Airline Catering Operations Manager

Flying Food Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Flying Food Group is seeking an Airline Catering Operations Manager to oversee daily operations at the JFK Airport facility. You will lead food production, assembly, equipment setup, and transportation to ensure safe, high-quality, and timely airline catering services in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment.

The role requires strong leadership, operations management experience in airline catering or related industries, and the ability to collaborate with airline customers and internal teams to meet

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of operations management experience.
• Experience managing teams in airline catering, food production, hospitality, aviation, logistics, warehouse, or transportation operations preferred.
• Experience leading high-volume, time-sensitive operations with strict service deadlines.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily airline catering operations, including food production, assembly, equipment setup, warehouse, sanitation, and transportation activities.
• Manage the coordination of catering services to ensure flights receive accurate, on-time deliveries.
• Lead, train, coach, and develop operations teams while maintaining a positive and accountable work environment.
• Partner with airline customers, internal departments, and leadership teams to ensure service expectations are consistently met.
• Monitor daily operational performance, productivity, quality standards, and customer service metrics.
• Coordinate with dispatch and transportation teams to ensure timely aircraft deliveries and service schedules.
• Ensure compliance with TSA, CBP, HACCP, food safety regulations, and company operating procedures.
• Maintain high standards for food safety, sanitation, quality control, and workplace safety.
• Manage staffing levels, scheduling, and workforce planning to support operational demands.
• Identify process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve service reliability.
• Support budget management, labor costs, inventory control, and operational reporting.
• Oversee inventory, equipment, supplies, and operational resources.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Ensure employees are properly trained on safety procedures, food handling practices, and operational standards.

Skills

Operations management

Leadership

Food production

Logistics

Aviation operations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Airline Catering Operations Manager

Flying Food Group
Location: JFK Airport, Jamaica, NY
Salary: $80,000 – $100,000 per year
Employment Type: Full-Time | Exempt

About the Role

Flying Food Group is seeking an experienced Airline Catering Operations Manager to oversee daily catering operations at our JFK Airport facility. This leadership role is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and timely preparation, assembly, and delivery of airline catering services while maintaining the highest standards of quality, food safety, and customer satisfaction.

The ideal candidate is an operations leader with experience managing teams in airline catering, food production, hospitality, logistics, warehouse operations, or other high-volume service environments. This position requires strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, 24/7 airport environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily airline catering operations, including food production, assembly, equipment setup, warehouse, sanitation, and transportation activities
• Manage the coordination of catering services to ensure flights receive accurate, on-time deliveries
• Lead, train, coach, and develop operations teams while maintaining a positive and accountable work environment
• Partner with airline customers, internal departments, and leadership teams to ensure service expectations are consistently met
• Monitor daily operational performance, productivity, quality standards, and customer service metrics
• Coordinate with dispatch and transportation teams to ensure timely aircraft deliveries and service schedules
• Ensure compliance with TSA, CBP, HACCP, food safety regulations, and company operating procedures
• Maintain high standards for food safety, sanitation, quality control, and workplace safety
• Manage staffing levels, scheduling, and workforce planning to support operational demands
• Identify process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve service reliability
• Support budget management, labor costs, inventory control, and operational reporting
• Oversee inventory, equipment, supplies, and operational resources
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies
• Ensure employees are properly trained on safety procedures, food handling practices, and operational standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 3–5 years of operations management experience
• Experience managing teams in airline catering, food production, hospitality, aviation, logistics, warehouse, or transportation operations preferred
• Experience leading high-volume, time-sensitive operations with strict service deadlines
• Strong leadership, communication, and employee development skills
• Experience managing operational KPIs, labor costs, budgets, and performance metrics
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work in a 24/7 operational environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Airline catering or airport operations experience strongly preferred
• Experience working with airline customers, aircraft provisioning, or aviation logistics
• Food manufacturing or food processing experience preferred
• Experience working in refrigerated production environments
• Knowledge of HACCP, TSA, CBP, USDA, and food safety requirements
• Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, or Six Sigma experience a plus
• MBA with concentration in Operations Management a plus
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus

Schedule & Work Environment

• Full-time exempt position supporting a 24/7/365 airline catering operation
• Must be flexible to work weekdays, evenings, weekends, holidays, and varying shifts as operational needs require
• Position requires working throughout a refrigerated food production and airport catering environment
• Must be comfortable managing operations in a fast-paced environment where timing and accuracy are critical
• No travel required

Benefits

Flying Food Group offers a compreh