Manager, Onboard Experience

Porter Airlines Inc.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading airline is seeking a Manager of Onboard Experience in Toronto to oversee its in-flight product offerings, including meals and connectivity. This role combines product management, P&L responsibilities, and stakeholder collaborations to enhance the passenger experience. Ideal candidates will have strong leadership and negotiation skills coupled with experience in food and beverage management.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience in P&L management.
• Experience in food and beverage product management.
• Strong business acumen and assertive negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Porter’s Service Offering Committee with internal stakeholders.
• Design optimal product mix to enhance passenger experience.
• Conduct supplier negotiations and present outcomes to senior leadership.

Skills

Negotiation

Leadership

Data Analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor degree in marketing, communications, business administration

Tools

Coupa

Microsoft Dynamics GP

Google Suite

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director, Commercial Services, the Manager, Onboard Experience will be responsible for Porter’s in-flight product offering, including meal, snack, beverage, connectivity and service options. In managing this key aspect of the Porter experience, the Manager, Onboard Experience will be responsible for the product strategy related to the in-flight offering, managing the profit and loss for the Buy-on-Board and In-Flight Connectivity offerings and leading Porter’s Service Offering Committee to ensure the highest standards of delivery are consistently met.

This individual contributor role is an exciting and unique role combining elements of product management, P&L delivery, multi stakeholder management, technology, customer experience and sourcing. A successful candidate will understand Porter’s value proposition and be laser focused on delivering a heightened level of service and product experience. This is a new position on the team. Porter is looking for a self starter with a results-oriented approach who possesses strong leadership and negotiating skills.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead Porter’s Service Offering Committee with representatives from Catering, In-Flight Service, Marketing and Commercial Services
• Maintain vision for customer onboard experience and effectively articulate it to the organization for alignment with business functions
• Build/maintain onboard strategy by working collaboratively with key internal stakeholders and chart a rolling plan of continuous improvement
• Develop strong working relationships with leaders in Catering, In-FlightService, Marketing, Communications and Loyalty
• Design optimal product mix to drive passenger experience and maximize revenue
• Utilize data and anecdotal experience to drive decision making on product portfolio
• Assess customer’s existing onboard experience and identify opportunities for improvement
• Develop analytical tools/process for measuring inventory wastage and product consumption velocity with the goal of minimizing spoilage and maximizing sales/revenue
• Track progress and report results regularly
• Present monthly to Executive Steering Committee for Service Offering
• Benchmark Porter’s product offering and maintain industry knowledge/expertise
• Create and implement category strategies for each of the relevant onboard categories
• Ability to conduct complex supplier negotiations
• Engage closely with internal teams on spend initiatives (e.g., Legal, Finance, Accounts Payable)
• Lead large-value/complex/strategic RFPs and supplier negotiations
• Present outcomes and business cases of RFPs and negotiations to Porter’s Senior Leadership Team for sign-off
• Develop strong business relationships with current and prospective suppliers
• Travel to markets outside of Toronto to review Porter’s operations and assess current/potential suppliers
• Actively participates in Porter’s Safety Management System (SMS) including reporting hazards and incidents encountered in daily operations; understand, comply with and promote the Company Safety Policy.

Behavioural Competencies

• Concern for Safety:Identifying hazardous or potentially hazardous situations and taking appropriate action to maintain a safe environment for self and others.

• Teamwork:Working collaboratively with others to achieve organizational goals.

• Passenger/Customer Service:Providing service excellence to internal and/or external customers (passengers).

• Initiative:Dealing with situations and issues proactively and persistently, seizing opportunities that arise.

• Results Focus:Focusing efforts on achieving high quality results consistent with the organization’s standards.

• Fostering Communication:Listening and communicating openly, honestly, and respectfully with different audiences, promoting dialogue and building consensus.

• Exemplifying Integrity: Treating others fairly, honestly, and respectfully, furthering the integrity of the organization and its relationships of trust with team members and the broader community.

• Inspiring Others: Energizing and inspiring others to strive for excellence and commit to common goals and purposes, creating a sense of self-efficacy, resilience, and persistence in followers.

• People Leadership: Assuming a leadership role in helping others achieve excellent results.

• Leading Change: Recognizing the need for change, being open to new ideas and methods, and championing transformational change within the organization and beyond.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in marketing, communications, business administration, commerce or similar field is desired
• Experience in food and beverage product management / retail management
• 3+ years experience in P&L management
• Procurement experience
• Strong business acumen
• Assertive negotiation and networking skills
• Strong team builder
• Experience with POS platforms
• Solid aptitude for data analysis and decision-making
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Strong leadership capabilities
• Working knowledge of Google software (Docs, Sheets, Slides) or Microsoft suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Working knowledge of Coupa and Microsoft Dynamics GP or other P2P / ERP systems

Location

Toronto Downtown Office (250 Yonge Street) #LI-Hybrid

Company Description

Since 2006, Porter Airlines has been elevating the experience of economy air travel for every passenger, providing genuine hospitality with style, care and charm. Porter’s fleet of Embraer E195-E2 and De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft serves a North American network from Eastern Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline in the World Airline Star Rating. Visit www.flyporter.com or follow @porterairlines on Instagram, Facebook and X.