Director Engineering Programs

Alaska Airlines • SeaTac, WA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

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.
The Director Engineering Programs sets the long-term strategy and oversees the execution of Engineering Programs at Alaska Airlines. As a people leader, this role establishes strategic goals and direction for a team of Engineers and Technical Experts, ensuring the safety, compliance and reliability of the AS Fleet, overseeing Engineering Maintenance Programs, Reliability Engineering, Fleet Managers and Engineering Technical Publications.

Requirements

• 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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• Establish strategic goals and direction for a team of Engineers and Technical Experts, providing leadership, overall administration, and general direction to the engineering programs department.
• Set long-term strategy and directs operational excellence, overseeing improvements to 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 OEM Boeing/ Airbus 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).
• Defined the multi-year fleet reliability roadmap and integrated OEM analytics into core maintenance programs while leading the IAHM and D302 regulatory initiatives—including gap analysis, safety-case development, procedures/training, and proving/validation aligned with FAA Order 8900.1 and AC 43-218.
• Assess predictive maintenance industry solutions with clear business cases and a tooling‑agnostic efficacy framework and partner with ITS/Supply Chain on integrations and commercial outcomes.
• Convert alerts to actionable tasking (cards/ECs/TRAX), run a 24/7 alert‑to‑action process with Maintenance Control/Line/Heavy/AOG, and institutionalize oversight in CASS/MRB and Technical Publications/SMS.

Benefits

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air with high priority status
• Select number of confirmed travel credits provided annually
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Quarterly and annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director