Shuttle Driver Captain (Supervisor)

Sonesta International Hotels; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 42,981,000 - 51,577,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA) with 401K

Paid Vacation & Sick Time

Paid Parental Leave

Company-Paid Life Insurance

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels in Charlotte is seeking a hands-on Shuttle Captain to lead daily shuttle operations, coordinate schedules, and personally handle airport pickups and guest runs. This role blends leadership with active driving duties to stay connected to the guest experience.

The position requires managing staffing, training, safety, and coverage across all shifts, while maintaining the front-of-house arrival experience and the property’s first impression.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated focus on guest service excellence.
• Strong leadership and team coordination abilities.
• Commitment to safety standards and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage the daily shuttle driver schedule.
• Personally perform airport pickups and other shuttle runs.
• Maintain safety, vehicle readiness and service standards.
• Coordinate with Front Desk for passenger needs and delays.

Skills

Customer service

Leadership

Team coordination

Safety compliance

Vehicle operation

Tools

GPS navigation

Two-way radio

Job description

We’re People People. Are you?

We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast ).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be.

But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What This Role Is All About

Position Summary

The Shuttle Captain is a hands-on, working leader responsible for the overall leadership, coordination, safety, and daily execution of the hotel’s shuttle and transportation operation. The Shuttle Captain will be regularly scheduled as part of the shuttle driving rotation and is expected to personally complete airport, airline crew, and guest shuttle runs while simultaneously providing leadership and oversight of the overall operation.

This is not an administrative-only or supervisory-only position. The Shuttle Captain leads from within the operation and is expected to maintain an active presence with the team, guests, and airline crews.

In addition to regularly scheduled shuttle runs, the Shuttle Captain owns scheduling, staffing, recruiting, training and development, vehicle maintenance, safety and risk mitigation, service standards, communication, and appropriate coverage when call-offs or unexpected operational needs occur.

The Shuttle Captain also helps own the entire arrival and departure experience at the front of the hotel, including the shuttle area, hotel entrance, parking lot, luggage assistance/bell services, market stocking, cleanliness, organization, and overall first impression of the property.

What You’ll Be Doing

Shuttle Operations & Scheduling

• Create and manage the daily and weekly shuttle driver schedule based on hotel occupancy, airline crew schedules, airport demand, events, and overall business levels.
• Include themselves as an active member of the weekly shuttle schedule and driving rotation.
• Personally perform scheduled airport pickups, airport drop-offs, airline crew transportation, and other hotel shuttle runs as part of their normal responsibilities.
• Balance leadership responsibilities with regularly scheduled driving duties to remain connected to the day-to-day operation and guest experience.
• Ensure appropriate shuttle coverage across all shifts, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overnight periods as required.
• Monitor staffing levels and proactively adjust schedules based on operational needs.
• Respond to call-offs and staffing emergencies by first working to secure appropriate coverage and, when necessary, personally adjusting their schedule, coming in early, staying late, or covering additional shuttle runs.
• Ensure shift changes, breaks, and driver assignments are properly coordinated without disrupting guest or airline transportation.
• Maintain clear communication with the Front Desk and hotel leadership regarding shuttle locations, delays, traffic conditions, vehicle availability, and anticipated transportation needs.
• Maintain firsthand knowledge of airport traffic patterns, construction, terminal changes, pickup locations, and other conditions affecting transportation by actively participating in shuttle operations.
• Ensure scheduled airline crew transportation and other time-sensitive commitments are executed accurately and consistently.

Working Leadership Expectation

The Shuttle Captain is expected to lead from the driver's seat as well as lead the team.

This position is intentionally structured as a working leadership role. The Shuttle Captain will have regularly scheduled shuttle-driving responsibilities and should not expect to function solely in an administrative or supervisory capacity.

The Captain is expected to:

• Work alongside shuttle drivers as part of the normal schedule.
• Personally interact with guests and airline crews to understand the transportation experience firsthand.
• Demonstrate the service, safety, appearance, communication, and driving standards expected from the team.
• Use firsthand operational experience to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Remain flexible when operational demands change.
• Provide additional driving coverage when call-offs, high airport volume, airline activity, vehicle issues, or other circumstances require additional support.
• Maintain accountability for leadership responsibilities even while participating directly in daily shuttle operations.

The Shuttle Captain does not simply oversee the shuttle operation—the Shuttle Captain is an active part of it and owns its success from beginning to end.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

How we reward you

At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means supporting your health, your financial future, and everything in between.

Here’s a snapshot of what we offer:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation & Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts (yes, you’ll want to use these )
• Additional Perks & Employee Discounts

Our Commitment to You

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.