Operations Director – Rome Area

dnata is more than a global air and travel services provider. We connect people with possibilities and opportunities across 130+ airports in 34 countries through ground handling, cargo, travel, and catering & retail services. Our purpose is clear: to deliver on the promises our customers make. We are powered by a bold vision to be the world’s most admired air and travel services provider, which guides our strategy, culture, and every role across our teams. Our core values fuel everything we do: we are safe, we play to win, we respect everyone and work together as a team, and we are future thinking. At dnata, we foster diversity, nurture ambition, and celebrate achievement. If you're inspired by purpose and motivated to be part of a global team shaping the future of aviation and travel, we’d love to have you onboard. 

dnata Italy is a cornerstone of dnata’s European operations and truly a second home for the business. With teams operating at 18 airports, dnata delivers industry-leading catering and ground handling services across the country—handling 150,000 flights annually and recently expanding to Rome Fiumicino. As the primary catering and retail provider to 37 airline customers at 11 airports, dnata Italy uplifts 12 million meals a year, combining world-class inflight dining with a full suite of catering, retail, and ground services.

The Operations Director is accountable for the overall performance of a large and complex operational site operating in a fast-paced, time-critical environment.

The role ensures safe, efficient, and high-quality end-to-end service delivery while leading the site through a phase of significant transformation involving strategy, organization, people, processes, operating methods, and performance control systems.

The position combines a strong sense of urgency and hands-on operational leadership with a medium-to-long-term strategic vision, ensuring immediate operational stability while building sustainable, structured, and scalable solutions.

The role carries full responsibility for operational excellence, financial sustainability, people leadership, regulatory compliance, ethical conduct, and customer satisfaction, in line with corporate standards, client requirements, and applicable local and international regulations.

The position oversees all activities related to production, operational warehousing, internal logistics, and last-mile service delivery to external interfaces, managing a workforce of approximately 300 employees.

• Overall Site Leadership
  • Hold full accountability for the end-to-end management of the site, including production, operational logistics, transport services, and support functions.
  • Ensure operational continuity, safety, quality, and on-time service delivery in a high-pressure, fast-moving operating environment.
  • Act as the senior company representative towards clients, regulatory bodies, and local stakeholders.
  • Ensure site operations are consistently aligned with corporate standards, contractual commitments, and customer expectations.
• Financial Governance, Investments & Performance
  • Own the site Profit & Loss and ensure long-term economic sustainability.
  • Prepare and manage annual budgets and periodic forecasts in coordination with Headquarters.
  • Define, prioritize, and manage site investment plans (CAPEX), ensuring alignment with operational needs, safety requirements, and return on investment.
  • Monitor costs, productivity, service performance, and margins.
  • Identify risks and drive corrective actions and cost-optimization initiatives without compromising quality, safety, or compliance.
• Operations Management & Decision Making
  • Define the operational organization model and production plans to meet demand, service levels, and efficiency targets.
  • Lead and supervise site functional managers (e.g. Production, Quality, Transport, Maintenance, Logistics).
  • Ensure consistent application of operational procedures, technical standards, and regulatory requirements.
  • Manage critical situations, disruptions, and operational emergencies with speed, clarity, and authority.
  • Take timely and well-balanced decisions, including difficult and high-impact choices, in conditions of uncertainty and operational pressure.
  • Evaluate and govern make-or-buy decisions related to production, logistics, and support activities, balancing cost efficiency, service quality, flexibility, and operational risk.
• Workforce Planning & People Leadership
  • Define and continuously review workforce planning in line with demand variability, productivity targets, and service requirements.
  • Ensure optimal staffing models, shift structures, and skill mix to support operational performance and cost control.
  • Directly manage the site leadership team and provide clear direction, priorities, and objectives.
  • Set individual and functional goals aligned with business strategy and operational KPIs.
  • Drive performance management, talent development, and succession planning.
  • Promote a strong safety culture, accountability, and alignment with company values.
• Change Management & Transformation
  • Lead and govern complex change initiatives affecting organization design, operating models, processes, tools, methods, and control systems.
  • Translate strategic direction into pragmatic and executable operational actions.
  • Balance immediate operational fixes with the implementation of structured, long-term solutions.
  • Act as a visible and credible change leader, engaging managers and employees through clarity, consistency, and discipline.
• Quality, Safety, Compliance & Ethics
  • Ensure full compliance with Quality, Health, Safety, Environment, and Security standards.
  • Partner with Quality and Compliance functions for internal and external audits.
  • Ensure timely and effective management of non-conformities, incidents, and corrective actions.
  • Maintain robust governance over risk management and regulatory adherence.
  • Uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct, integrity, and transparency, setting the tone from the top.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, reliability, and service quality.
  • Collaborate with Innovation and Continuous Improvement teams to implement new processes, tools, and technologies.
  • Support digitalization, automation, and standardization initiatives across the site.
  • Foster a culture of operational discipline, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Interface with Headquarters
  • Ensure alignment of site operations with corporate strategy, policies, and governance frameworks.
  • Provide structured and accurate reporting on operational, financial, workforce, and investment performance.
  • Actively contribute to cross-functional and transversal corporate projects.

To be considered for the role, you must meet the below requirements

• Bachelor's degree (Engineering, Economics, or equivalent – preferred).
• Proven experience in senior site, plant, or operations leadership roles.
• Experience in large-scale, industrial or food production environments is highly desirable.
• Strong exposure to regulated, safety-critical, and time-sensitive operations.
• Fluency in English.

At Emirates Group, we’re committed to providing our employees with opportunities to grow and develop in their careers. So if you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, apply today and join our team! 

Recruitment Process and Timeline 

Emirates Group, is an international organisation with employees from over 170 nationalities, we encourage applications from across the globe. Your application journey begins by applying via the Emirates Group Careers website. Please ensure your CV is up to date for our talent acquisition team to review your profile. If you meet the criteria of the role, you will then be invited to complete a HireVue video interview, to share more about your experience and your career aspirations. If you are shortlisted, you will then be invited to interview with our hiring managers. If you are successful, your recruiter will reach out to you with an offer and then our Onboarding team will ensure a smooth transition to your new role at Emirates Group.