Customer Service Operations Manager (Airline)

gategroup•Boston, MA

1d•$65,000 - $67,000

About The Position

The Manager, Operations, Customer Service supports the operational unit in meeting customer requirements and needs, acting as a liaison between the airline customer and the Gate Gourmet operational unit. Reporting to the General Manager for the unit, the role coordinates operational, customer-service, inventory, quality, and cost-management activities, and works with the commercial team and unit staff to achieve agreed performance expectations and customer-specific KPIs. The position oversees customer communication and issue resolution; flight-specific processes, specifications, and audits; specialty orders, uplifts, invoices, and billing checks; inventory accuracy and par levels; and customer feedback. It coordinates special events and owns the T-minus schedule to bring departments together. The role also ensures compliance with customer requirements and relevant customs, bonded-policy, and local agriculture requirements, and reports account activity and performance regularly to the General Manager and commercial team. This is a full-time, exempt position with unit-level geographic responsibility and travel of up to 25%. The work environment is a normal office environment. The position reports to the General Manager, Unit.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Proven account-management skills to create, maintain, and enhance customer relationships.
Minimum of 3 years of account or project management experience.
Extremely detail-oriented.
Technical and analytical competence, including understanding of software, hardware, and networks.
Motivated, goal-oriented, and persistent.
High initiative and ability to work well in a fast-paced team environment.
Ability to handle stressful situations and deadline pressures.
Ability to plan and carry out responsibilities with minimal direction.
Full knowledge of customer-specific service agreement requirements and ability to deliver them, including the airline systems and processes listed for applicable customers.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree or degree from a four-year university or college.
Bilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Agree on performance expectations with the commercial team and work with the General Manager and unit staff to deliver against them.
Approve specialty orders and uplifts with General Manager consent, and ensure invoice accuracy and timeliness.
Work with production to maintain current knowledge of specifications and customer expectations through routine audits.
Ensure supply chain and purchasing have current information and the data needed to support purchasing requirements.
Ensure flight-specific processes and procedures are completed, quality standards are met, and additional revenue opportunities are documented on invoices.
Communicate customer goals and represent customer interests to the local Gate Gourmet team; communicate the unit’s capabilities and offerings to clients with General Manager approval.
Report account activity, service status, and call reports to the General Manager and/or Account Director regularly, including weekly updates.
Coordinate customer and Gate Gourmet arrangements for special events, including menu presentations.
Own the T-minus schedule to facilitate changes and coordinate departments.
Reconcile delays and related communications daily, communicate previous-day specification changes and performance issues to operations, and drive root-cause analysis.
Prepare weekly recaps of delays versus targets and FACs, and update the customer and local station management.
Ensure customer issues are handled efficiently and inform the General Manager and commercial leader of problems.
Conduct weekly inventory status checks and keep customer inventory sheets and par levels current.
Manage accurate, timely inventory processes; review results before customer submission; communicate necessary par-level changes; and provide customer feedback to help reduce costs.
Help prevent warehouse space from being used for obsolete or excessive inventory.
Ensure customs requirements, Gate Gourmet bonded policy, and local agriculture compliance agreements are implemented.
Support quality and compliance through weekly specification checks and audits, including chef tables, packing diagrams, CCPs, VSIE processes, and safety.
Compare FACs against goals and own the CSI process in accordance with company policy and procedures.
Conduct documented weekly billing checks and review monthly service orders to ensure service items are captured and aligned with CXP and Salesforce.
Manage customer-specific KPIs, report performance to the commercial team, and agree performance targets with the Commercial VP and General Manager.
Support annual or quarterly customer feedback surveys covering communication, inventory management, quality, cost management, invoice accuracy, and customer-service orientation.
Carry out airline-specific system, reporting, flight-information, inventory, and customer-requirement duties for Delta, United, American, British Airways, or Virgin, as applicable.
Maintain a professional appearance and treat customers with dignity and respect.