How to hire an airport operations manager

How to hire an airport operations manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step airport operations manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an airport operations manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new airport operations manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The airport operations manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an airport operations manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an airport operations manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of airport operations manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Airport Operations Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Airport Operations Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$15-38
   President/Owner	A President or Owner can have varying responsibilities depending on the organization or company that they operate. However, most of the time, they are the leaders who oversee the entire function and revenues in their business, including the hiring and management process... Show more	$36-82
   Business Owner	Business owners, also known as Entrepreneurs, are responsible for their company and brand's success. There are many areas of responsibility when you're a business owner, such as in the aspects of planning and budgeting, arranging finances and legal documentation, and even hiring the workforce essential for the business to grow... Show more	$12-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Procedures
   • Federal Aviation Administration
   • Operational Performance
   • Transportation Security Administration
   • Facility Maintenance
   • Payroll
   • Oversight
   • Collective Bargaining
   • DOT
   • Airfield Management
   • NOTAMs
   • HR
   • EPA
   • Government Agencies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
   • Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
   • Organize the collection of monthly payments and maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable and process evictions.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your airport operations manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An airport operations manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, airport operations managers' average salary in mississippi is 58% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level airport operations managers earn 59% less than senior-level airport operations managers.
   • Certifications. An airport operations manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an airport operations manager's salary.

   Average airport operations manager salary

   $52,236yearly

   $25.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level airport operations manager salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

4. Writing an airport operations manager job description

   An airport operations manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an airport operations manager job description:

   Airport operations manager job description example

   **Overview**
   
   Essential Functions
   
   · Conducts quality improvement inspections within assigned areas of responsibility
   
   · Ensures safety and satisfaction levels are meeting and/or exceeding expectations
   
   · Assures the highest quality of customer satisfaction
   
   · Assists with Training and Development
   
   · Provides guidance to Bus Operators and Fueler/Cleaners
   
   · Monitor the rotation of buses in service
   
   · Provides excellent customer service to guests; respond to guest inquiries in a courteous manner, give directions, etc.
   
   · Leads and participates in a team to ensure the successful operation of the shuttle bus service
   
   · Conduct safety observations
   
   · Complete daily operational reports
   
   · Report performance issues to Management
   
   · Establishes and maintains effective communication and working relationships with passengers, co-workers, managers, etc.
   
   · Complies with all safety, security, compliance, and quality standards and procedures established by the Company, Clients, and regulatory authorities
   
   · Capability of working various shifts as Operations is 24/7
   
   Responsibilities
   
   · Provides leadership and direction to team members
   
   · Provides open communication between Bus Operators, Fueler/Cleaners, Management, and fellow Supervisors
   
   · Provides positive coaching to team members
   
   · Assists with the training of team members
   
   · Oversee the adherence of the daily and weekly Bus Operator and Fueler/Cleaner work schedules
   
   · Reports damaged, broken and out of work features/items
   
   · Coordinate scheduling for extra service requests by client
   
   · Oversees and performs additional service requests
   
   · Provides training to all new team members
   
   · Attends and participates in all meeting and training sessions
   
   · Completes time sheets, validates time sheet accuracy, and delivers time sheets to office.
   
   · Performs all tasks and duties required of your team
   
   · Assign buses to Bus Operators
   
   · Assign tasks to Fueler/Cleaners
   
   · Complete required reports
   
   · Email communications
   
   · Can be positioned at Dispatch or in the Field
   
   · Miscellaneous duties as assigned
   
   · Ability to work in various weather conditions
   
   Qualifications
   
   · Must have a valid CDL B with Passenger endorsement
   
   · Must have a valid Medical Examiners Certificate
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   · Customer Service Experience
   
   · 1 year of similar work experience
   
   · Proficiencies with the use of online applications and Microsoft Office
   
   The company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.
   
   The company may require that the successful candidate hired for this position be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, if and to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Company will make exceptions for medical, sincerely held religious belief, or other legally required exceptions.
   
   Must meet all the requirements to receive required airport security badge and US Customs and Border Patrol clearance, including a successful completion of a background check and 10-year work history.
   
   REQNUMBER: 32839

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right airport operations manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with airport operations managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit airport operations managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your airport operations manager job on Zippia to find and recruit airport operations manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit airport operations managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new airport operations manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the airport operations manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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