Senior Manager - Airport Operations Customer Service

United Airlines•Chicago, IL

10d

About The Position

At United, we fly into airports around the entire world. And we need a whole team of people to keep things running in tip-top shape! From the exceptional service at the check-in counter to the departure gate, and even behind the scenes making sure your checked bags arrive with you, our Airport Operations team keeps operations at our airports running smoothly every single day. Job Overview The Senior Manager partners with the Director and Managing Director to lead safe, reliable, and customer-focused airport operations. This role is accountable for operational excellence, financial performance, and measurable improvements in TCI, NPS, MST, PPBM, and Safety Excellence. Build and sustain an inclusive, high-performing culture across union, management, and administrative teams. Deliver results through servant leadership, disciplined execution, innovation, and strong coaching in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment. Collaborate closely with Hub partners (Flight Operations, Inflight, Technical Operations), airport authorities (TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection), business partners, and union leadership to ensure effective administration of collective bargaining agreements and positive labor-management relations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
4+ years operational experience; 3+ years management experience
3+ years leading and developing managers
2+ years leading projects with measurable results
Demonstrated success improving operational and safety performance
Experience leading investigations and corrective action processes
Strong collaboration, influence, and executive communication skills
Proven ability to lead effectively in a 24/7/365 operation
Proficient in Microsoft Office
Legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
Reliable attendance

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
5+ years operational leadership experience
Experience leading unionized and large (500+) teams
Lean/Six Sigma or Project Management certification
Experience in labor finance and workforce planning
Working knowledge of collective bargaining agreements
Strong data analysis capability
Demonstrated change management expertise
High emotional intelligence (EQ)

Responsibilities

Champion a proactive safety culture where safety is embedded in every decision.
Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory standards, and operational procedures.
Lead and oversee local safety and compliance investigations, ensuring timely fact-finding, thorough documentation, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation.
Drive accountability and prevention strategies to mitigate future risk.
Drive sustained improvements in TCI, MST, PPBM, and station reliability through data-driven leadership and disciplined execution.
Establish clear expectations, inspect performance routinely, and hold leaders accountable for measurable results.
Identify operational gaps and implement continuous improvement strategies that enhance productivity and cost efficiency.
Improve NPS by embedding service excellence standards into daily operations.
Empower frontline teams to deliver consistent service recovery while maintaining operational integrity.
Build an inclusive, high-accountability culture where employees feel valued, developed, and heard.
Coach and develop Managers and Assistant Managers to lead effectively through others.
Strengthen engagement through visibility, recognition, and transparent communication while maintaining strong labor-management relationships.
Ensure effective delivery of required training programs, operational refreshers, and safety education.
Partner with training teams to close skill gaps, reinforce compliance standards, and elevate frontline performance.
Promote continuous learning to strengthen leadership capability and operational readiness.
Lead operational and organizational change initiatives with clarity and structure.
Translate strategy into action plans, drive adoption of new processes and systems, and sustain performance during transformation.
Partner cross-functionally with Hub divisions (Flight Operations, Inflight, Technical Operations), airport authorities (TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection), business partners, and union leadership to ensure alignment and successful execution.