Director of Operations

Abby's Catering • Houston, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are a high-touch, family-owned airline catering business operating in a fast-paced 24/7 environment. We operate with a lean structure, no corporate red tape, no ivory towers, and no room for bench-warmers or purely administrative managers. As Director of Operations, this is not a desk job, and leadership here is not about passive delegation. While you will delegate to your management team, you must actively inspect what you expect, train on the floor, and jump in alongside your team whenever necessary, whether that means jumping into the dish wash during an overnight rush, assisting in cold rooms, or helping load trucks and aircraft to hit turnaround times. You must be able to do it all. Only if you know the through put times you can manage your operations. You must bring deep, immediate operational expertise in the airline catering industry. We operate on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) methodology, and full embracement and execution of EOS principles (L10 meetings, Scorecards, Rocks, Accountability Chart, Right Person / Right Seat., etc.) is a strict requirement. We treat our team as one family, making no distinction between blue-collar and white-collar roles.

Requirements

• Thorough operational expertise in airline flight catering, aircraft ramp loading, dish/equipment turnaround, and flight schedule management.
• Practical experience with or full commitment to mastering and executing the EOS framework.
• A track record of leading, mentoring, and managing large operational teams in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in reading and interpreting budgets, operational KPIs, productivity models, and unit economics. Computer savvy with strong MS Excel capabilities.
• Valid local Food Safety Manager Certification.
• Eligibility for US Airport Badges (must pass a 10-year Federal background check).
• Willing and able to work in cold room environments, perform physical tasks as needed, and work flexible shifts across a 24/7/365 schedule (including blackout PTO periods during peak seasons like summer and year-end).

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Capabilities: Fluency in English is required; bilingual English/Spanish fluency is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with Paylocity (HRIS) is an advantage.
• Proactive "barrier remover" who thrives in a lean, agile business structure.

Responsibilities

• Walk the floor daily. Inspect, audit, and support night shifts, dish wash, cold production rooms, dish/sanitation stations, and ramp transport operations to guarantee flawless execution.
• Oversee daily transport, loading of trucks, and aircraft catering setup to maintain 100% on-time performance and strict compliance with airport security/safety protocols.
• Drive operational productivity, lower cost per unit, reduce waste, eliminate operational errors, and ensure customer service levels meet airline contractual specs.
• Lead, motivate, and mentor a multi-departmental team. Establish clear development plans for direct reports, holding managers accountable for departmental performance and team morale.
• Partner closely with executive leadership (COO/GM) and support departments (HR, Safety, Finance) to continuously refine proprietary operational tools, workflows, and procedures.
• Assist HR with talent acquisition, interviewing, onboarding, training, and retaining high-performing team members using tools such as Paylocity.
• Ensure absolute compliance with all local, state, and federal food safety rules (HACCP/FDA/USDA) and OSHA regulations.
• Maintain total compliance with federal aviation security regulations and badge access guidelines.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed