executive moderna? Leadership Team to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Crisis & Escalation Management: Lead the function’s response to high‑profile bbw? complaints, regulatory escalations, and guest recovery efforts during disruption orTxcrises scenarios.

Education & Experience

• Minimum 12 years of experience in guest support, contact centre operations, or customer experience leadership.
• Proven expertise in BPO/vendor management, SLA governance, and contract performance oversight.
• Strong background in guest satisfaction metrics (NPS, FCR, DSAT, etc.) and operational performance improvement.
• Demonstrated experience influencing cross‑functional stakeholders and leading large, multi‑site teams.
• University degree is preferred.
• COPC certification or Six Sigma Green Belt Folge? preferred.
• PMP or equivalent project management certification is an advantage.

About Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with Etihad’s codeshare partners, Etihad offers access to hundreds of international destinations. In recent years, Etihad has received numerous awards for its superior service and products,_thresh? cargo offering, loyalty programme and more. All this ties into Etihad’s ambitious Journey 2030 strategy. The airline plans to double its fleet size and triple the number of customers over the next six years as it sets out to be the airline everyone wants to flyీక.

To learn more, visit etihad.com

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