Goals :

The Station Manager is accountable for the safe, economic, punctual and customer orientated planning, performance and continual assessment of service delivery at the station. He/she ensures on behalf of the respective NPGO (Nominated Person Ground Operations ) that all aspects of the ground handling operation are in accordance at all times with safety, security and legal regulations as published in the respective operator’s manuals. The Station Manager adapts general processes to local procedures and ensures process loyalty in the local organization.

The Station Manager ensures a welcoming atmosphere, warm hospitality and personal touch at all points of customer contact with special attention to premium customers, and strives for consistent service improvement. He/she ensures that the expectations of all LHG (Lufthansa Group ) customers are met or exceeded.

Tasks :

The Station Manager is accountable for but not limited to:

Customer Centricity and Service

• Ensuring that relationships with premium customers are established and facilitating the recognition of top customers.
• Assigning one customer care ambassador per station and per shift.
• Ensuring that the product philosophy and core values are known and lived by all – internal and external – members of staff and that personalized service concepts are intensified.
• Contributing to and supporting central process and product development incl. the readiness to take over project responsibility.
• Ensuring that the appearance and attitude of all personnel corresponds to standards.
• Monitoring and ensuring customer care is compliant with respective LHG operator’s requirements.

Operational Processes

• Being present during operations and monitoring performance of all parties involved (spot checks).
• Developing and leading local procedures to meet central process and product requirements, respecting defined carrier’s rules and regulations, with the aim of improving quality, service, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensuring the steering, monitoring and troubleshooting of all station related processes. He/she escalates process and product shortfalls to Process Owners.
• Securing a robust on-time performance for the respective LHG-operators.
• Establishing handling processes for designated alternate airports
• Reconciling potential conflicts of interest arising during irregular operations when considering customer orientation, revenue awareness and safety responsibility.
• Assuring preparedness for various irregularity scenarios and establishing fast recovery measures after irregularities.
• Establishing concepts for communication channels with all relevant stakeholders in irregularity situations.
• Planning and ensuring special flights or flight series (e.g. government flights, VIP, sports charters, wet lease operation, etc.), and any special events with a high commercial or media impact are handled seamlessly.

Quality, Provider and Performance Management

• Fostering quality awareness and ensuring proper training standards, high service attitude and competence availability.
• Monitoring the activities of service providers and intervening in case of shortcomings. He/she ensures that service level agreements are adhered to by all providers.
• Ensuring the achievement of all quality targets / KPIs and Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) as well as striving for consistent quality and service improvements.

Administrative and Commercial Processes

• Managing the general organization of the station, including but not limited to IT, system accesses, accounting, filing, training, databases and reporting tools.
• Facilitating audits by carriers and respective authorities, and ensuring that corrective actions are sustainably implemented.
• For location-specific budget planning and cost monitoring and forecast development in accordance with respective carrier’s requirements.
• Achieving the station’s cost and revenue targets, and actively searching for and managing cost reduction and revenue improvements for his/her station.
• Checking and approving carrier’s invoices and initiating as well as requesting any possible corrections and credits.
• Negotiating and concluding local contracts / agreements within a predefined scope per airline as per internal Power of Attorney / framework of internal regulations (e.g. office rent, Irreg hotel, bag delivery, etc.)
• Collaborating in all matters pertaining to provider selection and management according to each LHG airline’s specification, (e.g. participation in ground handling negotiations, delivering input for SGHA documents, etc.)
• Ensuring a cost efficient ground handling without compromising safety standards and actively pursuing savings and revenue potentials.

Safety / Security / Emergency Response

• Ensuring that the standards of the respective LHG operator’s ground operations manuals are fully complied with.
• Following directives from the LHG operator’s NPGO in all aspects of sage and secure ground operations.
• Ensuring that all ground operations manuals and instructions are valid and known, as well as establishing a sustainable way of keeping personnel up-to-date.
• Ensuring the adherence to and proper documentation of surveillance checks and local de-icing plans where applicable.
• Owning a proper station emergency response planning (SERP) and assigning the role of the Emergency Coordinator.
• Ensuring the implementation of corrective measures in case of non-compliances.
• Following Safety Management System requirements of the respective LHG operator.
• Being liable to the respective operator’s CAA that all local processes and procedures are in accordance with the operator’s safety standards and legal requirements (LH & CLH only).

People Management and HR

• Having disciplinary and functional authority over the LHG personnel allocated to his/her assigned stations.
• Having functional authority over supplier personnel allocated to the LHG account at his/her assigned stations.
• Personnel planning and development in accordance with target agreements /appraisals and budget allowance.
• Ensuring economical shift and roster planning at his/her assigned stations.
• Selecting, leading, guiding and motivating his/her team.
• Developing and fostering talent by applying the available performance management tools.
• Conducting LHG personnel appraisals and periodic feedback talks

 Training

•  Ensuring that all internal and external staff is qualified according to the handling standards of the respective carrier
• Ensuring that product requirements are known and followed accordingly (e.g. Signage, Personal Assistance (PA)-Services, customer care ambassador…)
• Ensuring that training standards include premier service attitude and competence, and that PA and Service Agents are trained in PA processes and procedures.

Communication, Liaison and Reporting

• Representing the LHG towards, and collaborating with, Federal, State and Local authorities, airport operators and various committees
• Ensuring a concept that there is robust communication flow towards passengers in all handling situations including but not limited to complaint management.
• Responding within local complaint management to feedback received from customers.
• Maintaining regular communication and feedback with LHG management about all handling aspects, including flight irregularities, as locally defined.
• Representing the LHG towards internal and external partners.
• Collaborating with respective stakeholders in individual airport development initiatives.
• Addressing and processing change management.
• Actioning all communication addressed to LHG.
• Issuing local operational work instructions.
• Assigning a Duty Manager to process read and sign folders.