About us

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

The Operations Manager will provide leadership across operational areas, supporting day-to-day execution, problem resolution, and overall performance.

 
This role requires a strong, well-rounded operator who can adapt to business needs, lead teams effectively, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
 

The ideal candidate is a proactive leader capable of stepping into various operational functions and delivering immediate impact.

Main Accountabilities

•    Strategically plan, organize, and manage a department with regards to daily hours, schedules, productivity, quality and safety.
•    Responsible for department costs to budget through effective manpower planning, scheduling and overtime usage
•    Ensure compliance with customer specifications, quality standards, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), safety, health, environmental and other regulations
•    Ensure on-time and accurate production in the preparation of food/equipment and catering of flights
•    Investigate customer quality issues, develop and implement corrective actions
•    Maintain an ongoing, positive and pro-active relationship with all internal and external customers
•    Attend the daily operations briefing
•    Ensure par levels of customer inventory and customer specific goods 
•    Provide data for the development of an annual business plan and budgeting for the department
•    Ensure optimal deployment of human, technical and material resources in the department
•    Initiate and control continuous optimization of processes

Leadership

• Ensure that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed and directed
• Guide, motivate and develop the subordinate employees within the Human Resources Policy
• Participates in coaching the expanded Global Performance System (GPS) process, as well as additional career development activities to enhance the effectiveness and potential of the team
• Make the company's values and management principles live in the department(s)
• Plan / Implement and control the cost budget in the area of responsibility; initiate and steer corrective actions in case of deviations
• Participate and support company sponsored initiatives such as Global Quality Standard (GQS), HACCP, Lean Manufacturing, Employee Safety

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

•    Three to five years of management experience in large-scale operations such as culinary production, logistics, warehouse, or similar
•    Experience in using and managing Variable Production Systems and schedules 
•    Strong presentation, communication, training and interpersonal skills
•    Proven success in improving work processes and leading change in a complex, fast environment
•    Excellent analytical and conceptual skills
•    Demonstrable record of understanding and meeting customer expectations
•    Proven track record of understanding the drivers of product and labor cost variances
•    Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and Windows-based computer application
•    Experience working in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments
•    Exposure to process improvement or continuous improvement initiatives
•    Experience developing or improving operational processes and SOPs
•    Experience managing both salaried and hourly employees, including frontline supervisors with an oversight of 30+ team members in department