Valet Team Leader

Christchurch International Airport Limited (CIAL) is a multi-dimensional business, championing Te Waipounamu the South Island and Aotearoa New Zealand for today and tomorrow. Our central focus is achieving three core objectives at the same time: Enhancing People’s Lives (our team, customers, partners and communities); Fuelling economic prosperity of the South Island and New Zealand; and being Great Kaitiaki of our Planet (safety, security and sustainability) CIAL operates New Zealand’s 2nd largest airport and its success has a direct correlation to the success of our city, region and country.  

About the Role 

The Valet Team Leader is responsible for the safe, efficient and high‑quality operation of the Christchurch Airport valet service. This is a hands‑on leadership role overseeing frontline teams, managing daily operations and ensuring a consistently premium customer experience. 

You will have full operational responsibility for service delivery, staffing, safety and decision‑making in real time. Working closely with internal partners and external service providers, you will play a critical role in stabilising and embedding valet operations as a fully CIAL‑owned service, while also contributing to continuous improvement as the operation matures. 

This role works Monday to Friday, 8:00am–4:30pm. Given the operational nature of the service, you will also be expected to demonstrate flexibility, including providing cover for frontline roles in circumstances such as staff illness where no alternative cover is available, to ensure service continuity. 

Operational shifts will commence from 28 August so you must be able to commence in role by mid to late July at the latest to help prepare.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide visible, engaged leadership to the valet team, fostering a strong customer‑focused and safety‑first culture 
• Lead the day‑to‑day operation of valet services, ensuring consistent, high‑quality service delivery 
• Act as the primary escalation point for operational issues, customer concerns and service disruptions 
• Manage rosters, staffing levels and workforce planning aligned to demand and flight schedules 
• Design and deliver training and ongoing improvements 
• Ensure all vehicle movements, facilities and processes operate safely and in compliance with legislative, airport and CIAL requirements 
• Support staff performance, development, engagement and wellbeing 
• Drive continuous improvement across service quality, systems, processes and efficiency 
• Work closely with Commercial, Technology, Facilities, Health & Safety and People & Culture teams to support operational success 
• Provide operational input into future service enhancements and operating model improvements 

What We’re Looking For 

• Proven experience leading or supervising teams in a customer‑facing operational environment  
• Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to coach, guide and manage performance in a fast‑paced setting  
• Excellent customer service and communication skills, with confidence handling issues calmly and professionally  
• High level of operational awareness, including managing people, vehicles and safety in live environments  
• Full, clean driver’s licence and confidence driving a range of vehicles (manual + automatic is a must) 
• Sound judgement and decision‑making under pressure  
• Strong planning and organisational capability, including rostering and operational coordination  
• A clear commitment to health, safety and wellbeing  
• Experience in transport, airport, parking, hospitality or premium service environments (desirable) 

Why join CIAL? 

• A leadership role in a highly visible, premium airport service  
• The opportunity to shape and embed a growing in‑house operation  
• A supportive, values‑driven organisation with a strong focus on safety and people  
• A dynamic environment where no two days are the same  
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on customer experience at Christchurch Airport 

If you’re a confident operational leader who takes pride in delivering great service, keeping people safe and supporting teams to perform at their best, we’d love to hear from you. 

Apply now and help us deliver a premium valet experience at Christchurch Airport. Applications close midnight 14 June.