Job description
Description
Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.
Air Canada seeks to address the needs of its customers with diverse abilities, by improving the accessibility of its services and helping lift barriers to air travel. In doing so, it is responding to increasing customer expectations in this area, including from an aging population, reflect societal priorities around diversity, inclusion, and equity, and proactively adapt to a rapidly growing body of complex regulatory requirements on accessibility. Air Canada objectives, recognizing the dignity of each person, and their rights to equal access, align with Air Canada’s overarching focus to provide top service during their travels, adapting to the needs and preferences of its customers by flying a mile in their shoes.
Reporting to the Vice President – Customer Experience and Operations Strategy, the Director, Customer Accessibility will advocate inside Air Canada, ensuring the needs of our passengers with diverse abilities are well understood, and that our legal and regulatory obligations are effectively translated into policy and operation. The Director will work cross functionally with groups across the airline - such as Airports, Contact Centers, Inflight, Regional Airlines, Legal, Human Resources, and Government Relations – to ensure their operations and activities are aligned with our policy and our mission.
This role will drive overall strategy for accessible travel services and compliance, lead internal awareness, sensitivity, and cultural shift to promote strategic collaboration across branches in support of Air Canada’s objectives on accessibility.
Applications from all provinces in Canada will also be considered for this position.
The Director, Customer Accessibility will:
-
Represent Air Canada before advocacy groups for customers with disabilities, including through advisory committees, allowing for regular consultation with members of the disability community, developing a deep understanding of the needs of passengers with disabilities
-
Lead and implement the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations, establishing action plans to remove barriers, setting priorities and milestones, and developing accessibility plans and progress reports, periodically as may otherwise be required by the ACA..
-
Act as the designated person under the ACA, overseeing the development and implementation of mechanisms to receive effective feedback from customers with special needs, investigating and identifying root causes, developing insights and actionable plans about systemic issues and potential barriers.
-
Develop mission, policies and launch initiatives to remove barriers and improve services, guiding operational branches and teams focused on customer service excellence, as well as through accessibility champions across the company.
-
Lead accessibility compliance initiatives aligning to the requirements that Air Canada is subject to in Canada and internationally. In doing so, oversee the establishment of mechanisms for monitoring, risk assessment, auditing and reporting, working closely with all affected branches to promote and ensure compliance across the organization.
-
Oversee the establishment and maintenance of a centralized repository of regulatory requirements in all markets we serve as it relates to the handling of passengers with disabilities or special needs
-
Represent Air Canada in discussions with regulators and international workgroups promoting accessible travel, staying abreast of regulatory changes and best practices in accessibility and taking a leadership role to promote the removal of barriers at Air Canada and across the industry.
-
In an expert advisory role, develop a governance structure around accessibility to provide executive and board oversight, build strong relationships with senior management, and provide sound, objective and expert advice regarding accessibility risks and mitigations, coordinating closely with the Legal Department, and with operational branches regarding policies and practices.
-
Enhance awareness of priorities around accessibility across the company, promote employee engagement to support corporate culture change and overall commitment to accessibility and consultation (“nothing for us without us”), and encourage a behavioral shift that promotes accessibility throughout the customer journey.
-
Responsible to ensure all relevant standard operating procedures inside Air Canada fully reflect our policies and obligations related to accessibility
-
Ensure adequate AC training programs are in place for all employees who have a role to play in delivering any aspect of service to these customers
-
Ensure AC has adequate equipment to deliver against our obligations and policies
-
Ensure that all parties acting on behalf of AC, such as regional carriers and ground handlers, are as fully compliant as AC is
-
Develop tracking and compliance data to determine our level of service and communicate this to internal stakeholders; establish action plans as needed to address shortcoming and to strive for excellence
-
Intercede, investigate, and generally support the customer complaint process as it relates to any deficiency in our delivery of service in line with our policies
-
Act as a liaison for any government agency, community, or association that seeks to engage AC on such matters
Direct Reports (2)
Qualifications
-
University degree in related field or equivalent
-
Minimum 10+ years of relevant working experience with demonstrated leadership skills
-
General understanding of airline operations
-
Experience in advocacy
-
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
-
High degree of empathy and respect for special needs communities; experience in this field a strong asset
Conditions of Employment:
Linguistic Requirements
Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.
Diversity and Inclusion
Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.
As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.
Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.