Overview of Role
This role forms part of Loganair's operational leadership structure and requires strong people leadership, proven operational expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to execute in a high pressure, time critical environment. The Head of Operations will embed Loganair's culture and values across the OCC team and ensure performance standards are upheld at all times.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the Operations Control Centre and Ops Planning Team ensuring effective crew establishment, rostering, flight planning, scheduling support, real time operational oversight, and schedule delivery.
- Oversee daily flight schedules, ensuring proactive management of risks to punctuality and regularity.
- Provide leadership and clear decision making during irregular operations (IROPs) to protect network integrity and customer outcomes.
- Ensure effective communication flows between OCC, Flight Operations, Engineering, and Customer Services.
- Oversee and maintain OCC readiness for emergency response, ensuring procedures, training, and escalation processes are current and well rehearsed.
Regulatory Compliance & Safety
- Ensure full compliance with all IOSA, CAA and internal safety and regulatory requirements related to OCC and Ops Planning/Rostering operations.
- Act as a subject-matter specialist for Safety Management System (SMS) investigations related to OCC and Ops Planning decisions or processes.
- Promote a safety first culture across OCC and Ops Planning teams and ensure hazards, incidents, and non compliances are promptly reported and addressed.
People Leadership & Culture
- Lead, mentor, and develop staff, fostering a high performance and values aligned team culture.
- Work with HR partners on recruitment, performance management, and development planning for departmental roles.
- Ensure adequate departmental staffing, succession planning, and capability development to meet operational needs.
Schedule & Resource Planning
- Collaborate with Operations Resource Planning Group to ensure adequate crew resources to deliver the flying programme.
- Support the Head of Training and rostering teams in the development of efficient training plans that minimise operational impact.
- Ensure crew rosters are published on time, optimised for efficiency, and delivered with minimal disruption to employee experience.
Cross Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Engineering to support maintenance planning and minimise operational disruption arising from aircraft flow through maintenance.
- Liaise with Commercial Planning to identify scheduling risks and opportunities to enhance operational performance.
- Build strong working relationships across all operational and support departments to ensure integrated decision making.
Operational Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Identify and deliver continuous improvement initiatives across operational efficiency, punctuality, resilience, and technology utilisation.
- Support the Director of Operations in identifying operational bottlenecks and developing improvement strategies.
- Review operational data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for enhanced performance and cost control.
Financial & Budget Management
- Manage operational budgets efficiently, ensuring cost control, accurate forecasting, and value based decision making.
- Contribute input into the annual budget process, including staffing and resource planning.
Additional Responsibilities
- Support the Director of Operations with preparation for IOSA audits and ongoing regulatory oversight.
- Lead or participate in projects relating to operational transformation, fleet or schedule changes, or system enhancements.
- Perform any other reasonable tasks required by the Director of Operations or wider Executive Team.
Skills and Knowledge
- Strong understanding of an airline operations, including real time control, scheduling, and operational risk management.
- Deep knowledge of EASA/CAA/IOSA regulations.
- Knowledge of Scheduling and Rostering Software.
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills, particularly under time pressure.
- Strong leadership capability with experience managing multi disciplinary operational teams.
- Effective communicator, able to influence and collaborate across multiple departments.
- Financial literacy and experience managing operational budgets.
Attitude
- Calm, confident, and decisive under pressure.
- Demonstrates Loganair's values in all interactions.
- Strong people leader with a commitment to team development and wellbeing.
- Customer focused mindset with a drive for operational excellence.
- Resilient, adaptable, and solution oriented.
Training and Experience
- Demonstrable airline operations experience, ideally within a regional or commercial airline environment.
- Experience leading teams in an OCC or similar live operational setting.
- Proven track record in disruption management and schedule recovery.
- Experience with emergency response and crisis coordination desirable.