Director Transportation Operations Excellence

SkyChefs; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyChefs is seeking a Director of Transportation Operations Excellence to lead transformation across the U.S. airline catering network and collaborate with executive leadership to drive safety, reliability, and performance at scale.

Preferred location is Dallas-Fort Worth with up to 70% domestic travel; you will define standards, lead strategic initiatives, and develop future transportation leaders across a national network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation, Logistics, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related field required.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in transportation operations within airline catering and/or aviation logistics.
• Experience leading multi-site, regional, or network-level operations; travel up to 70% domestically.

Responsibilities

• Serve as NA transportation SME for airline catering operations and airside logistics.
• Establish and implement standards, procedures, and best practices across locations.
• Partner with senior executives to shape strategy, optimize performance and growth.
• Own transportation reporting, KPIs, dashboards, and analytics; mentor leaders.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Transportation, Logistics, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related field

Tools

Groundstar

Forms

Job description

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

Shape the Future of Aviation Catering Operations Across North America

Are you a transportation, airline operations, or aviation services leader who thrives in fast-paced, operationally complex environments?

We are seeking a Director, Transportation Operations Excellence to lead the transformation, standardization, and optimization of transportation operations across our U.S. airline catering network. This newly created, high-visibility role will serve as the enterprise transportation expert, partnering with executive leadership and field operations teams to drive world-class performance, safety, reliability, and innovation.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a transportation leader with experience in airline catering, aircraft ground handling, airport operations, airline operations, or aviation logistics who wants to influence strategy and operational excellence at a national scale.

Why This Role Matters

Every day, thousands of flights depend on the seamless coordination of catering logistics, transportation execution, and airside operations. As the Director of Transportation Operations Excellence, you will play a critical leadership role in ensuring aircraft are serviced safely, efficiently, and on time across one of the industry's largest airline catering networks.

You will be responsible for defining transportation best practices, driving continuous improvement initiatives, developing future transportation leaders, and creating the operational standards that support our next phase of growth.

North America | Airline Catering & Aviation Operations Preferred Location: Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Up to 70% Domestic Travel

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the North America transportation subject matter expert for airline catering transportation operations and airside logistics
• Establish and implement transportation standards, operating procedures, and best practices across all locations
• Partner with senior executives to shape transportation strategy, optimize performance, and support future growth initiatives
• Benchmark performance against industry-leading aviation, logistics, and ground handling organizations

Drive Operational Performance

• Champion network-wide transportation excellence, ensuring consistent execution of on-time departures (D0), safety, and service commitments
• Identify opportunities to improve routing efficiencies, vehicle utilization, labor productivity, and operational reliability
• Lead strategic initiatives focused on cost optimization, process standardization, and operational consistency
• Develop contingency plans and response strategies for weather events, irregular operations (IROPs), and other critical disruptions
• Own transportation performance reporting, KPI development, dashboards, and operational analytics
• Serve as the transportation systems expert for tools such as Groundstar and Forms
• Partner with Continuous Improvement and Technology teams to implement innovative solutions, automation initiatives, and predictive analytics
• Use data-driven insights to influence decision-making and improve network performance

Influence Across the Organization

• Collaborate with operations, culinary production, commercial teams, airport stakeholders, and customers to align transportation execution with business objectives
• Support new station openings, operational expansions, and customer launches
• Lead cross-functional problem-solving efforts and serve as the escalation point for complex transportation challenges

Build Transportation Leadership Capability

• Mentor and develop transportation directors and managers across the network
• Lead onboarding and training programs for newly hired transportation leaders
• Foster a culture centered on safety, accountability, customer service, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
• Help create the next generation of transportation leadership within the organization

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation, Logistics, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in:
• Airline Catering Transportation
• Airport Operations
• Airline Operations
• Aviation Logistics
• Transportation Network Operations
• Experience leading multi-site, regional, or network-level operations
• Strong knowledge of airside operations, airport environments, and aviation safety requirements
• Proven success driving operational excellence, process improvement, and cost optimization initiatives
• Experience utilizing operational systems, analytics, and performance dashboards
• Ability to travel up to 70% domestically

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting large-scale aviation or transportation networks
• Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence experience
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change and standardization initiatives
• Based in or willing to relocate to the Dallas-Fort Worth area

SkyChefs is an EEO and ...