Assistant Operations Manager

Role Overview

Assistant Operations Manager at Emirates Flight Catering. The role manages shift operations to deliver safe, compliant, and on-time airline catering services in a live, time-critical environment, optimizing resources and team performance while maintaining operational continuity.

Role Purpose

To manage shift operations within a large-scale airline catering facility, ensuring safe and compliant service delivery within agreed SLAs and on-time performance targets, while optimizing resources, developing team capability, and driving continuous operational improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, security, quality, regulatory and company standards.
• Conduct incident due diligence and escalate critical issues to management to maintain a safe and compliant operation.
• Demonstrate company values and leadership behaviors while fostering a culture of safety, accountability and operational excellence across the shift.

Shift Operations

• Manage shift operations to achieve business unit KPIs and deliver airline catering services within agreed SLAs, Precision Time Schedule (PTS) and on-time performance requirements.
• Ensure consistent service delivery aligned with operational standards.
• Maintain operational continuity during disruptions by coordinating with the Operations Control Centre and implementing contingency measures.
• Support Business Continuity Management System testing.

Resource Management

• Manage shift resources and team deployment in line with operational requirements.
• Optimize resource utilization and maintain operational readiness through effective briefings and handovers.
• Monitor operational performance and resource variances against agreed targets.
• Escalate deviations to Management and Business Support.
• Implement appropriate corrective actions.

Team Development

• Develop shift teams through performance management, coaching and mentoring.
• Address capability gaps and recurring personnel issues.
• Recognize high performance to strengthen team capability.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Coordinate operational and service requirements with internal and external stakeholders including EK and other airline customers.
• Ensure timely communication and resolution of concerns.
• Align service expectations across all parties.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Operational Improvement

• Drive process improvement and operational optimization through LEAN initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal specialized functions for identification of improvement opportunities.
• Adopt new technologies and best practices.
• Constructively challenge existing practices and drive continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification.
• Minimum 6 years of experience leading shifts within large-scale logistics, catering or airside operations.
• Experience in leading operational efficiency initiatives and service improvement programmes.

Skills & Competencies

• Effective communication skills with stakeholders at all organisational levels.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to constructively challenge existing practices and drive continuous improvement.