Sr Manager, Communications

Intro

Are you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life. Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board!

Why you'll love this job

The Senior Manager of Operations Communications is part of Global Engagement, a dynamic and collaborative team that helps shape the company's actions, along with its engagement with internal and external stakeholders, to help build and protect the American Airlines brand and its reputation. This role creates and maintains relationships between team members and American Airlines leadership, influences the evolving corporate culture, advances the business strategy — both internally and externally — and works closely with members of the media. This position will report into Global Engagement, but will have strong dotted line ties to senior leaders who lead the daily operation of the airline. 

The right person for this job must be able to work in a high-pressure environment with tight deadlines for real-time issues management. This individual must be able to tailor communications to different audiences in the ways that matter most to our team members, customers, media and the general public.

What you'll do

• Develop and execute communications strategies for highly sensitive, fast-moving issues, including leading crisis preparedness and response efforts, advising senior leadership, and supporting airline-wide coordination during operational disruptions and emerging events. 
  
• Lead real-time operational communications, providing rapid response guidance and developing clear internal and external messaging to address day-to-day issues across the network. 
  
• Serve as a key communications advisor to the COO, providing strategic counsel, preparing executive briefings and talking points, and ensuring alignment on high-priority operational and reputational matters. 
  
• Design and implement business education campaigns that help team members, customers, and media understand complex operational decisions in clear, accessible terms. 
  
• Manage media relations for operational topics, including building and maintaining relationships with key aviation reporters, proactively pitching stories, handling inbound inquiries, and serving as an on-the-record spokesperson during both routine and crisis scenarios. 
  
• Support on-site media engagement and high-visibility events, ensuring accurate, timely messaging and a strong company presence. 
  
• Strengthen cross-functional relationships by partnering closely with operational leaders and other internal teams to ensure aligned, effective communications—especially during critical events. 
  
• Identify proactive media opportunities and manage on-call responsibilities, ensuring the airline is well-positioned to tell its story and respond quickly when issues arise. 
  
• Lead and develop a team of operational communicators, setting strategy and ensuring consistent, high-quality storytelling that reflects the complexity and strength of American’s operation.

All you'll need for success

Minimum Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications or relevant field, or equivalent experience / training
• 7-8 years relevant work experience in communications in a corporate, agency or newsroom setting

Preferred Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working as a reporter or journalist or in corporate communications or media relations for a large, multi-national organization is a plus
• Excellent organizational and project management skills and ability to meet deadlines 
• Ability to lead tasks, manage processes, analyze and problem-solve, work independently as well as in a group
• Previous experience guiding internal and external partners, connecting workgroups and teams to ensure strategies and impacts are clearly understood
• Experience leading staff and developing their careers with care

Skills, Licenses & Certifications

• Is relentlessly hardworking, with a passion for thriving in a 24/7 environment, and excels at juggling multiple projects at one time
• Writes like a pro and manages media with ease