Head of OCC - Airline - Operations Control Center (Relocation to Liège, Belgium)

Our client is a global airline company, established for over 40 years, with offices in Europe, USA and APAC and a trusted reputation worldwide. With their rapid growth, they are undertaking a transformational change to establish a new Global OCC (GCC) in Belgium.

The GCC Senior Manager, reporting directly to the COO, will establish and lead the new control center, developing and implementing operational procedures to minimize risks and disruptions, acting as the focal point for crisis management, and analyzing results to drive process improvements and best practices.

This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-growing company and make a significant impact, shaping the future of their global operations. The company offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Responsibilities

• Oversee GCC operations and network performance to ensure efficient and cost-effective responses to disruptions.
• Ensure continuous flight monitoring to provide timely support in case of deviations or diversions from the planned operations.
• Lead cross-functional teams within the GCC to establish, develop, and implement performance goals.
• Foster strong working relationships with all relevant departments.
• Lead daily OTP meetings with key stakeholders to address and resolve operational issues while providing feedback to optimize scheduling and prevent recurring delays.
• Prepare and monitor the GCC department's annual budget, ensuring strict adherence to approved financial plans.
• Ensure the safety and security of all personnel, assets, systems, and procedures within your area of responsibility or influence.
• Conduct quarterly reviews with functional heads within the GCC, aligning key performance indicators (KPIs), procedures, and cross-functional synergies.
• Regularly review and correct operational data to maintain data integrity.
• Assess current operational systems to ensure they meet the airline’s evolving needs.
• Where necessary, research and recommend suitable IT system replacements.
• Oversee all schedule changes outside the operational window in collaboration with the Network Planning Analyst and other stakeholders, ensuring coverage in the analyst's absence.
• Participate in ad-hoc projects and manage abnormal operations, such as new route planning, route analysis for ferry flights, and the introduction of new fleets.
• Ensure the H24/7/365 coverage for the GCC key roles.

Job Requirements

• Open to relocate to Liège, Belgium
• Strong operational leadership with proven experience in running large-scale 24/7 operational control centers
• Ability to make strategic decisions under pressure, acting fast on real-time operational disruptions.
• Crisis management expertise with experience handling irregular operations, emergency response, and contingency planning.
• Data-driven mindset, the ability to interpret operational data, monitor KPIs, and optimize performance.
• Collaboration, communication and strong stakeholder management skills to work across multiple departments and lead high-level OTP (On-Time Performance) meetings.
• IT & systems knowledge, understanding of GCC systems, airline scheduling tools, and operational analytics.
• Financial & budgeting skills, experience managing departmental budgets and optimizing operational costs.