Job Description
Role Profile
Our overall mission is simple: Happy passengers, travelling safely, on-time. The Airport Operations Manager is accountable for leading Edinburgh Airport’s operation, delivering a safe, resilient environment to serve our customers.
The role includes responsibility for all operational activity across Scotland’s busiest airport ensuring the business operates at maximum efficiency.
Lead from the front and empower your day-today direct reports to build and develop their own teams. Help improve performance and deliver an exceptional customer experience, putting the customer at the forefront of everything you do.
Duties include:
- Operational management and coordination with internal and external (police, border force, airline general managers etc.) partners to deliver airport operations end-to-end (aircraft movement and flow, airport security, passenger flow, airside and landside road networks, baggage and engineering.)
- Work with operational stakeholders to challenge performance and ensure service level agreements are met.
- Track all operational performance through metrics, addressing areas of risk using the Edinburgh Decision Model.
- Airport threat assessor working in conjunction with Police Scotland and where relevant airline threat assessor, responding to threats to aircraft or airport infrastructure.
- Liaison between business areas and multiple stakeholders to support in project delivery.
- During periods of disruption, the Airport Operations Manager will fulfil the role of Silver Commander for the airport leading our business response.
Key accountabilities
The Airport Operations Manager is responsible for providing the operational framework and delivery of procedures, guidance, advice, and leadership for Edinburgh Airport, for all passengers and employees by:
- Leading the Airport operation, delivering a safe, compliant, punctual and efficient performance whilst maximising customer welfare and revenue (or minimising loss).
- Managing the operation to plan, putting safety first when reducing delay and improving flow across the end to end passenger journey.
- Identify deviations to the plan and find solutions, ensuring the plan is adapted and implemented.
- Ability to build effective and influential relationships with our stakeholders and external parties including regulatory bodies.
- Reporting, analysing, and collating data that can be used to inform operational efficiency, either locally or strategically.
Lead the operational response to event planning and incident management:
- Assess, coordinate and develop our operational response to risks using the Edinburgh Decision Model.
- Fulfil the role of Silver Commander during periods of incident response and business recovery.
- Work with business functions to continuously improving cross functional resilience preparedness by delivering exercises (e.g. decision gyms)
- Operational planning and management of large-scale events that impact our operation i.e. Royal Highland Show, Lourdes etc.
- Ensure through feedback, wash ups and investigations that plans and process across the operation are continually improved.
Drive continuous process improvement:
- Maintaining knowledge of all CAA and DfT legislative changes and ensure these are translated into operational actions.
- Constantly seek, monitor and advise line manager on mechanisms to improve passenger experience and/or operational efficiencies.
- Play an active role in required “root cause analysis” and facilitate the implementation of identified outcomes.
Scope
Sound technical understanding of Edinburgh Airport:
- This is a high-profile management position demanding sound judgement in leading operations to deliver excellent service and the safe continuity of business.
- Must have a good understanding of EAL emergency orders, procedures, policies and published contingencies including security legislation.
Stakeholder management:
- Interacts with full range of line managers and line reports, including senior management (Director and “Head of” levels) to provide both pro-active and reactive support.
- Required to work with and influence a wide range of external agencies and stakeholders over which the post holder has no direct line management authority.
Delegated Financial Authority:
- The role includes acting with delegated financial authority during times of incident management.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
- Essential: Exemplary inter-personal and communication skills, Exemplary self-organisation skills, including ability to: self-direct, shape business priorities and lead through situational ambiguity.
- Essential: Excellent team-worker with the ability to work constructively in and between different teams, and to lead/motivate others (including ability to challenge and change behaviours).
- Essential: Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with impact and influence at a senior level.
- Essential: Ability to filter information, see the bigger picture and determine where to focus.
- Essential: Strong understanding of Edinburgh systems and operational data; Logic-driven problem-solving.
- Essential: Deep understanding of Airport operations to include a minimum of 3 years’ experience in both operations and continuity/contingency planning within Aviation.
- Desired: Degree level qualification in aviation or a relevant discipline.
- Desired: Experience in incident management.