Employee Experience & Engagement Manager

Job Title: Employee Experience & Engagement Manager
Job Location: Des Plaines-USA-60016
Work Location Type: On-Site
Salary Range: $85,030.22 - 100,287.77

About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

At Sky Chefs, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are seeking an Employee Experience Manager to lead and continuously improve the employee experience across our ORD operation. This highly visible role partners closely with Operations and Human Resources leaders to drive engagement, strengthen culture, improve retention, and ensure employees feel valued from their first day through every stage of their career.

As the voice of the employee, you will leverage data, feedback, and strong business partnerships to develop meaningful engagement strategies, identify opportunities for improvement, and influence organizational decisions that enhance the employee experience.

Main Accountabilities

• Serve as the primary employee experience leader for the ORD operation, championing a positive, inclusive, and engaging workplace culture.
• Directly responsible for leading weekly new hire orientation.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and cultural events.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen employee satisfaction, morale, and retention through ongoing feedback and analysis.
• Partner with leaders to create meaningful employee experiences while balancing the operational needs of a fast-paced airport environment.
• Manage employee engagement surveys, focus groups, listening sessions, and feedback channels.
• Analyze engagement data, identify trends, and translate insights into actionable recommendations for leadership.
• Facilitate action-planning efforts with business leaders to address opportunities and improve organizational health.
• Lead programs that support employee onboarding, integration, and early-career engagement.
• Partner with operational leaders to execute and continuously improve the Buddy Program and other onboarding initiatives.
• Meet regularly with new hires to gather feedback, address concerns, and identify barriers to success.
• Act as a trusted resource and advocate for employees during their transition into the organization.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with Operations, Human Resources, and business leaders at all levels.
• Present engagement insights, workforce trends, and improvement recommendations to leadership teams.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business, Communications, Psychology, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years of experience in employee engagement, employee experience, organizational development, HR business partnership, culture initiatives, talent management, or a related people-focused function.
• Experience analyzing survey data, employee feedback, and engagement metrics to drive organizational improvements.

• Strong self-management and scheduling flexibility to effectively engage and support employees across all shifts, including evenings, nights, and weekends.

• Proven ability to influence leaders and build partnerships across all organizational levels.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with employee engagement platforms, including Qualtrics or similar survey tools.
• Background supporting large hourly workforces, operations environments, manufacturing, hospitality, airline, logistics, or service industries.
• Experience leading culture transformation, retention, onboarding, or organizational effectiveness initiatives.

SkyChefs is an EEO and Affirmative Action Employer of Women/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.