Regional Operations Manager - Aviation

About the role

The Regional Operations Manager directs and oversees janitorial, aircraft cabin servicing, and facility maintenance operations across a designated region of airports. This role ensures high-quality service delivery, strict regulatory compliance, budget efficiency, and strong client relationships while leading a large, multi-site workforce.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Multi-site oversight: Direct daily janitorial and aircraft cleaning operations across all regional airport locations.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate Site Managers and Operations Supervisors within the region.
• On-time performance: Ensure aircraft cabin servicing meets strict airline turnaround times to prevent flight delays.
• Quality assurance: Conduct regular facility and aircraft audits to ensure cleanliness aligns with corporate and client standards.
• Client relations: Act as the primary point of contact for airline partners and airport authorities to resolve operational issues quickly.
• Resource management: Oversee inventory control, tracking equipment usage, chemical supplies, and asset maintenance costs.
• Contract tracking: Ensure service delivery aligns perfectly with Statements of Work (SOWs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Regulatory adherence: Ensure 100% compliance with FAA, OSHA, EPA, and TSA regulations.
• Safety training: Champion a "safety first" culture, ensuring all teams complete mandatory ramp safety and hazardous material training.
• Incident reporting: Oversee investigations for any workplace injuries, aircraft damage, or security breaches, implementing corrective actions.

Knowledge, Skills And Competencies

• Project and program management, cross-functional leadership, operational execution, and performance reporting.
• Strong organizational, planning, and follow-up skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to track multiple projects, deliverables, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Ability to collect, organize, analyze, and report operational data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and project-tracking or reporting tools.
• Ability to develop dashboards, trackers, scorecards, status reports, and leadership presentations.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to identify risks, delays, dependencies, and performance gaps and escalate them appropriately.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, influence stakeholders, follow up on commitments, and escalate unresolved issues without direct supervisory authority.
• Strong critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-support skills.
• Ability to build alignment and synergy across various groups, converting competing priorities into one execution plan.
• Working knowledge of project-management methods, including waterfall, Agile, Lean, or continuous improvement.
• Change-management and stakeholder-engagement skill, including communication planning, training, and adoption tracking.
• Budget, vendor, and resource-management capability.
• Ability to facilitate project meetings and communicate project status, risks, and resource needs to regional leadership.

Qualifications/Job Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, operations management, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 8 years of operations management experience leading cross-functional initiatives; multi-site facility services or high-volume service industry strongly preferred.
• Ability to pass a 10-year background check and obtain an Airport Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge.
• Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record required for airport ramp driving privileges.
• Demonstrated experience managing operations budgets, vendors, and matrixed teams.
• English proficiency, bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred.

Schedule

• Regular weekly schedule: weekends or holidays as needed.
• Regular presence on the airport ramp, apron, and in terminal environments, including extended periods of walking and standing;
• Occasional periods of desk-based work with prolonged use of computer and repetitive hand motions;
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements

• Regular presence on the airport ramp, apron, and in terminal environments, including extended periods of walking and standing;
• Occasional periods of desk-based work with prolonged use of computer and repetitive hand motions;
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs.

Physical Requirements

• Regular presence on the airport ramp, apron, and in terminal environments, including extended periods of walking and standing;
• Occasional periods of desk-based work with prolonged use of computer and repetitive hand motions;
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs.

Environmental Factors

• Mixed office, terminal, and outdoor ramp/apron environment with varying temperatures, weather conditions, and noise levels, including aircraft and ground equipment noise.
• Use of required personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to airport safety and security protocols in ramp and secure areas.
• Active service operations.

Travel

• Up to 50%