Dnata is one of the world’s largest air and travel services providers. We provide a comprehensive range of inflight catering, onboard retail, supply chain and logistics services at all major and regional airports across the UK. Dnata Catering provides expertly crafted inflight catering services, delivering fresh and high-quality meals at major and regional airports across the UK. As the leading Halal caterer in the UK, we also provide tailored experiences to meet each customer’s unique needs. We’re a leader in VIP catering, offering bespoke inflight services to private and charter clients.
The Role
As a Team Supervisor you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that our catering and goods arrive with our airline customers on time in line with various scheduling requirements. You will typically report to an Operations Manager and operate both unit base and airside throughout the working week.
You will be an active team member ensuring that all work is completed in accordance with the daily work schedule and in full compliance with dnata UK’s safety, hygiene, quality standard and transport regulatory requirements such as DVSA and DVLA.
As a supervisor you will be responsible for creating a safe working environment and promoting a culture in which safety, wellbeing and compliance are integral to daily operations to ensure that daily production and service targets are achieved efficiently, and to the required quality standards.
The First Line Supervisor effectively organizes resources to deliver the required activity for each shift and ensures team members understand their tasks, work safely, follow standard operating procedures, and deliver on‑time to meet customer requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Safety Leadership
- Take ownership for all aspects of health, safety, hygiene and compliance within your operational area
- Lead by example to promote a safety first culture, ensuring all colleagues understand and follow safety rules and SOPs consistently
- Conduct daily safety checks and ensure that hazards, near‑misses and incidents are reported and investigated promptly in accordance with dnata UK’s policies
- Actively support and contribute to dnata UK’s safety campaigns, continuous improvement initiatives and audits
- Ensure all team members receive mandatory safety training within required timescales
Transport Supervision
- Assist with Tacho Vehicle Downloads
- Assist with Driver Tacho Downloads
- Vehicle Service/Inspections to be carried out on time and in line with the planner
- Supervise vehicle defect reporting and drivers first‑use checks
- Driver quality checks to be carried out
- Assist with transport admin
- Ability to work without close supervision and as part of a team
- Knowledge of driver’s hours and regulations and compliance issues
Operational Delivery
- Responsible for ensuring the team carries out its duties and work is completed according to daily work schedules and all costs are within agreed targets
- Monitor work, highlight, and elevate any issues accordingly
- Ensure the work schedule is maintained by shift, taking effective corrective action as required highlighting any issues to the appropriate Manager
- Ensure standards of external and internal customer service are met
- Deal with all issues or customer requests in a timely manner, escalating matters which cannot be resolved to the appropriate manager
- Ensure completion of all operational paperwork and system updates accurately and on time.
- Support the implementation of continuous improvement activities to enhance efficiency, quality, and safety.
Ensuring Compliance With Policies And Regulations
- Adhere to all Security Regulations, Legislation, Company Policy and Customer Requirements and ensure team members follow agreed procedures and regulations at all times including:
- Fire Procedures within the unit as instructed through fire training
- HACCP Food and Personal Hygiene Procedures
- Safe Working Practices at all times including use of Personal Protective Equipment, correct Manual Handling techniques, use of equipment and general housekeeping activities
- Transport regulatory requirements such as DVSA and DVLA
- Airport authorities
- Carry out Daily Compliance Checks and communicate any issues appropriately
- Take action in the event of a non‑conformance issue and clearly communicate issues and concerns to the appropriate Manager on shift
- Ensure all team members receive mandatory compliance training within required timescales
People Tasks
- Supervise, motivate, and support a team of operational staff on shift ensuring team members adhere to attendance, conduct and performance standards
- Provide on‑the‑job training, coaching, and feedback to develop team skills and knowledge and ensure training needs are identified and highlighted to the relevant Manager
- Conduct daily and weekly shift briefings, ensuring clear communication of objectives, safety messages, and performance updates.
- Conduct basic people management tasks including return‑to‑work interviews, absence recording, initial investigations and initial performance conversations.
- Encourage teamwork, communication, and a positive working culture within the shift with strong driver engagement.
Required Skills
- Experience supervising operational teams
- Proven ability to lead a safety‑first culture and drive safe working practices
- Background in fast‑paced operational, logistics, and transport
- Knowledge of Health & Safety, transport, distribution and previous experience within HGV industry
- Understanding of basic HR processes (attendance management, RTW interviews)
- Basic IT skills (time & attendance systems, reporting)
- Good level of English
- Availability to work shift patterns and weekends/bank holidays when required
- Driving licence requirement
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
Preferred Skills
- Airside experience
- HGV licence
- First aid experienceIOSH experience
- Mental health training
- Transport managers CPC
Working Conditions
- Shift‑based working including early, late, night and weekend shifts.
- Active role involving time between the unit and airside
- PPE must be worn as required
What’s in it for you?
- An opportunity to be part of the Emirates global family.
- Free breakfast, lunch and dinner on site.
- Free tea and coffee.
- Simply health Plan.
- Refer a Friend Scheme.
- Discounted gym membership at over 2000 gyms nationwide.
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Opportunity to enhance your learning through our inhouse apprenticeship programme.
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