Senior Manager - Airport Operations Customer Service

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Description

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.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, Compliance & Investigations

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.

Operational Performance & Financial Discipline

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.

Customer Experience

Improve NPS by embedding service excellence standards into daily operations. Empower frontline teams to deliver consistent service recovery while maintaining operational integrity.

Employee Engagement & Leadership Development

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.

Training & Talent Development

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.

Change Leadership & Strategic Execution

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.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• 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

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• 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)

The base pay range for this role is $127,870.00 to $166,492.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an equal opportunity employer. United Airlines recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, age, veteran status and other protected status as required by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/LGBT.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions. Please contact [email protected] to request accommodation.