Guest Experience Duty Manager

London Luton Airport Operations Limited; Luton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

London Luton Airport Operations Limited is seeking a dynamic Guest Experience Duty Manager to lead a team in delivering exceptional guest service at London Luton Airport. You will manage real-time operational issues, analyse performance metrics, and collaborate with multiple stakeholders to ensure safe, smooth, and welcoming passenger journeys.

The role emphasizes leadership, proactive problem solving, and adherence to safety standards, with irregular hours including evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a managerial role, preferably in airport ops or customer service.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate a diverse team.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, guest service and conflict resolution abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of airport operations, safety protocols, and emergency response procedures.
• Ability to analyse real-time data and make strategic decisions to optimise operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Manage real-time operational issues and coordinate responses to disruptions affecting guest experience.
• Analyse metrics and guest feedback to identify themes and suggest corrective actions.
• Lead and supervise Guest Experience Ambassadors and Hosts to ensure smooth operations and high service standards.
• Collaborate with ground handling services, airlines, concessions and stakeholders to enhance guest experience.
• Ensure safety, security and compliance with policies; conduct briefings and handovers after shifts.
• Develop relationships with terminal operators and third-party services to improve operations.
• Conduct regular quality walkarounds and inspections of airport infrastructure to uphold standards.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Conflict resolution

Data analysis

Emergency response

Flexibility

Regulatory knowledge

Job description

Reports to: Guest Experience Operations Manager

Work patterns: 42 hours per week, rotating shift

Company Overview

London Luton Airport (LLA) is a key gateway to the city of London, which is the world’s largest aviation system. LLA is the United Kingdom’s fifth largest airport, having facilitated 18 million passenger journeys in 2025, and with strong ambitions to continue this growth story.

11 airlines operate from LLA, including key carriers easyJet, Wizz Air, Jet2 and Ryanair. LLA’s route network serves over 150 destinations across 42 countries with 24/7 operations. LLA is an integral part of the local region and a major economic contributor to the UK through direct employment of over 700 people and indirectly supports over 10,000 jobs.

The freehold owner of the airport is the Luton Borough Council (“LBC”) (held in Luton Rising (“LR”), and the current concession to operate and develop the airport is held by London Luton Airport Operating Limited (LLAOL), an entity that is joint owned by AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and Infrabridge, a specialist global infrastructure investment manager.

Our vision is to be the simplest and friendliest major airport, focused on sustainable growth. Our mission is to provide our customers with a safe and easy travel experience, while being committed to supporting our communities, caring for our environment, investing in our people, and maximising stakeholder value.

Job purpose summary

We are seeking a dynamic and guest-focused individual to join our team as a Guest Experience Duty Manager at London Luton Airport. Become an integral part of our team by embodying our corporate values of professional, friendly, ambitious, inclusive, and trusted. This role is crucial in delivering our purpose – to delight our guests by making travel safe, accessible, simple and enjoyable. You will achieve this through operational excellence - creating a well-organized environment where everything runs smoothly, ensuring a hassle‑free and enjoyable experience. Prioritising Operational Excellence fosters guest satisfaction and loyalty while promoting positive interactions and memorable moments for our guests. Join us in our ambitious pursuit to deliver great guest hospitality, consistently using the principles of the LLA Way every day.

We achieve our purpose as a department by focusing on service, standards, safety and security.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

Service

• Manage real-time operational issues, resolve escalated guest issues efficiently and coordinate the response to disruptions or challenges affecting guest experience maintaining a positive and solution-oriented approach.
• Receive and analyse operational performance metrics and guest feedback, identifying common themes and opportunities, and recommending potential corrective actions to the Guest Experience Operations Manager.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, emphasising opportunity identification, proactive problem-solving and efficient guest service.
• Act as third‑party day-to-day engagement lead for the Service Chain: responsible for engagement and relationship building with terminal operators.

Standards

• Lead and supervise the Guest Experience Ambassadors and Hosts through teamwork, accountability, and proactive problem-solving to ensure efficient and smooth operations and exceptional guest service at the airport.
• Ensure the team’s compliance with relevant policies and procedures, testing knowledge and understanding.
• Proactive planning of the operation ensuring the right resources are available.
• Reactive planning and roster management.
• Manage staff absences and carry out return to work interviews as per company policy and liaise with HR and Occupational Health as required.
• Conduct daily shift briefings to disseminate important information and updates on operational activities.
• Conduct efficient and effective handover (face-to-face) of relevant operational information following every shift.
• Collaborate with airport staff and other stakeholders to optimise operational processes, maintain standards, resolve issues and enhance overall guest satisfaction.
• Under the direction of the Guest Experience Operations Manager, develop and maintain strong and strategic working relationships with ground handling services, airlines, concessions, and other stakeholders to enhance the overall guest experience.
• Escalate issues outside of your responsibilities to the Airport Manager or Guest Experience Operations Manager.
• Provide regular performance feedback in line with company policies and conduct Annual Achievement Reviews (AAR) for direct reports.
• Provide on-the-job coaching and support, emphasising operational excellence and guest experience.
• Attend meetings as directed by Guest Experience Operations Manager, ensuring effective information flow and completion of agreed actions.
• Contribute to maintaining a clean, safe environment for our workforce, guests and all other stakeholders by:
  • Conducting regular quality walkarounds, monitoring standards, engaging with staff and other stakeholders to optimise operational excellence.
  • Conducting regular inspections of airport infrastructure ensuring they are in optimal condition, fit for business and meet quality standards.
  • Take ownership of issues within individual or departmental control through to resolution.
  • Liaise with other airport departments on escalated issues and communicate updates internally.

Safety and Security

• Ensure ALL accidents, incident, first aid, near‑miss and hazard observations are reported. Investigate all unplanned events to seek root cause and identify learning opportunities to prevent a recurrence in collaboration with Health and Safety guidance.
• Manage contractor activities on-site, in line with Permit To Work system and Health & Safety guidance.
• Implement and oversee emergency response procedures, ensuring the safety and well‑being of guests and staff during unexpected events.
• Collaborate with emergency response teams and airport authorities to provide support and information to guests during crisis situations.

Knowledge, skills and experience

The ideal candidate is expected to hold and have some experience and knowledge in the following:

• Proven experience in a managerial role, preferably in airport ops or customer service.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and inspire a diverse team and to make effective decisions in high‑pressure situations.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, guest service and conflict resolution abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of airport operations, safety protocols, and emergency response procedures and a commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Ability to analyse real‑time data and make strategic decisions to optimise operational efficiency.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.
• Familiarity with relevant industry regulations and standards.
• Proficient in using relevant technology and software for operational management and managing customer interactions.
• Availability to work irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• LLAOL Emergency Procedures.

This job description is intended to give an appreciation of the role and the range of duties and responsibilities to be undertaken. It does not attempt to detail every activity. Specific tasks and objectives will be agreed on an ongoing basis. The post holder will be required at all times to perform any other reasonable tasks, as requested by the Line Manager, in order to meet the operational needs of the business.

For any further information, please contact the Human Resources department [e-mail] . London Luton Airport Operations Ltd collects your personal information when you submit your application. For more details about the personal information LLA collects, how we collect it, why we need it, what we do with it, how long we keep it, and what your rights are, please see our privacy notice at www.london-luton.co.uk/privacy-notice .

LLA is committed to fostering, promoting, and preserving a culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion as we carry out our mission. We will always be respectful and seek to learn from those different from ourselves. We stride to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee has a negative experience for being who they are. We welcome all applications!