Managing Director Fleet Engineering

Company

Alaska Airlines

The Team

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.

Role Summary

The Managing Director, Fleet Engineering sets the long-term strategy and oversees the financial performance of Maintenance Programs, Systems, Avionics, Structures, Powerplant and Service Engineering at Alaska Airlines. As a people leader, this role establishes strategic goals and direction for a team of leaders to ensure the M&E Division is in technical compliance with all regulatory requirements to ensure safe and compliant operations. This leader oversees and drives improvement and overall reliability of the fleet and optimizes technical performance, and interfaces with regulatory authorities (FAA, EASA, etc.) on engineering matters, audits and inspections. This role is primarily accountable for sustaining the airworthiness, reliability, and compliance of the in-service fleet, with deep focus on continuous improvement, technical safety, and operational performance across all aircraft systems and configurations.

Key Duties

• Establish strategic goals and direction for team of multiple engineering disciplines including airframe, powerplant, avionics and systems engineering and ensures technical compliance with all regulatory requirements to assure safe and compliant operations.
• Set long-term strategy for the technical compliance and engineering standards across the fleet of 717s, 737s, A321, A330 and 787 fleet.
• Directs the day-to-day operations of the Engineering department per policies and procedures established by the Vice President of Maintenance & Engineering (M&E).
• Ensures that safety and compliance is the number one priority in every action or decision considered.
• Leads the evaluation of modifications to aircraft and aircraft systems. Provides 24/7 engineering support and technical services support for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events.
• Partners with peers in Maintenance, Stores, Quality, and Planning to ensure Engineering provides safe, compliant, and efficient products and services.
• Ownership of the Reliability Program, including mechanical reliability, and monitoring key indicators such as maintenance recovery, parts availability/quality, network performance, and planning effectiveness, ensuring the sustained reliability of the M&E operation.
• Provides leadership and direction to ensure high performance standards/culture are maintained in the areas of safety, compliance, costs, and quality.
• Develop people through effective performance management and ongoing feedback, focusing on fostering strategic and systems thinking, development of talent, and succession planning across teams and functions.
• Drive effective practices to build a culture of belonging.
• Influence company culture through action, presence, and reinforcement of behavior.
• Collaborate with maintenance and operation to improve on-time performance and reduce delays driven by technical issues.
• Ensures strict and timely compliance with all Airworthiness Directives (ADs), 14CFRs, international regulatory requirements, and company standards.
• Influence across company and provides strategic recommendations to enterprise leaders, and partners with stakeholders both inside and outside of the division to ensure optimal decisions and timely implementation.
• Represents the airline on technical issues and influences the industry to ensure Alaska Air Group’s (AAG’s) interests are integrated in new policy.
• Ensures proper development of engineering documentation, including manuals and Engineering instructions. Ensures instructions are customized to correct inaccuracies and also to make straight forward for technicians and inspectors to follow.
• Partners within and across divisions with key contacts (e.g., Flight Operations, Finance, etc.).
• Serves as member of the Continuous Analysis and Surveillance Review Board (CASRB) and the Executive Corrosion Review Board (ECRB).

Job-Specific Experience, Education & Skills

Required

• 10 years of progressive experience in an airline engineering organization managing multi-aircraft type fleet.
• 5 years of people leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree of Science, with a focus in an engineering field such as aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or willingness to a