Manager Network Operations

Etihad Airways, the flag carrier backed by the UAE, is seeking a senior operations leader to run the Network Operations Centre from its Abu Dhabi hub. The position is fulltime and onsite, based in Abu Dhabi, AE, and is a solid fit for someone with extensive airline operations experience who has supervised teams in a hub environment. The company is pursuing ambitious growth through 2030, including expanding its fleet, widening the network and developing its people, with the Abu Dhabi hub at the center of those plans. For more about the company, you can visit www.etihad.com.

The Manager Network Operations oversees the daily flow of activity in the NOC and acts as the main escalation point for stakeholders, coordinating with Ground, Catering, Cargo, ADA, ATC and ADNOC in support of the Network Control Duty Manager for the Abu Dhabi Hub. The role emphasizes safety and security, ensuring responses align with the company Emergency Response Plan and the Safety Management System, while keeping policy adherence and regulatory requirements front and center.

Etihad emphasizes a strong operational heartbeat, you’ll supervise several teams to maintain a clear view of the operation from multiple angles, ensure compliance with Operations Manuals and GCAA regulations, and drive cost-aware, safe decisions during events. You’ll craft and escalate action plans for significant incidents through the proper channels, including the Incident Management System, and you’ll produce and share essential operational evaluations and reports, such as Daily Operational Risk Briefings and Event Logs, often coordinating calls and group meetings as needed. Contingency planning is a constant, with prepared plans ready to deploy when disruptions arise, and you’ll work to identify risks swiftly and raise them to Network Operations Management. The role also includes guiding the team to follow published procedures so they can operate autonomously, and helping manage the performance of the Etihad network and Abu Dhabi Hub by supervising key stakeholders across the business. You’ll also serve as the activation point for the airline’s Disruption Recovery and Emergency Response Programs, reinforcing a safety-focused culture through the Safety Management System.

A day in the Network Operations Centre

In practice, you’ll steer the day-to-day decisions that keep the network running smoothly, balancing safety, guest welfare and cost containment while ensuring timely escalation when needed. You’ll oversee activities across the Abu Dhabi Hub, maintaining visibility into Ground, Catering and Cargo operations as well as critical interfaces with ADA, ATC and ADNOC. You’ll produce regular operational evaluations and risk briefings, lead conference calls, and coordinate group discussions to ensure everyone stays aligned during routine operations and disruptions alike. When unforeseen events occur, you’ll spring into action, ensuring contingencies are in place and activated when appropriate, and you’ll coach your team to follow published procedures so the operation remains steady even under pressure. The role places you at the nexus of performance management for the network and hub, with a responsibility to uphold the safety program and drive the organization’s disruption response activities.

What you’ll need to bring to this role

The posting requires a few core qualifications, including:

• A degree-level education
• Approximately eight years of airline operations experience, with at least three years in a supervisory role within a hub-based operation of comparable size

Nice-to-haves

No additional qualifications are listed.

Pay, benefits and practical details

This is a fulltime, onsite role based in Abu Dhabi, AE. The description does not specify salary, additional benefits, travel requirements, work authorization, licenses or any physical demands beyond standard managerial duties.

Tips for applying for this role

Lead your resume with a clear profile that foregrounds your eight years of airline operations experience and your three years in supervisory roles within a hub-based setting, ideally within a Network Operations Centre. Make sure you highlight any direct oversight of Ground, Catering or Cargo operations and your experience coordinating with ADA, ATC and ADNOC.

Back up your must-have skills with concrete examples. Describe a specific incident you managed using the Incident Management System and how you balanced safety with guest welfare and cost efficiency, including how you enforced published procedures across teams.

Prepare to discuss disruption scenarios. Be ready to detail a time you created or refined a contingency plan for a network disruption, the steps you took to communicate with multiple stakeholders, and how you ensured adherence to the Safety Management System during the event.

When you interview, consider asking: how does the NOC collaborate with the Abu Dhabi Hub stakeholders, Ground, Catering, Cargo, ADA, ATC and ADNOC, during disruptions, and what improvements are they looking for in the Network Operations Centre?

Recruitment Fraud Alert
Be wary of offers from individuals or organizations claiming to represent Etihad. The group will never ask for personal information, bank details, or payments during the recruitment process. Interviews are conducted face-to-face or via video/telephone before any formal offer. If someone asks you for money, treat it as fraudulent.