Job Details
Salary: Competitive per annum
Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours), Monday - Friday
Location: Heathrow Terminal 3
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 7th July 2025
At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we’re harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo.
In a nutshell
As a LHR Customer Operations Senior Manager, you’ll be at the helm of our above-wing operation, leading with energy, empathy, and a sharp eye for detail. You’ll be responsible for delivering a seamless customer journey from check-in to boarding, ensuring every moment reflects the Virgin Atlantic spirit. With a strong focus on on-time performance and service excellence, you’ll champion the customer experience and make sure our people feel empowered to deliver it.
You’ll also play a key role in uniting teams across the operation. Working closely with our below-wing colleagues and duty managers, you’ll foster a one-team mindset that drives collaboration and results. This role is about more than just today—it’s about shaping the future. You’ll lead with vision, inspire your teams, and develop strategies that keep our operation flying high for the long haul.
Day to day
This is a hands-on leadership role that blends strategic thinking with operational flair and a genuine passion for hospitality. You’ll be the go-to for aligning above-wing operations with the wider airport ecosystem, working closely with the Senior Manager of Operations (below wing), our partners at ABM , and teams across airports, clubhouses, Brand, Design, Facilities, and Customer Journey.
- Design and drive the customer operations strategy at Heathrow from check-in to boarding
- Support and coach the Customer Delivery Manager, whilst being a visible leader to our strong team of 300 across different leadership levels.
- Represent Heathrow in cross-functional forums and ground experience projects focused on Zone A / B, the Upper-Class Wing and boarding experience.
- Feeding guest insights and operational feedback from the ground into future plans, whilst working with the Heathrow Regulation Senior Manager on the future of Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow from a customer operation perspective.
- Own our relationship with ABM and ICTS alongside other Heathrow leaders to make sure our guests experience the highest levels of cleanliness and security experience.
- Work closely with Performance Development Managers to ensure standards, behaviours and discipline meet the expectations we set.
About you
Are you a proven leader in delivering exceptional guest experiences within premium hospitality or airport environments, with a strong emphasis on empathy, collaboration, and team empowerment? In addition to this, you will also have the following:
- Proven experience in managing people, budgets and complex operations.
- A commercial mindset with the ability to make decisions that balance cost, quality and guest impact.
- Proven experience working with guest service partners and holding them to account.
- Excellent collaboration skills with the ability to bring people together across the business, inspiring action and building momentum - even without formal authority.
- A mindset that blends operational discipline with a deep appreciation for our brand.
If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!
Internal info
Hiring manager: Dave HodgesGlobal grade: E
Our recipe for leadership
At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here
Be yourself
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.
To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ([email protected]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.