Job Openings at Kenya Airways

Job Purpose:

Reporting to Director of Operations, the ideal candidate will be accountable for ensuring safe, secure, efficient, and economic handling of Kenya Airways and customer airline ramp services and flights in compliance with the relevant industry regulatory and legislative requirements, company procedures and regulatory authorities. He/she will also be responsible and have authority for the management and supervision of functions and activities within the scope of Kenya Airways Ground Operations Ramp services as well as contributing to the development of the overall Kenya Airways product by the establishment of policies, procedures, and an ethical guide for use at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) operations and across the network.

Key duties and Responsibilities:

Policies and Procedures:

• Ensure compliance to all relevant safety, security, quality and environmental management policies, procedures and controls across the Ramp Services operations to guarantee employee safety, corporate security, legislative compliance, delivery of quality service with a responsible environmental attitude so that work is carried out in a controlled and consistent manner.
• Negotiate ground handling ramp contracts where necessary to deliver the defined standards cost effectively.
• Organize and structure the department to meet the current and future needs of Kenya Airways.
• Train and develop senior staff and ensure all staff training aligns to the strategic and business requirements of Kenya Airways.
• Periodically review the management system to ensure its continued suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness.
• Document control/security measures in conjunction with Security Services Division.
• Ensure that ground ramp services operations at all stations are provided with the necessary resources and conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements, organization standards and local procedures as well as requirements of customer airlines.
• Ensure that all ramp Services non-compliance reported from an evaluation process are closed within the stipulated time frame. Action should include identifying and addressing the root causes of the non-compliances.

Safety, Quality & Environment:

• Promote and maintain a positive safety culture, a healthy, secure and cost-effective operation for Kenya Airways and Customer Airlines operations and ensure compliance with the relevant industry/legislative requirements and company procedures to ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
• Ensure that a Risk Management process is applied throughout the Kenya Airways ground ramp operations network wide. Any process changes or initiative that could have impact on safety or security should equally be Risk assessed.
• Oversee the implementation of the Enterprise Risk Management framework within Ramp Services and ensure monthly reviews of the risk control environment and submission of the Risk Control Matrix (RCM).
• Perform risk assessment, maintain and contribute to the Ramp Services risk register Identify and report hazards, near misses, incidents and accident.

Day-to-Day Operations:

• Deliver seamless ramp operations that ensure the safe and efficient delivery of ramp services to agreed scope and standards of service requirements in compliance with the relevant industry regulatory and legislative requirements, company procedures, regulatory authorities and requirements of customer airlines.
• Deliver and ensure the synchronization of ramp services functions that include but not limited to ramp handling, baggage services, load control, ULD control, GSE maintenance and resource management for effective service delivery.
• Ensure the provision of cost-effective network wide ULD management and control in accordance to existing legislation, company regulations and customer airline requirement; ULD control systems is maximized to ensure their continued suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of stock levels.
• As accountable manager for ramp services, ensure the continuous implementation of the station management system and maintain at all times safety and security in JKIA Nairobi ramp services.
• Contribute to the definition and development of the KQ product portfolio particularly ramp services.
• Plan, implement and consistently deliver service to agreed scope and standards of service.
• Ensure optimization of ramp services resources for effective service delivery.
• Ensure and maintain a healthy, safe and secure working environment in compliance with the relevant industry regulatory and legislative requirements, company procedures, regulatory authorities and requirements of customer airlines.
• Ensure suitable trained/qualified/competent staff are placed throughout ramp services division while developing progressive succession plan, successor grooming and mentoring for all roles in the ramp service team to ensure continuity in the team.
• Routine monitoring of safety and quality critical activities within ramp operations.
• Establish and maintain customer airline interface document and monitor compliance as per agreed standards and appoint liaison officer.
• Ensure participation in the deliberation of the airline operators committee AOC in accordance with requirements of the customer airlines.
• Lead adherence of KQ WAY principals and best practices in Ramp Services.

