Head - Airport Services

Job Description

Riyadh Air, headquartered in the Saudi Capital, is the new national airline that’s shaping the future of flying. It seeks to lead the aviation industry by transforming Saudi Arabia into a global aviation and trade hub – a new, digitally native airline, connecting the kingdom to more than 100 destinations.

JOB PURPOSE:

Head Airport Services function plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation and efficient delivery of services to the Guests. Responsible for overseeing daily operations, managing staff, resolving customer issues, and ensuring compliance with airline regulations and safety standards. This is a challenging and rewarding position that requires strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

The incumbent will direct, lead, and support the Airport Services Managers and Ground Handling partners to deliver the safe, secure, and most efficient on time operation for Riyadh Air at the HUB and network Airports.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Monitor, lead, analysis and support the airports operation team to ensure regulatory compliance, adherence to policy, effectiveness, and continuous improvement to support the evolving needs of the organization.
• Monitoring the performance of Airport Services team through the development and effective implementation of systems, planning, and using resources in an effective manner to assist the organization in meeting its operational standards and targets.
• Assigning responsibilities to maintain strategic goals, objectives, and standards through establishing and managing an effective team.
• Develop and implement effective financial and performance controls.
• Develop high-quality and efficient Airports Operations to meet customer expectations by negotiating cost-effective Ground Handling agreements and liaising with various government agencies.
• Effective service to customers through selecting, supervising, training, equipping, and monitoring performance of all staff including service providers.
• Implement effective communication & culture with ground handling operations and their management in terms of safety and security airports.
• Monitor service-level agreements with business partners by continuous assessment and subsequently modify contracts to properly support the needs of the operation.
• Ensures that policies are in accordance with applicable regulations and standards.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 15 Years in Ground and cargo operation in commercial aviation company with extensive experience of managing large HUBs.
• Supervision and directing staff, including handling scheduling, training, and performance management.
• Experience in liaising with various stakeholders, including airline staff, airport authorities, and other service providers, to coordinate operations and backend support functions.
• Experience in managing resources such as equipment, facilities, and staff to optimize efficiency and minimize delays.
• Experience in coordinating responses to emergencies or disruptions, such as bad weather or mechanical issues, to minimize disruptions to operations.
• Experience in ensuring high levels of customer service by addressing passenger needs and handling complaints or issues effectively.
• Deeply entrenched understanding of various areas of airport operations from an airline perspective as well as an airport operator / vendor / service providers perspective.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• Relevant industry-recognized qualifications are a plus (e.g. Airline Management, Aviation Law).

SKILLS

• Ability to motivate, energize and lead a team by example.
• High familiarity with key airline-decision & management support, analytics tools.
• Help identify the evolving end state and Identify tools that can help achieve that as the company matures and the needs change.
• Deep understanding of airports, regulatory agencies, and airline environment.
• Able to communicate fluently in spoken and written Arabic & English.
• Able to be well organized, work on own initiative and under pressure.
• Communication skills and strong leadership.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Fully conversant with MS Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Teams & SharePoint.

COMPETENCIES:

• Drives Vision and Purpose – Paint a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.
• Communicates Effectively – Developing and delivering multi-mode communication that conveys a clear understanding of unique needs of different audiences.
• Health and Safety – Applying a combination of training skills, experience, and knowledge to perform a task safely.
• Instills Trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Customer Focus – Building customer relationships and delivering customer centric solutions.
• Ensures Accountability – Holding oneself and others accountable for meeting commitments.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others as a team to meet shared objectives.

The city that is already transforming the way we live is now redefining the way we fly. Riyadh Air, a brand-new chapter in the sky. The new national airline that’s shaping the future of flying.