Dir, Customer Engagement

gategroup; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401k with company match

Life insurance

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts

Job summary

gategroup seeks a senior operations performance leader to drive data-driven improvements across the North America airline network. This hybrid role blends commercial insight with operations oversight, translating analytics into action plans and KPI outcomes for a key airline customer.

You'll own end-to-end reporting, monitor performance, lead recovery plans, and collaborate with station leadership, MPS, MOD, and Commercial teams to align expectations and protect margins. Travel ~50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in operations or analytics.
• At least seven years in data analytics, performance management, or similar roles in aviation or food service.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and managing customer-facing relationships.

Responsibilities

• As a key performance integrator, translate data outcomes into airline-specific action plans.
• Monitor performance factors and develop recovery plans to prevent KPI issues.
• Collaborate with station leadership, MPS, MOD, and Commercial teams to align expectations.
• Own accuracy and governance of airline demand data including flight schedules and service levels.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and annual performance reviews with insights and actions.

Skills

Data analytics

Reporting capability

Performance management

Lean / RCA methodologies

Airline operations knowledge

Forecasting & demand governance

Presentation & communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better. As a critical role in the Operational Performance structure, performs and oversees others in data gathering, analysis, reporting, communicating, and improving performance actions and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) outcomes for one of the regions in NA dedicated to a key airline customer. Drives customer specific action plans to elevate service delivery across the NA network. Annual Hiring Range/Hourly Rate: $170,000- $180,000 /Per Year This position is eligible for incentive pay of 20% of the annual base salary, dependent upon successful attainment of company, team, and individual goals. Benefits Paid time off 401k, with company match Company sponsored life insurance Medical, dental, vision plans Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans Employee Assistance Program Commuter benefits Employee Discounts

Main Responsibilities

As a key performance integrator between the airline and internal functions, this hybrid commercial and operations role translates data outcomes, analysis, and insights into customer specific action plans to drive operational performance recovery, service delivery, and monitoring for continuous improvement across the network. Integrating airline demand signals, operational execution metrics, quality, employee safety, and food safety outcomes, financial drivers, and customer feedback to reliably measure and report service delivery, continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and margin protection. Monitors all performance factors to identify and monitor early indicators of deteriorating performance in very early stages, develop and drive effective recovery plans, and prevent issues from escalating to a level impacting KPI’s and other performance factors that could lead to sanctions or breach letters with financial impact to the unit. Collaborates with station leadership, Master Production Scheduler (MPS) and Manager on Duty (MOD), if at station, and other Customer Service staff to ensure action plans do not conflict with those of other airline customers. Resolves conflicts as they are identified. Collaborates and coordinates with Supply Chain teams to ensure demand data aligns with labor, materials, and production planning to reduce waste, surprises, and service failures. Leads difficult performance discussions internally with station and operations leadership and senior airline executives, as indicated by the situation, challenging internal operations and representing gategroup effectively. Works closely with hub/regional leadership, station GMs, account managers, and Commercial teams to align customer and internal leadership expectations to drive execution. Collects, analyzes, writes and presents reporting on end‑to‑end operational, quality, safety, and service performance of gate gourmet service delivery to assigned airline customer(s) across all stations, as well as during QBR’s and internal and external calls as needed. Coordinate with Operations, QHSSE, Procurement, Finance, Global Account Commercial teams, and Operational Excellence to embed airline requirements into processes. Establishes and maintains communication channels with station leadership, MPS, MOD’s and others to understand all performance issues and emergencies in real time, such as safety, OTP, IRROP and business continuity. Collaborates with station management in support of recruiting and training unit level account managers. Provides a unified airline performance view to Operations leadership with insights, trends, and required actions. Leads structured intake, analysis, and consolidation of flight attendant and cabin crew feedback from all stations. Monitors complaints, passenger feedback, escalations, and credits to identify systemic issues and drive end-to-end service quality improvements. Partners with Operational Excellence teams to structure, execute, track, and report on continuous improvement initiatives across all customer stations and optimize best practices. Owns accuracy and governance of airline demand data, including flight schedules, aircraft types, service levels, and seasonal or ad‑hoc changes. Translate qualitative feedback into actionable themes; tracks recurrence and ensures close‑the‑loop communication with the airline customer(s). Prepares and supports weekly, monthly, and annual airline performance reviews with consolidated performance data and initiative updates to include operational performance, risks, improvement initiatives, and recovery plans. Leads incident and issue management for airline, including root‑cause analysis, corrective, and preventive actions. Governs all deviations from standard processes to ensure alignment across all stations providing service to the airline customer, revising or terminating plans as necessary to recover from performance failures. Manages escalation and recovery communication following service failures to restore customer confidence and prevent recurrence. Monitors and reports on cost drivers, penalties, credits, waste, and scope changes affecting the airline’s financial performance. Supports contract changes, renewals, and repricing discussions using operational and performance data. Maintains proactive communication with airline counterparts to ensure consistent, coordinated network‑level service delivery.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree is strongly preferred. At least six (6) years of progressively responsible, professional business experience in operations, manufacturing performance management and improvement, and/or data analytics may be considered in lieu of degree, and in addition to the Work Experience statements below.

Work Experience

At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional work experience in data analytics and process improvement, preferably at in-flight catering or food manufacturing companies, assessing operational performance against KPI’s and regulatory requirements. Experience with development and production of reports on KPI’s and other regulatory and performance metrics for executive management, regional management, and/or customer audiences. Customer‑facing experience is required. Experience working with airline customers, or in aviation catering operations is highly preferred. Experience in development, implementation and coordination of cross‑functional initiatives or multi‑location operations and applying and implementing continuous improvement/Lean/RCA Methodologies is required.

Technical Skills

Data analytics and reporting capability Performance management tools Continuous improvement / Lean / RCA methodologies Knowledge of airline operations and catering processes Forecasting and demand governance Strong presentation and communication skills Travel is required, approximately 50% of the time

Core Competencies Required

Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret performance data to drive action planning. Clear and effective communication with internal teams and airline stakeholders. High customer service orientation with the ability to represent customer needs. Ability to work across multiple locations and coordinate cross‑functional efforts. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities. Skilled in root‑cause analysis and corrective action processes. High accountability for performance outcomes and follow‑up. Adaptability to change operational conditions and customer requirements.

gategroup Competencies Required to be Successful in the Job

Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus

Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position

Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Passion, Responsibility and Respect. To demonstrate these Values, we expect to observe the following from everyone: Excellence We put the customer at the forefront of everything we do, taking time to understand their needs, wishes and desires. We constantly learn by giving and receiving feedback, improving from our mistakes and bettering ourselves. Passion Hospitality, in its purest form, comes down to a single, core principle: care. We do everything with thoughtfulness, attention, and care. We have a growth mindset, a resilience that makes us determined to bounce back from failures and setbacks. Responsibility We care about what we do, and we understand the impact we have on others and the planet. We always look out for each other –creating a safe workplace environment is everyone’s responsibility. Respect Every job matters. We each do our part to ensure our colleagues and our customers succeed in their goals. We respect each other’s voices and foster a workplace that supports inclusion and belonging. We are all one gategroup.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or other category under applicable law. For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

We anticipate that this job will close on: 09/30/2026

gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. We work in an exciting industry – fast-paced and ever-changing. Industry trends and customer expectations are constantly evolving and it is critical that we are agile, innovative and ready for change - and our people are our driving force. We offer attractive opportunities to be part of this fast-paced and truly international working environment. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com.