Operations Director - Ground Handling

Location: Regular travel to Edinburgh will be expected, but the role can be based at any of the following locations: Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Shannon or Cork. 

Salary: A competitive renumeration package is on offer for this role.

The Operations Director – Ground Handling, in Swissport UK&I is a critical senior leadership position and as such the role holder must possess strong senior operational skills and commercial acumen to ensure consistent delivery of all key services whilst maintaining safe practices and ensuring cost effectiveness.   

They will have full accountability for operational delivery in their sub region, including: 

• Leadership of the appropriate station management population. 

• Implementation, and delivery against a range of relevant operational KPI’s. 

• Evaluation of operational performance to ensure increased profitability, productivity and market share. 

• Successful performance against health and safety targets. 

The role is also responsible for maintaining and building effective business relationships with all key stakeholders (customer airlines management, airport management, governmental agencies). 

Swissport UKI is a fast-paced, progressive business and the role holder must have a strong track record of success in the B2B services arena and combine exceptional business focus with a track record of growing top-line whilst delivering profitability within a multi-site business.  

Innovation and the delivery of winning solutions to customers, plus the ability to be performance and customer focused is key, as is being able to challenge and drive real change across the organisation. 

Safety Leader  

• Lead, drive, and continuously improve health & safety measures and KPIs related to people, equipment, facilities, and aircraft involved in the operation to ensure best in class QHSE targets are achieved within the Region. 

• Act as an ambassador of the Six Safety Commitments, ensuring that their teams put safety and compliance first, no exceptions.   

• Ensure the Region operates with “just culture” as part of its core values.  

• Focus on continuous improvement and sharing of best practice in the areas of health & safety and on time performance.  

P&L Management  

• Own and deliver against P&L targets with full operational responsibility for the sub-Region and deliver financial EBIT targets as assigned.  

• Continuously analyse financial and operational performance and forecast data to identify trends and to determine progress toward targets. Proactively identify and capture improvement potential where possible. 

• Accountable for the preparation of operating budgets and proposals for capital expenditure and investments in infrastructure, technology, equipment, systems, or other assets and resources. 
  
  

  Quality Focus, Service Delivery and Operational Efficiency  

• Responsible and accountable for the delivery of operational performance and quality of service and achievement of KPI’s as set monthly and/or annually and adjusted when appropriate. 

• Proactively manage quality improvement measures where necessary and align closely with airline customers and ensure innovation and continuous improvement is embedded in all operational processes within the Region. 

• Monitor and track quality standards of the operation and ensure continuous improvements in workflows and services to maintain competitiveness and to improve cost base.  

• Deliver a culture of efficiency and maximum productivity in the operations through the appropriate SGM teams. 

• Ensure compliance, alignment and operational performance within airport terms and conditions including operational SLA’s contained within station(s) Ground Handling Licence. 

Leadership 

• Work closely with the COO and HRBP to build a development programme that takes their management team from Operators to Business Leaders who truly understand their business and station KPI’s. 

• Develop and coach his/her team and lead the wider team within the business to deliver the strategic goals and targets. 

• Enhance the performance and well-being of colleagues in the business unit through communication, leadership and team building, performance management, training and development, recruitment, and resources planning, whilst also effectively managing the talent pipeline and succession planning.  

• Recognise reward and celebrate success of team members. 

• Maintain positive relationships with union partners from a regional and local level. 
  
  

Business growth 

• Own and develop key relationships and plans that deliver a methodical approach to identifying requirements when approaching new prospects as well as securing and maintaining existing customer accounts. 

• Responsibility to develop and enhance the customer relationship at a strategic operational level as well as ensure that any new business/renewal is commercially aligned and supports delivery of the regions P+L objectives. 

• Drive and lead relationships across all customer and prospective customers and facilitate introductions for wider Commercial team and other cross functional relationships.
• Accountable for maintaining a high rate of retention of existing business and customers, developing the existing customer relationships to create long term collaborative partnerships by taking accountability the identification of potential commercial opportunities.  
  
  

Strategic 

• Challenging the operational status quo to support improved business performance and growth. 

• Work closely with the COO Ground Handling and the Senior Leadership team throughout the business in defining strategic and operational objectives.
  
  

Relationship Builder 

• Successfully build relationships and complete trust within the business, with particular emphasis on the Regional Operations directors peer group and Business unit Heads, plus relevant central support functions (e.g., Finance, HR and QHSE)  

• Manage external relationships, particularly with existing and prospective key customer stakeholders to drive high levels of operational performance. 

• Drive a customer centric culture through our teams, creating an environment that focuses on understanding our customers’ needs and their changing business priorities to continually seek to create value and become a true partner of choice. 
  

To be successful in this role you will: 

• Have strong decision-making capabilities in a highly pressurised, time-sensitive, and low-margin service business.  

• Have strategic skills and commercial acumen combined with the ability to motivate teams to deliver high quality standards across a diverse multi-site leadership team.  

• Have the ability to drive change as a constant and unpredictable feature of your working environment.  

• Be able to communicate clearly with your people to help them understand Swissport UKI direction.  

• Be resilient and able to operate effectively in an environment of ambiguity. 

• Be able to build positive and trusting relationships.  

• Be open to different opinions and seek a collaborative approach.  

• University degree or equivalent, advanced degree in a related field or professional certifications are advantageous.  

• Excellent working knowledge of business management principles and practices, financial concepts, and key drivers of profitability and operational performance . 

• A minimum of 5-7 years’ experience with significant P&L responsibility, preferably in the aviation industry in a blue-collar environment .