Cargo Operations Center Duty Manager – Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi

Etihad Cargo, the freight division of Etihad Airways, is recruiting a Cargo Operations Center Duty Manager for its Cargo Operations Center in Abu Dhabi. For experienced cargo professionals comparing cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi, this is a senior operational post at the heart of the hub: the duty manager is the main point of contact for stakeholders and airline functions across the whole cargo operation. The airline accepts applications only through its official careers system, and the posting states no closing date, so well-matched candidates should apply while the vacancy is live.

About the Role

The Cargo Operations Center is where Etihad Cargo’s Abu Dhabi hub is run from, shift by shift. The duty manager sits at the centre of that activity, acting as the main point of contact for all stakeholders and airline functions, and monitoring inbound quality across three channels at once: the physical freight itself, its documents, and its messaging. The role links closely with the Cargo Network & Delivery team, so what happens at the hub stays connected to what the wider network needs.

Few cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi carry this breadth of live responsibility. The post holder leads and directs a team that works around the clock, covering global partners, the escalation desk and Etihad Cargo’s tracing activities. When something goes wrong anywhere in that chain — a delayed freighter, a shipment that cannot be found, a load that misses its connection — the duty manager’s desk is where the response is coordinated.

The role is also the airline’s round-the-clock operational contact for two specialist areas that cannot wait for office hours. The first is dangerous goods: the duty manager manages the dangerous goods hotline and gives subject-matter expertise to the network, airport management and check-in agents. The second is ULD control and freighter operations, where the duty manager is the 24/7 management contact and coordinates the response to freighter schedule changes and delays.

Above the hub sits the airline’s wider operation, and this post connects cargo into it. The duty manager acts as the direct cargo contact for Etihad’s Network Operations Centre (NOC) and Hub Control Centre (HCC), and supports all network stations — both GSA and GHA partners — on hub matters such as minimum connection times and Quick Ramp Transfer procedures. Holding those relationships together, on live shifts, is what makes senior cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi at this level so demanding.

The shift pattern is part of the job’s character. A hub cargo operation does not pause at night or at weekends, and the duty manager works the same rhythm as the freight itself. One shift might be dominated by inbound quality checks and documentation problems; the next by a freighter delay, a dangerous goods query on the hotline and an escalated shipment that a key customer is waiting for.

The post holder has to prioritise across all of it, keep the escalation desk and tracing activity moving, and hand over cleanly to the next duty team with nothing important left undocumented. That is why the role suits someone who is calm under time pressure, decisive with incomplete information, and disciplined about recording what was decided and why, so the next shift starts from facts rather than guesswork.

Key Responsibilities

The person appointed to one of the most operationally central cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi will be expected to:

• Act as the main point of contact for all stakeholders and airline functions in the Abu Dhabi Cargo Operations Center, monitoring inbound quality across physical freight, documents and messaging.
• Lead and direct the 24/7 Cargo Operations Center team covering global partners, the escalation desk and Etihad Cargo tracing activities.
• Define and monitor KPIs for customer satisfaction and operational delivery, investigating root causes of failures and driving corrective action.
• Serve as the 24/7 operational contact for dangerous goods, manage the dangerous goods hotline, and provide subject-matter expertise to the network, airport management and check-in agents.
• Serve as the 24/7 management contact for ULD control and for freighter operations, coordinating responses to freighter schedule changes and delays.
• Act as the direct cargo contact for the airline’s Network Operations Centre (NOC) and Hub Control Centre (HCC).
• Support all network stations (GSA and GHA) on hub matters, minimum connection times and Quick Ramp Transfer procedures.
• Hold oversight of escalated shipments and the Special Handling Service (SHS and SHS+), and lead the initial investigation of reported safety and security incidents.
• Oversee flight load plans and cargo tracing across the hub and the network, and report on service failures with root-cause analysis.

Requirements

Etihad Cargo sets a clear experience bar for cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi. The official posting (SmartRecruiters posting ID 744000130367349) asks for:

• At least a high school education, and preferably a diploma in logistics, operations management or a related discipline with a specialisation in cargo handling.
• At least five years of experience in the aviation industry.
• Sound knowledge of cargo operations, ground handling, dangerous goods and ULD control.

The posting states no nationality restriction. If your background already combines hub cargo operations with dangerous goods and ULD knowledge, and you have led teams on live shifts, this is among the strongest cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi to consider right now.

Why cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi like this one stand out

Position is the first reason this role stands apart from most cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi. The duty manager is not one specialist among many; the post is the single point of contact through which stakeholders, airline functions and network stations reach the hub’s cargo operation. Decisions taken on this desk affect freight moving through Abu Dhabi and onward across the Etihad Cargo network.

The second reason is the mix of work in a single shift. In one duty period the post holder might be monitoring inbound quality, running the dangerous goods hotline, coordinating a freighter delay response, and overseeing an escalated shipment — while also keeping the KPIs for customer satisfaction and operational delivery in view. That variety suits an operations leader who prefers live problem-solving over desk-based planning.

The third reason is the improvement loop built into the job. The role defines and monitors KPIs, investigates the root causes of failures and drives corrective action, and reports on service failures across the hub and network. The duty manager therefore does not just absorb problems; the post is expected to make the operation measurably better over time.

How to Apply for Cargo Duty Manager Jobs in Abu Dhabi

Applications for this post are made only through the official Etihad Airways application page for this vacancy: apply here on the official Etihad Airways careers page. The posting states no closing date, but hub roles of this seniority rarely stay open for long, so prepare your application promptly.

If this is the right next step among the cargo duty manager jobs in abu dhabi you are weighing up, shape your CV around the areas above — hub cargo operations, dangerous goods, ULD control, team leadership on 24/7 shifts — and show measurable results from the operations you have run. Strong applications usually evidence three things: a live operation you personally led, a failure or disruption you investigated through to root cause and corrective action, and the KPI improvements that followed. Shortlisted candidates can also expect the conversation to test stakeholder management, because the role works daily with network stations, handling partners and the airline’s own operations centres.

You can also browse more aviation, cargo and logistics roles on our All Jobs page, where new Gulf vacancies are added as employers publish them.

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