Airline Catering Operations Leader

gategroup; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Paid time off

Company sponsored life insurance

Voluntary disability insurance

Voluntary life, accident and hospital

Employee Discounts

Weekly pay for union employees

Free hot meals

Job summary

gategroup in Chicago is seeking a Senior Operations Manager to lead the Culinary/Hot Kitchen, Assembly and Transportation teams within our airline catering unit. You will drive production standards, cost controls, sanitation, and customer service across 1,000+ employees.

The role requires a proven track record in airline catering or food manufacturing, strong leadership, and Lean/Six Sigma knowledge to optimize operations while meeting regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of management experience in airline catering or food manufacturing.
• Proven experience managing a team of supervisors and managers for a single operating unit.
• Lean manufacturing principles and/or Six Sigma knowledge preferred.
• Labor relations experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead Culinary/Hot Kitchen, Assembly and Transportation departments to meet production standards.
• Drive to meet business objectives related to costs, sanitation, quality and service goals.
• Maintain key performance metrics for the departments.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, FDA, TSA and airline specifications.
• Develop SOPs and oversee security and regulatory programs.
• Oversee annual performance evaluations and labor relations across departments.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Problem solving

Project management

Change agent

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Multi-tasking

Lean/six sigma

Employee relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

gategroup in Chicago is seeking a Senior Operations Manager to lead the Culinary/Hot Kitchen, Assembly and Transportation teams within our airline catering unit. You will drive production standards, cost controls, sanitation, and customer service across 1,000+ employees.

The role requires a proven track record in airline catering or food manufacturing, strong leadership, and Lean/Six Sigma knowledge to optimize operations while meeting regulatory requirements.