Director Engineering Programs

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 Director Engineering Program sets the long-term strategy and oversees the execution of Engineering Programs at Alaska Airlines. The Director of Engineering Programs provides management and administrative leadership of the Engineering Maintenance Programs, Reliability Engineering, and Engineering Technical Publications. The Director of Engineering Programs reports to the Managing Director of Engineering.

Key Duties

• Provides leadership, overall administration, and general direction to the engineering programs department.
• Directs operational excellence, oversees the reliability program.
• Trends reliability for the fleet type and provides direction to the fleet team on areas for focus and improvement.
• Directs Alaska Airlines’ engineering maintenance program.
• Directs Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) technical publications and oversees Boeing technical information integration and strategy.
• Ensures engineering support is provided in the form of adequate maintenance procedures, required modification and repair instructions, and assistance in the correction of chronic and systemic problems.
• Ensures all related aircraft maintenance program instructions, work documents, and control procedures are developed and administered in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, Alaska policy, and industry best practices.
• Sponsors and recommends new preventive maintenance procedures and reliability improvement changes in the interest of safety and cost reduction.
• Serves as an advisory member on the Reliability Analysis Program (RAP) control board.
• Serves as board member on Alaska’s Maintenance Review Board (MRB).
• Assists in M&E system assessments by serving as an advisor when attending the following meetings: Data Analysis Group (DAG), Continuous Analysis and Surveillance Working Group (CASWG), Safety Review Board (SRB) and Continuous Analysis & Surveillance (CAS).
• Stays abreast of existing and proposed Alaska and FAA regulations and forwards recommendations in response to proposed regulation changes.
• Assists in the development of new or revised divisional policies and programs as required for attainment of M&E objectives.
• Supports Safety Management Systems (SMS) within the M&E organization using the SMS policies and procedures as outlined in the SMS Manual of the General Procedures Manual (GPM.)

Job-Specific Experience, Education & Skills

Required

• 8 years of experience in engineering (e.g., airline, shop, manufacturer, etc.).
• 5 years of leadership experience, with at least 2 of those years directly leading people.
• Bachelor’s degree, with a focus in aerospace, aeronautical or mechanical engineering, or a related discipline, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Knowledge of FAA regulations and oversight functions (for both aircraft and engine operating airworthiness certificates).
• Excellent communication skills: verbal (both informal working teams and formal executive presentations), and in clear/concise written documents.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to create collaborative relationships that drive outcomes in the best interest of the company with others in the organization and key external business partners.
• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Preferred

• Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Outlook).

Job-Specific Leadership Expectations

• Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be kind-hearted, deliver performance, and be remarkable.
• Exceptional integrity, with impeccable ethics in safety and compliance.
• Innovative, apolitical, resilient, fact-based and creative solutions-focused mindset, with ability to thrive in a rapidly-changing, collaborative environment and to manage conflict.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly scope situations, develop an accurate understanding of risks, and develop plans responsive to those risks.