About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

We are seeking a seasoned leader to serve as the Sr. Operations Manager on Duty, responsible for oversees overnight operations across all departments, ensuring continuity of production, timely issue resolution, and adherence to safety and service standards. 

 

This role serves as the primary onsite leader overnight, responsible for managing escalations, directing teams, and maintaining operational performance in a fast-paced environment.

Main Accountabilities

• Strategically plan, organize, and manage a department with regards to daily hours, schedules, productivity, quality and safety.
• Responsible for department costs to budget through effective manpower planning, scheduling and overtime usage
• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, quality standards, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), safety, health, environmental and other regulations
• Ensure on-time and accurate production in the preparation of food/equipment and catering of flights
• Investigate customer quality issues, develop and implement corrective actions
• Maintain an ongoing, positive and pro-active relationship with all internal and external customers
• Attend the daily operations briefing
• Ensure par levels of customer inventory and customer specific goods 
• Provide data for the development of an annual business plan and budgeting for the department
• Ensure optimal deployment of human, technical and material resources in the department
• Initiate and control continuous optimization of processes
• Leadership
• Ensure that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed and directed
• Guide, motivate and develop the subordinate employees within the Human Resources Policy
• Participates in coaching the expanded Global Performance System (GPS) process, as well as additional career development activities to enhance the effectiveness and potential of the team
• Make the company's values and management principles live in the department(s)
• Plan / Implement and control the cost budget in the area of responsibility; initiate and steer corrective actions in case of deviations
• Participate and support company sponsored initiatives such as Global Quality Standard (GQS), HACCP, Lean Manufacturing, Employee Safety
   

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

•    3 to 5 years of proven operations leadership experience in a high-volume, 24/7 environment
•    Demonstrated ability to independently lead a multi-department operation during overnight/off-shift hours
•    Experience overseeing cross-functional teams including kitchen, materials, E&S, transportation, assembly, and warehouse
•    Ability to serve as the senior onsite leader, making real-time decisions with limited support
•    Proven experience managing escalations, resolving operational issues, and addressing real-time challenges
•    Strong problem-solving skills with ability to assess situations quickly and implement effective solutions
•    Clear judgment on when and how to escalate critical issues to senior leadership
•    Strong leadership presence with ability to direct supervisors and drive accountability across departments
•    Excellent communication skills, including clear and accurate handoffs to day leadership
•    Ability to maintain operational continuity, safety, and service levels across all functions
•    Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple competing priorities
•    Comfortable in a hands-on, boots-on-the-ground leadership role
•    Basic computer and systems proficiency

Highly Preferred:
•    Experience leading overnight or off-shift operations
•    Background in large-scale food production, commissary, logistics, or similar environments
•    Experience operating in time-sensitive, high-pressure operations
•    Continuous improvement mindset (Lean / process improvement exposure)
•    Experience developing or refining escalation processes and standard operating procedures
•    Familiarity with labor coordination across multiple departments