Manuel Towers, how are you?

 

I hope they hold the interview at the SEA lounge. Or the AMS one...

 

Seamless refers to the carpet joints!

 

Not too much of a stretch to imagine that someone will still need to set everything up for third-party lounges.

 

I'm not so sure.

"Oh yes, that's a great idea, oh and your budget is half of what it costs..."

 

Lounge Development Executive at British Airways (ba.com)

I saw this job being advertised on the BA site and part of the role is to introduce 'quick fixes' and also longer term things to improve the customer experience in lounges worldwide.
So if you had the chance to speak with this new development exec what are some of the quick fixes and longer term things you'd like to see implemented?

 

This job spec looks a bit vague for my liking. Key thing is though it has the fancy word ‘Executive’ in the job title, it is by no means clear what the seniority level is, nor where the reporting line goes. That is massively important since the ability to get things done in a very large organisation is very dependent on those two factors. Reading through the spec, this stands out:

• Works effectively with the Finance Department to ensure projects are delivered to budget, improving value for the customer.

The implication is that it is not within the Finance function, which is probably a good thing. However, in order for the post holder to have the ability to get things done they will need to be either senior enough in their own right or reporting directly to someone in BA who has the ability to unblock things that might get in the way of delivering a true improvement in the customer experience. In theory this could be a great role, but in practice I rather fear that it will end up as a somewhat junior role, with little clout and the job will mostly consist of choosing carpet colours to the budget set by Finance. I really hope I am proved wrong.

 

More likely to be a single bowl that all and sundry will be sticking their grubby hands into (or a jar if they push the boat out).

 

Be still my beating heart, do I read correctly "long term strategic refurbishments"

The only question is, when?

 

when there's a long term lounge strategy, say in 5 years time?

 

'Executive' usually just means entry level. It's a band 3 role, which I believe is the same as grad scheme roles at BA.

 

I though "Executive" just meant "we can require you to do anything and work extra hours without more pay".

 

BA uses 'Executive' for entry level managers in what they call 'Band 3'. Would probably have no direct reports, but might manage a relationship with a supplier (e.g. Baxter Storey). Unlikely to be involved in negotiating the supplier contracts except in a support role. Probably sits within whatever Customer Experience has been folded into/stapled under. No, not Finance.

 

Band 3 in BA-world is hugely broad and covers the vast majority of head office roles, extending from graduate at the very junior end to middle manager with several hundred colleagues reporting to them. They don’t say upfront where in the range it is, it could be junior or fairly senior.

What prospective applicants need to know is that ‘executives’ and their wider team will have a large element of budget control and freedom… of the amount already allocated to them. But they won’t be able to go over it by one penny without a major business case for investment, which will need to be signed off pretty much by the board (and often IAG as well). It will be a good job for someone who can work within those constraints.

 

It amazes me that these roles exist to "improve the customer offer" yet we see very minimal improvement in the offer - what are they actually doing. I can't thing of a recent material improvement in any of the T5 lounges. A few new bits of furniture in T5B lounge doesn't really count.