Description:

Purpose: The purpose of the Senior Director, American Airlines Lounge Operations is to serve as the executive liaison between American Airlines Corporation (AA) and HMSHost, with full responsibility to direct resources in support of the partnership relationship, drive continuous operations improvement, negotiate and adhere to contractual obligations, and grow revenue and profitability. Essential Functions: • Maintains great interpersonal relationships with key American Airlines contacts, and acts as HMSHost’s key executive liaison with American Airlines Executives. • Responsible for developing and executing the American Airlines brand strategy, communication, execution, compliance, conflict resolution, brand integrity, and monitors, analyzes, and communicates standards and performance for all sales and service metrics. • Upholds operation standards policies, work policies, training programs, food, beverage, and merchandise controls; ensures all American Airlines communications are distributed to field operations consistently and clearly. • Monitors, directs, and enhances the food and beverage program. Works with Culinary, training, marketing, and Supply Chain to ensure all food products meet desired product specifications and cost levels. • Partners with HMSHost DOs/SDOs to ensure Lounge Operations meet all performance standards and contract requirements and are managed to meet or exceed SLA’s as set forth by the airline agreement • Partners with HMSHost DOs/SDOs on all employment decisions for local lounge leadership and staff. • Resolves contract or company or airline/client violations in a timely manner through troubleshooting, development of work objectives, and action plans in conjunction with the American Airlines partners and Operations. • Responsible for leading branch-level American Airlines Lounge operations teams to ensure day-to-day quality of lounge operations for Admiral’s Clubs, Flagship Lounges, and Flagship First Dining. • Directs marketing opportunities between American Airlines and HMSHost, including strategy, products, and execution. • In conjunction with American Airlines, operations, and other departments, facilitates the communication of top-line performance information between American Airlines and HMSHost through quarterly business reviews. Reporting relationships and other important information: • The Senior Director, American Airlines Lounge Operations position as described falls under the Fair Labor Standards act as an Exempt position under the Executive exemption • The Senior Director, American Airlines Lounge Operations position reports to the Vice President of Operations of the Region. • The Senior Director, American Airlines Lounge Operations position’s base of operations is the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The role requires frequent travel within North America approximately 70% of the time. The position can operate virtually when not required to be on-site at DFW offices or when traveling to North America Airports.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment: • The Senior Director, American Airlines Lounge Operations must have documented experience managing foodservice establishments/restaurants similar in scale, scope, and quality required by American Airlines, to include overall responsibility for success and failure of those restaurants for multiple annual cycles for each type. • Generally speaking, concurrent multi-unit management experience for a minimum of 5 years with underlying overall restaurant management experience of 10+ years is necessary to be successful. • Financial acumen and management knowledge typically demonstrated through progress toward a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, but also through varying combinations of formal post-secondary education and successful hands-on experience managing multiple restaurant concepts and multiple restaurant units. • Requires a demonstrated successful track record managing highly visible relationships with both public and private clients and stakeholders (City Councils, Airport authorities, developers, landlords, DBEs, Unions, and joint venture partners). • Requires a demonstrated successful track record of leading through intermediate leaders and managers who are not co-located or with whom there is only limited or periodic contact, and holding them accountable for commitments, performance, and outcomes. • Requires a demonstrated successful track record of growing sales and operating profit, while continuously improving customer delight, associate engagement, and landlord/brand/partner satisfaction. • Requires a demonstrated successful track record of executing against a strategic plan and mobilizing a team to deliver concrete and measurable results against the Company’s strategy and goals. • Requires a demonstrated successful track record of and commitment to developing restaurant leadership talent, adopting, and embodying best-in-class employee engagement practices, and building a diverse and inclusive team and work environment.

Additional Info:

To learn more about HMSHost and additional career opportunities, visit https://www.hmshost.com/. Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran (M/F/D/V) Drug Free Workplace (DFW)