Airline Ground Handling Regional Director

Trego Dugan Aviation

$110K — $130K *
Transportation
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of airline operations experience in leadership roles, including 7 years in management overseeing multiple stations.
  • Exceptional strategic leadership and organizational skills.
  • Proven ability to build relationships with senior airline and airport authority leaders.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, especially in presenting to senior leadership.
  • Strong financial acumen, including experience with budget forecasting and P&L ownership.
  • Advanced proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Flexible availability for extensive travel and working weekends or holidays.

Responsibilities

  • Provide strategic direction to City Directors and General Managers across assigned stations.
  • Oversee regional P&L, ensuring budget adherence and profitability at the station level.
  • Lead contract negotiations and pricing discussions with airline partners.
  • Ensure compliance with company policies and oversee compliance training programs.
  • Identify and resolve systemic service issues impacting on-time performance and staffing.
  • Develop talent through mentoring and creating succession plans within the region.
  • Maintain high-level relationships with airline customers and address significant concerns.

Benefits

  • Opportunities for career development and growth within the region.
  • Access to leadership training programs and mentorship.
  • Flexible work schedule accommodating various operational needs.
  • Engagement in recognition and morale-boosting programs across teams.
  • Travel opportunities across diverse markets and operational areas.
Full Job Description
GENERAL PURPOSE OF JOB

Provides strategic leadership and oversight for all Trego Dugan Aviation stations and airline business partner relationships within an assigned region. Directs City Directors and General Managers to ensure operational excellence, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction across all accounts. Serves as the senior point of accountability for the region's overall performance and represents TDA in high-level negotiations and strategic planning with airline partners and airport authorities.

ADMINISTRATION

  • Provide strategic direction and oversight for City Directors and General Managers across all assigned stations.
  • Serve as the direct people leader for City Directors and General Managers, including performance management, goal-setting, and career development.
  • Oversee regional workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational structure to ensure long-term operational capability.
  • Partner with head office departments (Payroll, Operations, Training, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and Marketing) at a strategic level to align regional execution with corporate objectives.


PROFITABILITY

  • Own the P&L for the assigned region, ensuring all stations operate within budget and contracted labor hours.
  • Set regional financial targets and hold Regional Managers and City Directors accountable for station-level profitability, cost control, and accurate billing of re-chargeable hours.
  • Review regional operational and financial performance against projected budgets; direct corrective action where needed.
  • Lead contract renewal, renegotiation, and pricing strategy discussions with airline partners in coordination with senior leadership.
  • Identify and pursue new business development opportunities and expansion of services within existing and prospective accounts across the region.


OPERATIONS

  • Ensure region-wide compliance with company policies, procedures, and standards, including safekeeping of company funds and property, personnel practices, and grievance handling.
  • Provide visible, strategic leadership across the region; mentor and develop City Directors, General Managers, and station leadership.
  • Build a leadership pipeline for City Director, General Manager, and supervisor roles across the region.
  • Serve as senior liaison with airport authorities and regulatory bodies on region-wide operational matters.
  • Ensure adequate staffing strategy and contingency planning across all account locations in the region.


SERVICE

  • Set the regional standard for identifying and resolving systemic service inhibitors, including on-time performance, staffing strategy, and recruiting pipeline health.
  • Oversee Quality Assurance audit cadence across the region; ensure City Directors and General Managers execute quarterly audits, action plans, and progress reporting to customer station managers.
  • Hold ultimate accountability for all accounts in the region achieving Key Performance targets; report regional KPI performance to senior leadership.


SAFETY

  • Provide regional oversight of all safety procedures, training programs, and compliance initiatives.
  • Ensure region-wide adherence to FAA/TSA mandated safety and security policies, including notification processes and audit follow-up.
  • Serve as the escalation point for significant safety or compliance incidents within the region.


CUSTOMER RELATIONS

  • Establish and maintain senior-level relationships with airline customers' regional and corporate operational management.
  • Lead regular strategic reviews with airline Business Managers, City Directors, and General Managers to assess operational and administrative objectives.
  • Act as the primary regional escalation point for significant customer concerns or contract performance issues.


CORPORATE CULTURE

  • Hold ultimate responsibility for staff morale and organizational culture across the region.
  • Ensure continuous, high-level communication with TDA customer airline managers and their leadership teams.
  • Sponsor and oversee quarterly Town Hall meetings across business units within the region.
  • Champion recognition programs and initiatives that foster camaraderie and celebrate wins at every level of the region.
  • Build and sustain a strong leadership bench across the management team, ensuring consistent leadership standards region-wide.


REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Exceptional strategic leadership and organizational skills.
  • Flexible availability, able to work weekends, holidays, and overtime.
  • Extensive travel required, including multi-station and multi-market oversight.
  • Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with senior airline and airport authority leadership.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills (oral and written), including experience presenting to senior/executive leadership.
  • Strong reading & comprehension of reference materials, instructions, policies & procedures.
  • Minimum of fifteen years of airline operations experience in progressive leadership, including at least seven years in an airline management position, with prior experience overseeing multiple stations, City Directors, or General Managers strongly preferred.
  • Energetic, motivated, enthusiastic, self-starter, with strong integrity and executive presence.
  • Advanced proficiency in MS Office, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage competing regional priorities under pressure with minimal direction.
  • Highly organized, strategic, and resourceful, with an entrepreneurial mentality and P&L ownership experience.
  • Comfortable operating across various cultures, markets, and their associated business practices.
  • Must be fluent in English in written and oral form.
  • Excellent critical thinking, analytical, and financial acumen, including budget forecasting and statistical analysis.
  • Necessary Math Skills: Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing; comfort with budget modeling and financial reporting.
  • Able to stand, bend, squat, reach, grasp, and pick up items; occasional lifting up to 70lbs-100lbs.


OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • Valid US work authorization.
  • Valid Driver's License.
  • Professional demeanor and exceptional executive presentation.
  • Flexible schedule & availability.

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