Heathrow Operations Manager

Lagardère Travel Retail (IRE); Hounslow; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lagardère Travel Retail (IRE) at Heathrow Airport seeks an experienced Airport Operations Manager to lead multi-brand, multi-location retail operations. You will be accountable for P&L, profitability, and delivering exceptional customer experience across Travel Essentials and Specialist Retail.

The role requires leadership across outlets, brands, and terminal environments, driving growth and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within large-scale multi-brand retail, hospitality, travel retail, airport environments.
• Strong commercial acumen with extensive P&L management accountability.
• Demonstrated success in driving sales growth, profit improvement, and operational performance.
• Experience leading large, diverse teams across multiple locations.
• Strong multi-stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience operating within highly regulated environments.
• Ability to analyse complex business data and translate insights into actionable plans.
• Strong project management and change leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple outlets, brands and terminals.
• Lead Store Managers and site leadership teams to deliver objectives.
• Drive accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and high performance.
• Collaborate with airport stakeholders, franchise partners, and Lagardère teams in the UK and overseas.
• Oversee risk, continuity planning and operational resilience.
• Deliver revenue, EBITDA, profit, labour and cost targets across all business lines.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting and business planning processes.
• Oversee brand standards and commercial initiatives across a diverse portfolio.

Skills

Senior leadership

P&L accountability

Sales growth

Operational performance

Multi-location management

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

Data analysis

Job description

Job Purpose:

The Airport Operations Manager is responsible for the leadership, performance, and profitability of all Lagardère outlets across Heathrow Airport, encompassing all current business channels including Travel Essentials and Specialist Retail.

The role holds full accountability for the local P&L and delivery of business objectives across all operational locations, ensuring strong financial performance, excellent customer experience, regulatory compliance, and effective people leadership. As the senior operational representative within the airport, the Airport Operations Manager will build key stakeholder relationships, drive sustainable growth, maximise profitability, and ensure the consistent execution of company and brand standards across a diverse portfolio of business units.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple outlets, brands, and terminals
• Lead and develop Store Managers and site leadership teams to deliver business objectives
• Drive a culture of accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and high performance
• Ensure effective collaboration between operational teams, support functions, airport stakeholders, franchise partners, and Lagardère colleagues in the UK and overseas
• Lead business continuity, contingency planning, and operational resilience activities
• Oversee the consistent delivery of customer service, operational standards, and commercial performance

Commercial & Financial Management

• Hold full profit and loss accountability across all Heathrow airport operations
• Deliver revenue, EBITDA, profit, labour, and cost targets across all business lines
• Identify opportunities to increase sales, profitability, and market share
• Review and analyse commercial performance, implementing action plans to address risks and capitalise on opportunities
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and business planning processes
• Ensure robust cost control measures are implemented across labour, purchasing, waste, and operating expenditure
• Drive delivery of all key commercial initiatives, promotions, and marketing campaigns

Multi-Brand & Business Line

• Oversee a diverse portfolio of retail, foodservice, franchise, and proprietary brands
• Ensure each brand executes its proposition to the highest standard while maintaining operational consistency
• Support new brand launches, refurbishments, acquisitions, and business development opportunities
• Build productive relationships with franchise partners and key stakeholders
• Ensure brand standards, contractual obligations, and commercial agreements are consistently achieved

People Leadership

• Lead, inspire, and develop a large multi-site management team
• Build succession plans and talent pipelines across the airport operation
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and career development initiatives
• Conduct performance reviews and ensure accountability for individual and team objectives
• Promote a culture of inclusion, wellbeing, and operational excellence
• Ensure all teams receive appropriate training and development

Compliance, Safety & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with company policies, aviation security requirements, food safety standards, licensing legislation, and health & safety regulations
• Maintain readiness for internal, external, brand, and regulatory audits
• Ensure all operational risks are appropriately managed and mitigated
• Lead investigations and corrective action plans where required
• Maintain strong relationships with airport authorities and regulatory bodies

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the senior operational representative for the business within Heathrow Airport
• Build and maintain effective relationships with airport management, regulatory bodies, suppliers, franchise partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Represent the business at operational and strategic forums, supporting wider company initiatives and projects

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Financial Performance

• Revenue growth
• EBITDA delivery
• Gross profit achievement
• Operating profit performance including control and improvement of controllable costs
• Budget and forecast accuracy
• Labour and productivity measures, specifically labour efficiency optimisation

Commercial Performance

• Sales conversion
• Average transaction value and units per transaction growth
• Customer penetration rates
• Promotional effectiveness
• Like-for-like sales growth

Operational Excellence

• Audit performance
• Brand compliance scores
• Food safety compliance
• Health & Safety performance
• Security and operational compliance

Customer Experience

• Customer satisfaction scores
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Mystery shopper results
• Complaint resolution metrics

People Metrics

• Employee engagement scores
• Team turnover and retention
• Succession readiness and internal promotion growth
• Training compliance

Skills & Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within large-scale multi-brand retail, hospitality, travel retail, airport environments
• Strong commercial acumen with extensive P&L management accountability
• Demonstrated success in driving sales growth, profit improvement, and operational performance
• Experience leading large, diverse teams across multiple locations
• Strong multi-stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience operating within highly regulated environments
• Ability to analyse complex business data and translate insights into actionable plans
• Strong project management and change leadership capabilities

Personal Attributes

• Strategic and commercially focused leader
• Results-driven with a strong operational mindset
• Highly visible and hands-on leadership style
• Developer of teams and individuals
• Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional communicator and relationship builder at all levels
• Passionate about customer experience
• Strong decision-maker with excellent problem-solving skills
• Demonstrates integrity, accountability, and professional credibility at all times.

Accessing the airport:

A five-year working and personal reference, along with a Criminal Reference Check, will be required for this role as the store is airside in the departures lounge. This will be discussed in more detail at interview stage or please contact us if you have any questions regarding this.