Wizz Air is a leading European low-cost airline. Our mission is to provide affordable and reliable air travel to everyone, everywhere, while minimizing our environmental impact. We are proud to foster a diverse and inclusive team of over 8,000 employees from more than 110 nationalities, who share our values of inclusivity, positivity, dedication, integrity, and sustainability.

As a rapidly expanding airline, we offer exciting career opportunities across a range of functions, from flight operations to engineering, customer experience, finance, and more. We provide extensive training and development opportunities to help our employees grow and succeed in their roles. Joining Wizz Air means joining a team that is passionate about aviation, dedicated to excellence, and committed to making air travel accessible and sustainable for all. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career in the aviation industry, we welcome you to explore our job opportunities and become a part of our success story.

Ground Operations Manager 

Based in Budapest 

Purpose of the position:

The Ground Operations Manager ensures efficient, safe, and compliant ground operation activities at nominated stations. This includes maintaining local relationships, ensuring quality standards, and coordinating operational resources and processes to support Wizz Airs strategic objectives.

What we offer:

• Base salary and employee bonus scheme
• Unlimited number of significantly discounted and confirmed seating tickets, giving access to a continuously growing network of destinations
• Relocation package (if applicable)
• Life insurance
• AYCM sport pass contracting
• Instant impact, from any level of the organisation, exposure to C-suite management
• Fast career progression, internal mobility and talent management supported by training opportunities (Wizz Academy and bespoke trainings)
• True international and multi-cultural work environment, passionate, driven and diverse teams

Responsibilities:

MAIN SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Functional inspections

• to design, manage and oversee the department’s yearly functional inspection plan
• to maintain statistics, identify trends and non-compliant stations, extrapolate data
• to follow up with the relevant external and internal stakeholders – create action plans as appropriate

GH Trainings

• to attend and pass IATA Train-the-Trainer course – becoming responsible person for GH Trainings and GH Standardized Certificate issuance within Wizz Air Ground Operations
• to design and establish robust training program and training structure for Wizz Air GH providers in line with AOC FOH, BOH and relevant materials
• to create dedicated training platform with clearly defined requirements and record keeping to GH providers

GOM Responsibilities

• In the future (new bases / station as applicable), act as Ground Operations Manager responsible for the assigned spanets with the general responsibilities prescribed in GOMM. That would not be the starting point as (i) and (ii) would be the focus. Unless some unforeseen event but then re-prioritization is done according to OPS needs.

ADDITIONAL / POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Based on alignment)

Automation projects

• to liaise with different IT departments of the Company to identify improvement areas for automation
• to build up systems in which all different data types used by Ground Operations are connecting (eg. GoNow + ACARS + AIMS data)
• to establish visible outputs of automatized workstreams

REGULAR GOM RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and maintain local relationships at nominated airports, including airport authorities, ground handling providers, and state departments
• Ensure Wizz Air has the best representation in local spanets and keep internal stakeholders informed on operational issues
• Ensure the safety, security, and compliance of ground operations activities, including contracted services
• Oversee start-up operations for new stations and bases, capacity increases, and alternate/diversion arrangements
• Coordinate ground operations for commercial and non-commercial cargo transportation
• Liaise with relevant departments to ensure availability of personnel, equipment, and resources for cargo operations
• Maintain timely and effective communication with internal departments and external contractors
• Coordinate with competent authorities on ground operations matters in nominated spanets
• Ensure safe, compliant, and efficient day-to-day operations, focusing on safety, on-time performance, disruption management, and customer care
• Ensure ground handling companies and airport authorities comply with regulations, company policies, and safety standards
• Coordinate and manage ground handling suppliers and airport companies to deliver targeted outcomes in safety, cost control, and operational performance
• Manage flight disruptions and service recovery procedures in compliance with EU261 and other local regulations
• Monitor operational messages and delay codes, addressing non-compliance issues at stations
• Maintain oversight of deviations from standards, ensuring timely execution of safety and compliance actions
• Conduct station visits, audits, inspections, and training sessions as follow-up for outstanding items (e.g., Air Safety reports, audit findings)
• Participate in cross-functional projects and new product development
• Collaborate with Airport Development and Purchasing departments to secure cost-effective contracts and develop cost-cutting strategies
• Participate in SGHA negotiations, vendor research, and selection
• Liaise with Safety, Security, and Compliance Managers on related ground operations matters

Requirements:

• 4-6+ years overall working experience, with 3+ years of relevant experience in ground handling or cargo operations
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
• Fluent spoken and written English
• Computer proficiency
• People management skills
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Solid decision-making abilities
• Ability to work well under pressure

When applying, please only provide valid information regarding your educational background and certificates, as the original documents will be requested during the hiring process.

We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your skills and experience. Join the Wizz Air team and discover the world of opportunities.