Principal, Service Recovery Solutions

Air Canada; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Air Canada in Toronto seeks a Principal, Service Recovery Solutions to shape the disruption recovery model across digital and operational channels. You will drive strategic vision, design and delivery of customer-centric recovery solutions that align with network strategy.

You will lead enterprise-wide initiatives, define KPIs, and partner with Commercial, IDD, Operations, and Finance to ensure scalable, data-driven recovery capabilities that enhance the customer experience during delays and

Qualifications

• University degree in Business, Aviation, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7+ years in airline operations, customer experience, or related fields, with at least 3 years in a management role.
• Strong knowledge of airline operations, including connections management, irregular operations, and on-the-ground execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate teams in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Experience implementing or managing operational initiatives or technology rollouts at multiple locations.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Punctuality and dependability to support team success in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Disruption Recovery Strategy & Transformation: lead the end-to-end disruption recovery model and strategic roadmap.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver high-impact initiatives to improve recovery speed, consistency and quality.
• Translate customer pain points into scalable, enterprise solutions across channels.
• Drive innovation through benchmarking, trends, and new technologies for recovery capability.
• Partner with Commercial, IDD, Operations, and Finance to align recovery with network performance and costs.
• Digital Experience & Self-Service Enablement: design processes for a digital-first recovery model with automation.
• Oversee recovery strategy across Air Canada App and web for a seamless journey.
• Future State Recovery Model & Integration: define an integrated model across systems and service delivery.
• Ensure alignment between technology, frontline operations, and customer experience.
• Cross-functional leadership to unify recovery approaches across Airports, Contact Centres, and Digital teams.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy development

Stakeholder management

Change management

Analytical thinking

Education

University degree in Business, Aviation, Operations Management, or related field

Job description

Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.

Reporting to the Director, Customer Connections & Disruptions, the Principal, Service Recovery Solutions plays a critical leadership role in shaping the future of Air Canada’s disruption recovery model. This position is accountable for driving the strategic vision, design, and delivery of innovative, customer-centric recovery solutions that enhance how customers are supported during delays and cancellations. The role leads enterprise-wide initiatives across digital and operational channels, advancing a seamless, scalable, and modern recovery experience aligned with Air Canada’s long-term customer experience and network strategy.

Responsibilities

• Disruption Recovery Strategy & Transformation
• Lead the evolution of Air Canada’s end-to-end disruption recovery model, defining the strategic roadmap for service recovery across all customer touchpoints.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver high-impact transformation initiatives that improve speed, consistency, and quality of customer recovery outcomes.
• Translate customer pain points and operational constraints into scalable, enterprise solutions.
• Drive innovation through benchmarking, industry trends, and emerging technologies, continuously elevating Air Canada’s recovery capability.
• Partner with Commercial, IDD, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure recovery strategies are aligned with network performance, cost optimization, and regulatory requirements.
• Digital Experience & Self-Service Enablement
• Design business processes to support a digital-first recovery model, embedding automation and decision intelligence into the customer experience.
• Guide and inform the strategy of the customer recovery experience across digital platforms (Air Canada App & web), ensuring a seamless, intuitive, and proactive journey.
• Work alongside IDD to advance self-service capabilities that empower customers to manage disruptions independently with confidence, integrating technology into operational processes.
• Partner with Digital, Product, and IT teams to deliver modern, integrated customer recovery solutions.
• Future State Recovery Model & Integration
• Define and operationalize Air Canada’s future-state disruption management model, integrating systems, processes, and service delivery across the recovery ecosystem (e.g., automated rebooking, centralized recovery capabilities).
• Ensure alignment between technology platforms, frontline operations, and customer experience, enabling consistent recovery outcomes across all touchpoints.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Airports, Contact Centres, Network Operations, Revenue Management, and Digital teams to establish a unified recovery approach.
• Lead the integration of recovery initiatives into broader programs, including Connections transformation, operational modes, and customer care evolution.
• Support Air Canada’s long-term vision by enabling a data-driven, predictive, and scalable recovery model.
• Program Leadership & Execution
• Lead complex, cross-functional programs with clear governance, structured delivery, and measurable business outcomes.
• Define and monitor KPIs and success metrics across customer experience, operational performance, and cost efficiency (e.g., rebooking speed, self-service adoption, compensation reduction).
• Provide strategic insights and executive-level reporting, translating data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Drive change management and adoption across the organization, ensuring new solutions are embedded into frontline operations and sustained over time.
• Act as a key connector across teams, ensuring alignment, accountability, and momentum across all recovery initiatives.
• Customer Experience & Insights Integration
• Leverage customer insights, NPS feedback, and operational data to identify systemic pain points and opportunities for improvement.
• Champion the voice of the customer in recovery design, ensuring solutions address real-world disruption scenarios and edge cases.
• Partner with Customer Relations and Insights teams to close feedback loops and continuously refine the recovery experience.
• Incorporate learnings from major IROPs events to improve readiness, resilience, and customer outcomes in future disruptions.

Qualifications

• University degree in Business, Aviation, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in airline operations, customer experience, or related fields, with at least 3 years in a management role.
• Strong knowledge of airline operations, including connections management, irregular operations, and on-the-ground execution of operational programs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate teams in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Experience implementing or managing operational initiatives or technology rollouts at multiple locations is an asset.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.

Conditions Of Employment

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.

Linguistic Requirements

English required. Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.