Regional Catering Performance Manager

Alaska Airlines is a leading American airline headquartered in Seattle, Washington, known for its commitment to safety, operational excellence, and creating an airline that people love. Established with a strong foundation built on core values and leadership principles, Alaska Airlines continually sets the bar in the aviation industry by delivering outstanding service to its guests. The company operates an extensive network, including its mainline brand and subsidiaries Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air, aiming to provide the best travel experience through strategic operational planning, innovation, and a dedicated workforce. As a reputable airline, Alaska Airlines emphasizes a safe and caring environment, fostering a culture where employees are motivated to deliver superior performance while valuing collaboration and customer satisfaction. The airline offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunities, making it a sought-after employer within the aviation sector.

The role of Catering Operations Regional Manager at Alaska Airlines is a critical position responsible for overseeing the inflight catering processes at the airline's largest hubs and regions across the Alaska and Horizon networks. This role functions as a subject matter expert in catering operations, with a focus on ensuring operational integrity, compliance, and the high standards of food and beverage services provided to customers onboard. As an experienced individual contributor, the Catering Operations Regional Manager exercises considerable judgment, solving complex issues, and driving performance improvements by managing relationships with catering vendors and station leadership teams. The position requires strategic thinking and practical implementation of solutions to mitigate risks related to inflight catering as well as safety and regulatory compliance.

The Catering Operations Regional Manager is accountable for the entire catering operations cycle within their assigned portfolio, including monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), conducting kitchen audits, investigations, and risk-based process assessments to maintain and improve suppliers’ quality levels. This role collaborates closely with airport station leadership, maintenance, flight operations, and inflight teams to implement corrective actions and ensure continuous improvement of catering services. Leveraging deep knowledge of business processes and industry best practices, the manager also provides real-time coaching and training to kitchen personnel to enhance operational efficiency and maintain compliance with food and beverage policies.

Additionally, this manager leads cross-divisional projects related to catering changes, including effective communication, change management, and safety management system (SMS) execution. They serve as the key point of contact for food and beverage teams and represent the airline in vendor negotiations and vendor performance evaluations. A strong emphasis is placed on fostering collaborative relationships with internal business partners and external vendors to sustain catering performance aligned with operational goals and guest expectations. This role involves substantial travel—up to 70 percent—and flexibility in scheduling to meet the dynamic demands of airline operations.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $97,200 to $145,800 annually, with total target compensation including bonuses and equity reaching up to $156,735. Alaska Airlines emphasizes fair and unbiased compensation practices tailored to relevant experience, location, and skillsets, ensuring internal equity across its affiliated airlines. Employees enjoy a wide range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision coverage, 401k matching, paid time off, and travel privileges on several affiliated airlines. This role is full-time and exempt, based at the Seattle Corporate Headquarters, and is integral to maintaining Alaska Airlines’ reputation for quality inflight services and operational excellence.