Description
Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.
The Director, Operations Strategy is a pivotal senior role at Air Canada, providing strategic support to the Vice President (VP) of Canadian Airports and Customer Experience Strategy and the Chief Operating Officer (COO). This role is instrumental in driving a unified operations strategy, coordination of the Air Canada wide ECX strategy, fostering collaboration, and executing delegated authority to advance the operational objectives of Air Canada.
This position maybe be located in Montreal or Toronto.
Responsabilities:
- Accountable for the Customer Insights strategy for Air Canada, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values.
- Own the overall CX narrative for Air Canada as part of ECX, outlining the strategic roadmap necessary to achieve organizational NPS ambitions and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Act as a principal advisor to the VP and COO, guiding the creation and execution of a comprehensive operations strategy.
- Collaborate with senior operational teams to develop, refine, and execute the operations business plan, focusing on continuous improvement of core Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Spearhead significant initiatives across the operations landscape that surpass branch boundaries, driving the Operations team forward. Drive action and performance through operational branches with cross-operations initiatives.
- Represent the Operations branch in enterprise-wide projects and programs, safeguarding the strategic interests of all operational divisions. Collaborate with VPs and leaders across all branches to gather input and achieve consensus, maintaining unity in the organization’s complex structure.
- Articulate the operations plan and its advancements across various platforms, including board meetings, conferences, townhall gatherings, and internal communications.
- Serve as a key liaison between the CX team and other branches, ensuring seamless communication and alignment of CX initiatives with broader organizational objectives.
- Establish and oversee a "light touch" Project Management Office (PMO) function across the CX landscape, facilitating alignment between teams and ensuring cohesion in the customer journey concept through senior collaboration forums including the VP/EVP level ECX Advisory Board and the VP level Customer Change Forum.
- Spearhead efforts to provide high-quality customer insights that are actionable and impactful across all branches and departments of the organization.
- Engage with stakeholders in Air Canada-wide initiatives, providing a unified voice for the Operations team.
- Synthesize the overall operations business plan, KPIs, and narrative to demonstrate how Operations collaborates to achieve goals.
- Function as an in-house consultant, setting objectives for operations and facilitating their cascade throughout the organization.
- Work closely with Corporate and Commercial teams on cross-operations matters, ensuring alignment and integration of strategies and initiatives.
- Spearhead the adoption and integration of new metrics such as “GO” and other new performance metrics, ensuring alignment with Air Canada’s strategic objectives. Initiate and lead engagement campaigns, securing VP-level buy-in and fostering organization-wide commitment to operational excellence.
- Act as the primary contact point for the Commercial team’s requests, coordinating with Operations to facilitate the execution of growth plans and other strategic actions. Serve as the point of contact for operations when the business requires input or action, streamlining processes and rallying the necessary teams.
- Work closely with the Finance team to drive transformative programs and cost-saving initiatives, enhancing operational efficiency and financial performance.
Qualifications
- A degree in Business Administration, Aviation Management, or a related field, complemented by experience in a consultancy role.
- Master’s degree or equivalent postgraduate education is strongly preferred.
- A minimum of 10 years of senior leadership in operations.
- Proven track record of strategic planning and execution in a complex, multinational organization.
- Strong understanding of customer experience principles and methodologies, with a proven ability to translate customer insights into actionable strategies and initiatives.
- Proficiency in analyzing data and metrics to drive decision-making and continuous improvement, with experience in leveraging analytics tools and methodologies to optimize customer experience.
- A history of working with top-tier consulting firms is highly advantageous.
- Experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing large-scale projects.
- Demonstrated capability to influence others and delegate tasks effectively, ensuring the completion of projects without direct authority.
- Exceptional communication skills, with a proven track record of effective stakeholder engagement.
- Proven track record of building and maintaining strong relationships across various levels of an organization.
- Possesses a strong aptitude for storytelling and crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, essential for effective communication and strategic alignment within the organization.
- Proficiency in synthesizing complex information and communicating it in an articulate manner.
- Ability to rise above detail to see the broader strategic picture and make decisions that align with the company’s long-term goals.
- Adept at working in high-pressure environments and making critical decisions.
- While experience in the aviation sector is beneficial, it is not mandatory. A diverse background with transferable skills is highly valued
Conditions of Employment:
- Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest, at the time any offer of employment is made and seeking any required work permits/visas or other authorizations which may be required is the sole responsibility of the candidates applying for this position.
Linguistic Requirements
Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.
Diversity and Inclusion
Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.
As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.
Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.