Senior Manager – Airport Technology

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.

Riyadh Air is recruiting a Senior Manager, Ground Experience, to oversee the design, build-out and ongoing management of the ground-based guest experience of a world-class airline. This role will be responsible for the entire end-to-end ground journey such as check-in, bag drop, security, transfers, lounges, shopping, and boarding. This role reports to the Vice President, Guest Experience.

JOB PURPOSE:

The successful candidate will be responsible for ground product development and management, working to global standards for ground product and service strategies / airport and lounge hardware products. They will drive global airport, baggage, passenger, lounge, and F&B service strategies and translate them into state-of-the-art service concepts & portfolios – they will do this in cooperation with airline brands, digital journey management, ground operations and infrastructure management - as well as with partners.

Key responsibilities for the role will involve setting up and managing performance and quality frameworks, internal and external stakeholder management (e.g., interior & technology providers, catering & logistics) and responsibility for steering product lifecycles for all ground product & service clusters.

The role will also work closely with the Operations team who are responsible for the staffing of the operation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Translate service vision into guest experience standards for the entire end to end of the ground experience such as check-in, bag drop, security, transfers, lounges, shopping, and boarding.
• Develop guest-centric strategies to cater for different personas, such as premium, top tier loyalty, family, VIP, and others.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to continuously map out and review the end-to-end guest experience journey to establish experience drivers and performance standards across all guests facing touchpoints at both its airport hub and global network.
• Participate in best practice on guest experience design for airports and ground experience with a focus on On-Time Performance (OTP), reduction of pain points, disruption management, service recovery and driving unique signature experiences.
• Work with digital/system partners to drive seamlessness on the ground experience such as disruption management, self-service and any other kind of automation that would ease journey pain points and deliver guest satisfaction.
• Be involved in projects, policy formulation and data analytics to improve service quality and drive innovation in the airport experience.
• Provide detailed reports on project progress in a timely manner and identify challenges, risks wherever required.
• Support on any operational trials to gauge how to improve and enhance guest experience on the ground.
• Champion a guest centric culture through all necessary stakeholder meetings and engagements.
• Develop guest experience monitoring and auditing either through in-house teams, digital systems embedded through CRM platforms, or through external mystery shopper campaigns for both hub and airport.
• Support operating teams on establishing service level agreement standards for third-party service providers.
• Perform any related activities according to business requirements.
• Ensure the compliance with local and international regulatory requirements, through verification of training programs and implementation of procedures and operating policies.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of 10 years of work experience, preferably with strong guest service orientation, and proven track record of professionalism and accomplishment with a leading airline in guest experience, branding and product development.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a comparable managerial position.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Design, Marketing, or any related field.
• Post-graduation qualification will be an added advantage.

SKILLS

• Strong understanding of aircraft configuration, cabin development technologies and guest objectives in product development
• Strong sense of design fundamentals, aesthetics and able to communicate design language effectively.
• Problem-solving and decision making
• High levels of innovation and influencing
• Strong sense of initiative and accountability
• High level of professionalism and work ethic
• Adaptability and desire to work in an evolving/start-up environment where policies and processes are being created.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Strong proficiency in MS Office.

 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.