Knowledge, Skills and experience;

• Bachelor's degree or relevant professional qualification from a recognized institution.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in airline management.
• Customer Service experience/hospitality in airline industry.
• Experienced planning and managing extensive human and material resources.
• Experience delivering service in demanding consumer perishable environment
• Knowledge of the aviation industry and all airport ground support facilities.
• Superior team leadership, team working and co-operation skills with the ability to drive change management.
• Excellent communication, planning and analytical skills with ability to interact and influence people at all levels.
• Ability to work under high pressure and able to make critical decisions based on personal knowledge, experience and judgment.
• Must be a person of unquestionable integrity.

Behavioural Competences:

• Teamwork/team player.
• Results oriented.
• Customer focused
• Strategic thinking.
• Professionalism.
• Decisive and resilience
• Good organizational skills.

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Job Purpose:

Reporting to Senior Manager/Head of Ramp Services, the ideal candidate will be accountable for the development, implementation and proactive management of the Ground Services maintenance program for all Kenya based Ground support equipment (GSE) and vehicles in accordance to relevant company regulations, Customer Airline and Manufacturer requirements.

Key duties and Responsibilities:

Policies and Procedures:

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, policies, processes, procedures, organization standards and local procedures is achieved so that work is carried out in a controlled and consistent manner.

Safety, Quality & Environment:

• Promote and maintain a positive safety culture, healthy, secure and cost-effective operations for Kenya Airways and ensure compliance with the relevant industry/legislative requirements and company procedures.
• Perform risk assessments and maintain a risk register for GSE Maintenance workshops.
• Conduct a monthly review of the risk control environment and submit the Risk Control Matrix (RCM)
• Identify and report hazards, near misses, incidents and accidents.

Day-to-Day Operations:

• Ensure the provision of cost-effective maintenance services of all ground handling equipment and motor vehicles in Nairobi and Mombasa.
• Ensure the provision of maintenance services to the standards required by ground handling operations to ensure safe, serviceability and availability of equipment to end users.
• Control inventory in liaison with the relevant department with the aim of optimizing their related costs.
• Constantly review, monitor and adopt reasonable measures to improve quality, safety and minimize risks and hazards within GSE workshops.
• Lead, motivate and create a conducive work environment that cultivates change and openness within the team; whilst fostering excellent Teamwork, Commitment, Reliability and Accountability.
• Coach and support the GSE team to ensure effective delivery of quality service and to drive a continuous maintenance improvement program.
• Manage GSE unit budget and operating costs, enhancing and protecting revenue without compromising internal customer satisfaction, safety and security.
• Establish effective communication channels with all internal customers, external suppliers and key stakeholders to determine needs and respond to queries.
• Develop, analyze, manage and track the GSE corrective measures plan for failures identified.
• Ensure that all the required, current operations manuals, publications and any other related documents needed to conduct GSE maintenance operations are available and that all GSE staff have: received and acknowledged, comprehensively understood the content and implemented the standards as recommended/documented.
• Identify deviations in the published GSE procedures and establish local procedures and document them in the Local Station Manual (LSM) whilst ensuring conformity and currency with all regulatory requirements, organization standards, policies and procedures.
• Ensure adherence of all Kenya Airways and manufacturers’ documented standards by all GSE staff, and all other service providers.
• Provide for an effective and efficient organizational structure capable of consistently delivering GSE services.
• Ensure suitably qualified/competent staff at all levels with appropriate skills are recruited / retained / developed.
• Routinely monitor safety and quality critical activities within GSE and propose corrective measures to address any deficiencies.
• Follow-up and ensure timely closure (as per stipulated timeline) of all non-compliance reported from evaluations or audit process.
• Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of the JKIA Local Emergency Accident Procedures (LEAP)
• Oversee Kenya Airways WAY principles and best practices implementation within GSE.

Knowledge, Skills and experience;

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering OR relevant technical/professional qualification from a recognized institution.
• Technically qualified mechanical or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in a similar/related role.
• Experience in planning & managing maintenance service delivery in an automobile plant environment.
• Experience in planning / controlling human and material resources.
• Superior team leadership, team working and co-operation skills with the ability to drive change management.
• Excellent analytical, listening and problem solving skills as well as excellent communication skills.
• Ability to handle pressure and difficult situations with resilience, calmly and effectively.
• Must be a person of unquestionable integrity.

Behavioural Competences:

• Teamwork/team player.
• Results oriented.
• Customer focused
• Strategic thinking.
• Safety conscious.
• Good organizational skills.