Sr Manager, Inflight Dining and Service Operations
Posting Start Date: 4/17/25
Location: PHL AIRPORT GROUP 2 (PHL-TGR2)
Cities: Philadelphia - PA
Requisition ID: 78466
Intro
Are you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life. Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board!
Why you'll love this job
The Sr Manager, Inflight Dining and Service Operations is part of the Inflight Dining and Service team within the Customer Experience Inflight division. This role leads the commissary operation and is responsible for catering strategy implementation and oversight of the operation.
What you'll do
As noted above, this list is intended to reflect the current job but there may be additional essential functions (and certainly non-essential job functions) that are not referenced. Management will modify the job or require other tasks be performed whenever it is deemed appropriate to do so, observing, of course, any legal obligations including any collective bargaining obligations.
• Lead the overall strategic direction and tactical execution of Inflight Dining & Service (IDS) procedures across the [CLT or PHL] commissary operation/facility, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
• Collaborate with the Director to define and implement long-term strategies for IDS operations, driving continuous improvement in all aspects of the commissary function
• Spearhead a high-performing team, ensuring safe, timely, and accurate catering of American’s onboard product, while effectively managing both local AA leadership and front-line team members
• Oversee inventory management, including stock levels, packing and assembly of dry goods (snacks, liquor/beverage carts, and miscellaneous supplies), as well as the delivery and loading of items to aircraft, ensuring efficiency in last-mile catering
• Identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives across commissary operations, focusing on work design, production/assembly flow, team member utilization, and vehicle efficiency to drive operational excellence
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to align strategies and meet key performance indicators, including operational performance and customer satisfaction metrics
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory safety requirements, maintaining a high standard of catering excellence across both in-house operations and supplier networks
• Responsible for vendor management of local vendors, including the RFP process, vendor evaluations, and supervision of contracts
• Lead and facilitate change management initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and alignment with organizational goals while engaging and supporting teams throughout the process
• Collaborate with Finance and Inflight leadership to forecast budget and month-end processes
• Make timely, data-driven operational decisions to meet dependability goals while balancing customer impact and operational needs
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance teams to ensure ongoing alignment with quality standards, driving consistent performance
• Willingness to travel up to 25% to support operations and strategic initiatives
Minimum Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience
• Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience/training.
• 7+ years of experience
• Experience with airline catering, the food and beverage and or hospitality industry
• Must fulfill FAA criminal background checks to qualify for unescorted access privileges to airport security identification display areas (SIDA), if applicable
• Ability to secure appropriate airport authority and/or US Customs security badges
• Must Pass U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) mandate drug test
• Able to push/pull force of up to 60 pounds
Preferred Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience
• Project Management
• Related advanced degree
• Process Improvement
• Change Management Skills
• Excellent communication, written and verbal
Skills, Licenses & Certifications
• High energy, results driven leader with the ability to balance multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent Change Management proven skills
• Proactively identify solutions to complex issues, and influence appropriate decision makers
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills with a strong focus on attention to detail
• Advanced business understanding, particularly in business process reengineering, and development of key performance indicators for inventory management functions
• Demonstrated success leading an organization responsible for catering strategy implementation
• Proficiency with MS portfolio (E.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Demonstrated ability to manage large initiatives, including financial justifications, and management, as well as execution of broad scale initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to strategize and negotiate with team members
• Strong understanding of employee relations, including labor/management relations
• Experience with continuous improvement initiatives
• Strong understanding of warehousing and supply chain associated processes
• Retain impeccable ethics in the area of corporate governance, operational reporting, and team development
Feel free to take advantage of all that American Airlines has to offer:
From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of the dynamic workforce at American Airlines. Our 20+ Employee Business Resource Groups are focused on connecting our team members to our customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders, helping team members reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment to meet and exceed the needs of our diverse world.
Are you ready to feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly as we care for people on life’s journey? Feel free to be yourself at American.
Cities: Philadelphia - PA
Requisition ID: 78466