Transportation Supervisor

gategroup•Schiller Park, IL

About The Position

The Transportation Supervisor oversees drivers and driver assistants who coordinate services between the kitchen and drivers, and controls activities on the dock. The role ensures the safe, timely, and accurate delivery of catering products and equipment to aircraft while maintaining service quality, customer specifications, regulatory compliance, and company policies. The supervisor manages daily staffing, work assignments, scheduling, employee training, coaching, performance evaluations, and corrective actions. The position also supports operational performance and financial goals, coordinates with airline and operations contacts, monitors vehicle and equipment readiness, and works with maintenance to address repairs and preventive maintenance. The role supervises union employees and works with HR and other support functions as appropriate.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
At least 2 years of supervisory experience in a high-volume manufacturing, food production, restaurant, or catering environment, or equivalent related experience, is preferred.
Strong 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 focus on 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.
Clear and effective spoken and written communication with individuals and groups, attentive listening, and ability to confirm mutual understanding.
Full-time availability.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree 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

Ensure quality production and maintain standards for all accounts.
Obtain control sheets and assign team drivers to flights each day.
Check the dock to ensure employees have required equipment and trucks depart according to 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 service requirements and updates.
Maintain radio contact with the Operations Manager, meal planner, and leads during operations.
Check the kitchen to ensure equipment is not left behind after flights leave.
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 reflect airline specifications.
Ensure products are coded according to Gate Gourmet procedures.
Coordinate with maintenance staff on preventive maintenance schedules for machinery and the 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 required management reports, such as attendance, HACCP, and labor reports.
Supervise drivers and driver assistants, including conducting performance evaluations, coaching, counseling, and preparing corrective actions in coordination with HR and other support functions.
Balance workflow and divide responsibilities among employees on each shift, including assigning workstations and responsibilities.
Plan daily staffing and schedules, determine whether employees should be called in to cover staffing needs, and work with department leaders to determine staffing levels by shift.
Ensure compliance with company Wage & Hour policy, including meal and rest breaks and related processes.
Train and monitor employees on work procedures to support productivity and control labor and food expenses.
Support employee retention and efforts to reduce turnover.
Ensure employees in the chain of command are assigned to correct cost centers and job titles, and verify union employees’ pay rates against wage scales and seniority.
For applicable positions (OP73 and OP78), ensure employees complete required company training, including ServSafe.
Comply with company-required policies, procedures, processes, and training.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.