Vice President of Terminals and Guest Experience

About Us:

Welcome to the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, where we operate RDU International Airport, a vital hub connecting North Carolina to the world. In 2024, our teamwork helped us serve 15.5 million passengers, generate a $24.1 billion economic impact, and our dedication to excellence has been recognized with a Top Five passenger satisfaction ranking in North America. We're a tight-knit team where accountability and collaboration are our guiding principles, and safety is our top priority. Whether your role is indoors or outdoors, you'll be part of a supportive environment that values your contributions. We believe in investing in our people, offering competitive benefits and professional development to help your career take flight.

About You:

You embody core values that will play a pivotal role in connecting our community to places and the people who matter most. Your commitment to continuous learning will drive innovation and growth, while your unwavering integrity ensures that our brand remains trustworthy and reputable. Your respect for colleagues and clients alike fosters a collaborative and positive environment. Your dedication to excellence in every task you undertake will elevate our brand’s standards. Lastly, your team spirit will unite our efforts and amplify our collective success.

About the Role:

Ready to be the captain of the guest experience at RDU? As our Vice President of Terminals and Guest Experience, you’ll pilot every touchpoint of our passengers’ journey across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, blending operational precision with the warmth and attentiveness of world-class hospitality.

In this role, you’ll ensure our terminals run like a well-tuned aircraft, with smooth operations, high standards, and an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction. You’ll chart the course for our guest experience strategy, guiding teams and programs that shape how every traveler experiences RDU.

We’re looking for a detail-oriented and personable leader who thrives on creating memorable moments, anticipates passenger needs, and brings a customer-first mindset to the airport environment. You’ll be the co-pilot of hospitality excellence, championing a culture where every interaction feels welcoming, comfortable, and thoughtfully curated—just like a top-tier hotel in the sky.

Compensation:

Maximum – Based on experience

Minimum - $141,790

What You’ll Do:

Terminal and Guest Experience Strategy:

• This role also ensures that all guest experiences align with RDU’s broader brand promise and is responsible for creating a seamless sense of place that reflects the spirit of the region while meeting global expectations for service quality.
• Develop and execute a unified hospitality strategy across all guest facilities, including Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, that enhances the guest journey and reflects the airport’s
• Drive consistency and excellence in operations, including cleanliness, service interactions, and visual presentation. Partner with other Authority departments to ensure uniform expectations and messaging are provided to concessionaires, tenants, and employees.
• Ensure coordination of guest experience efforts across both
• Coordinate efforts to incorporate feedback from community partners, including tourism and business development agencies, to elevate the airport’s role as a gateway to the region. The environment should inspire a sense of calm, sophistication, and cultural connection evoking emotional connection and local storytelling.

Contract Management & Service Oversight:

• The leader will foster strategic partnerships with service providers that understand the high value in the guest, ensuring vendors contribute meaningfully to the overall guest experience rather than solely meeting operational benchmarks.
• Administer and evaluate contracts for janitorial services, interior plant maintenance, and seasonal décor across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
• Monitor service delivery and ensure vendor performance meets or exceeds airport standards for guest spaces.
• Identify and implement enhancements based on feedback, observations, and terminal-specific demands brought forth through operational metrics measuring emotional connection, brand perception, and guest satisfaction.

Tenant & Staff Engagement & Training:

• The Vice President will cultivate a service culture where every tenant and team member understands their role as a brand ambassador, empowered to create meaningful interactions that elevate the airport’s reputation for genuine hospitality.
• Champion guest engagement activities in coordination with relevant airport
• Create, coordinate, and ensure delivery of guest service training and orientation for terminal tenants and their employees to foster consistent hospitality The role emphasizes proactive engagement, anticipating guest needs, and creating memorable experiences that reflect personalized care and world-class service standards. Training initiatives will include hospitality service recovery techniques, tone of service, and the art of delivering genuine, anticipatory service.
• Serve as a liaison to tenants, promoting collaborative engagement and shared responsibility for positive guest experiences.
• Partner with various departments, including but not limited to Concessions and Operations, to ensure a collaborative programming related to positive service delivery with RDU's airport-wide guest service benchmarks. The role emphasizes proactive engagement, anticipating guest needs, and creating memorable experiences that reflect personalized care and world-class service standards.

Performance Measurement & Improvement:

• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to cleanliness, satisfaction, and issue resolution.
• Leverage guest feedback and industry benchmark metrics to identify trends, inform decisions, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across both terminals.
• Create an annual department budget and oversee expenditures through fiscally responsible decisions that enhance guest experience while being a good steward of the airport resources.

Team & Volunteer Program Leadership:

• The leader will inspire and mentor a team driven by guest experience principles, promoting collaboration, creativity, and pride in delivering an exceptional guest journey from curb to gate.
• Manage and lead a team of airport professionals, including guest experience, contract management team members, and consultants across both terminals. The role emphasizes proactive engagement, anticipating guest needs, and creating memorable experiences that reflect personalized care and world-class service standards.
• Oversee the Airport Ambassador volunteer program, including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and recognition.
• Promote teamwork and alignment among staff and volunteers to deliver an integrated, welcoming experience throughout both terminals.
• Champion a culture that fosters a welcoming environment for customers from across the country and the world.

Art, Aesthetics & Seasonal Programming:

• Create art and seasonal programs that serve as emotional touchpoints that enrich the traveler’s sense of connection to the community and region.
• Develop, manage, and champion the airport’s artwork program and seasonal decor installations, including local and regional artists, to reinforce a welcoming, culturally relevant, and visually engaging terminal environment.
• Ensure art and decorations are strategically placed, appropriately scaled, and maintained across both terminals in collaboration with the maintenance

What You Need:

Education:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Customer Experience Design, Facilities Management, Hospitality Management or related field OR relevant experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree.

Experience:

Required:

• 8 years of experience in customer-centered facility operations, hospitality, guest services, or customer-centered facility operations hospitality services with a strong tactical background.
• Leadership experience overseeing multi-disciplinary teams in a 24/7/365 service
• Direct management experience of a large team of customer-focused
• Ideal candidates will demonstrate both tactile operational success and strategic acumen with an understanding of guest psychology, with experience integrating hospitality philosophies into large, complex operational public environments.

Preferred:

• 10 years of experience in customer-centered facility operations, hospitality, guest services, or customer-centered facility operations hospitality services with a strong tactical background.
• Experience will preferably come from a large venue such as airport, university, hotel, stadium, or other hospitality-focused operational facility.

Licenses or Certifications:

Required:

• Valid Driver’s License

Location:

On-site RDU Airport Campus