Transportation Supervisor

gategroup•Schiller Park, IL

13d

About The Position

The Transportation Supervisor oversees drivers and driver assistants who coordinate services between the kitchen and drivers and control activities on the dock. The role supports safe, timely, and quality transportation of catering products and equipment to aircraft, while ensuring compliance with airline specifications, customer requirements, regulatory obligations, and company policies. The supervisor manages day-to-day staffing and workflow, assigns employees and workstations, monitors performance and labor goals, and provides coaching, training, and corrective action. The position also coordinates with operations, kitchen, maintenance, airline, and HR contacts; monitors equipment and vehicle readiness; and prepares required management reports. The role is full-time, exempt, and reports to the Manager, Ops, Transport. The listed annual hiring rate is $66,000.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Strong and effective leadership skills and ability to manage a staff of 30 or more hourly employees.
Ability to train others.
Ability to give employees positive and negative feedback daily.
Excellent time-management skills and ability to handle multiple tasks while maintaining priorities.
Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to make operational changes to improve the work environment and unit performance.
Basic computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
Ability to obtain ServSafe Certification.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in speaking and writing, listen attentively, and ensure communication is understood.
Ability to work in a normal work environment.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree preferred.
At least 2 years of supervisory experience in a high-volume manufacturing, food production, restaurant, or catering environment, or equivalent related experience preferred.
Current or previous labor relations experience is a plus.
ServSafe Certification preferred.
Bilingual ability in English and Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Vietnamese, Hindi, or Polish is a plus.

Responsibilities

Maintain quality production standards for all accounts.
Obtain control sheets and assign driver teams to flights daily.
Check the dock to ensure employees have required equipment and trucks depart on schedule.
Verify teams are catering the correct aircraft and flights.
Ensure employees follow safety procedures and Airport Transport Authority badging requirements.
Work with management staff to improve unit performance.
Assist teams with late flights and equipment changes.
Obtain airline information about service requirements and updates.
Maintain radio contact with the Operations Manager, meal planner, and leads during operations.
Check the kitchen regularly to ensure equipment is not left behind after flights depart.
Ensure the security and proper transportation of galleys and maintain vehicle cleanliness.
Ensure safety, quality, and compliance with customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and company policies and procedures.
Ensure specifications, airline diagrams, and other standards match airline specifications.
Ensure products are coded according to Gate Gourmet procedures.
Coordinate with maintenance staff on scheduled preventive maintenance of machinery and fleet, and report maintenance and repair issues promptly.
Maintain company policies and procedures and airline customer specification books.
Maintain financial goals related to materials, productivity, overtime, and labor.
Prepare management reports, including attendance, HACCP, and labor reports, as required.
Supervise drivers and driver assistants, including performance evaluations, coaching, counseling, and corrective actions in coordination with HR and other support functions.
Balance workflow by dividing responsibilities among employees on each shift and assigning responsibilities and workstations.
Plan daily manpower and schedules, including determining staffing needs with department leaders and deciding when to call employees in to cover absences, leave, or volume changes.
Ensure compliance with company Wage & Hour policy, including rest and meal breaks and required processes.
Train and monitor employees on proper work procedures to maximize productivity while minimizing labor and food expenses.
Support employee retention and reduce turnover.
Apply corrective actions in compliance with applicable union or collective bargaining agreements.
Review employees in the chain of command to ensure correct cost centers, job titles, pay rates, wage scales, and seniority are reflected.
Ensure employees complete required company training, including ServSafe where applicable.
Comply with company-required policies, procedures, processes, and training.