Sr. Mgr., Uqonic Lounge Ops, NA

Provides strategic and operational leadership across a portfolio of airport lounges in the NA Region. Accountable for delivering a consistently exceptional, personalized, and elevated guest experience grounded in a strong hospitality culture, while also achieving operational, financial, safety, quality, and people-performance objectives. With a strong guest-first mindset, leads and develops Lounge Managers and regional support teams, establishing high standards for hospitality, service delivery and operational excellence across all locations. Drives consistency through shared operating standards, best-practice deployment, performance management, and continuous improvement, while empowering local teams to deliver authentic, anticipatory, and personalized service. Serves as a key operational and hospitality partner to clients, airport authorities, and internal stakeholders, ensuring lounge operations meet contractual commitments, brand expectations, and the evolving needs of guests. Annual Hiring Range/Hourly Rate: •      $140,000 - $145,000/Per Year •      This position is eligible for incentive pay of 10% of the annual base salary, dependent upon successful attainment of company, team, and individual goals. Benefits • Paid time off • 401k, with company match • Company sponsored life insurance • Medical, dental, vision plans • Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance • Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans • Employee Assistance Program • Commuter benefits • Employee Discounts Main Duties and Responsibilities: • Provides strong leadership in hospitality, food & beverage operations, premium guest services, and multi-site operational management. • Leads NA regional lounge operations teams, drives continuous improvement initiatives, supports business growth, and serves as the key liaison between airline partners, airport authorities, and internal stakeholders. • Ensures consistent delivery of an exceptional lounge guest experience, driving hospitality standards and brand compliance across all locations. • Champion a customer-centric culture that places the guest experience at the center of operational decision-making through establishing, monitoring, and driving continuous improvement of guest-experience standards, service models, and operating procedures. • Analyze guest feedback, satisfaction data, operational trends, and service failures to identify root causes, address emergent issues, and implement sustainable improvements. • Works closely with the Executive Chef for Lounges to foster strong processes and working practices for FOH and BOH collaboration, consistency and success. • Leads pre-opening, transition, and mobilization activities for new lounge openings and contract transitions. • Drives margin improvement through staffing optimization, procurement efficiencies, and operational best practices. • Identifies opportunities for revenue enhancement and cost savings, while maintaining service excellence. • Collaborates with NA Lounge leadership and supporting departments on contract renewals, RFP responses, and commercial negotiations with airline and airport partners. • Ensures full compliance with food safety, sanitation, health regulations and airport operational standards in all aspects of lounge operations. • Oversees audit readiness and compliance across all lounges, including HACCP, health inspections, and internal quality reviews. • Drives quality assurance programs focused on guest satisfaction, cleanliness, presentation, and service consistency. • Ensures compliance with labor laws and regulations, company policies, security protocols, and airport authority regulations. • Builds strong client relationships through operational transparency, performance reporting, and proactive issue resolution. • Participates in business reviews, executive and customer presentations, and strategic planning sessions with key stakeholders. • Collaborates closely with culinary, procurement, HR, finance, and commercial teams to support operational success. • Leads, mentors, and develops Lounge Managers and regional support teams across the NA Lounge network, building high performing teams focused on accountability, engagement, and service excellence. Core Competencies and Requirements Education • Bachelor’s degree in a hospitality management related field is desirable. • Six (6) years of equivalent work experience in hotel or restaurant management may be substituted for a degree. Work Experience • At least 10 years of progressively responsible management experience within a luxury airline, five-star hospitality, premium restaurant, or international hotel environment is required, in addition to education equivalency. • Proven leadership experience in high-end guest services and hospitality operations. • Prior experience managing premium airport lounges or VIP hospitality environments is highly desirable. • Demonstrated success leading multicultural teams with fast-paced, service-driven operations. • Experience in premium customer experience delivery and service excellence standards. Technical Skills • In depth knowledge of luxury food & beverage operations, hygiene regulations, & international safety standards • In-depth knowledge of HACCP and food safety compliance requirements • Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop high-performing service teams • Strong financial acumen including budgeting, cost control, and resource planning • Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) • Familiarity with lounge management systems and operational reporting tools is an advantage • Fluent in English and local language; additional international languages are considered an asset • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills Core Competencies Required • Ability to lead effectively under pressure within a complex, high-profile operational environment • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build trust, influence decision-making, and foster collaboration • Passion for delivering world-class luxury guest experiences with exceptional attention to detail • Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to engage confidently across all levels of seniority and diverse cultural backgrounds • Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities • Operationally focused with a proactive and hands-on leadership approach • Ability to maintain the highest standards of discretion, professionalism, and brand representation • Excellent organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize competing demands  gategroup Competencies Required to be Successful in the Job: • Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills • Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People • Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively • Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Passion, Responsibility and Respect. To demonstrate these Values, we expect to observe the following from everyone:  Excellence We put the customer at the forefront of everything we do, taking time to understand their needs, wishes and desires. We constantly learn by giving and receiving feedback, improving from our mistakes and bettering ourselves. Passion Hospitality, in its purest form, comes down to a single, core principle: care. We do everything with thoughtfulness, attention, and care. We have a growth mindset, a resilience that makes us determined to bounce back from failures and setbacks. Responsibility We care about what we do, and we understand the impact we have on others and the planet. We always look out for each other –creating a safe workplace environment is everyone’s responsibility. Respect Every job matters. We each do our part to ensure our colleagues and our customers succeed in their goals. We respect each other’s voices and foster a workplace that supports inclusion and belonging. We are all one gategroup. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.  Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.  In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. If you want to be part of a team that helps make travel and culinary memories, join us!