Manager, Flight Ops Academics

Spirit Airlines•Dania Beach, FL

8h•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Flight Ops Academics is responsible for leading the development, delivery, and continual improvement of Spirit Airlines’ pilot academic training programs. This role ensures all ground school elements of Initial, Recurrent, Upgrade, and Requalification training consistently meet FAA Part 121 requirements and align with Spirit’s operational, standardization, and safety objectives. Working within the Flight Ops Training & Evaluation organization, the manager oversees academic instructors, curriculum development, and ground training quality, while partnering closely with Instructor/Evaluator teams and AQP leadership to uphold Spirit’s high standards for safety, effectiveness, and training consistency.

Requirements

Extensive knowledge of Part 121 flight operations and training practices.
A minimum of 2-3 years of hands-on experience in curriculum development or pilot training program administration.
Demonstrated leadership capability in a training or operational environment.
Strong understanding of A320 systems preferred due to Spirit’s fleet (supported by Spirit’s training pipeline emphasis on A320 systems coursework).
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to lead and motivate instructors.
Exceptional organizational and project management abilities.
High technical proficiency regarding aircraft systems, airline SOPs, and adult learning principles.
Ability to analyze training performance data and implement improvements.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an FAA AQP environment.
Prior management experience in a Part 121 Flight Ops Training Department.
Proficiency with LMS and digital training creation tools.
Prior experience in ground or simulator instruction.

Responsibilities

Oversee the day to day execution of all pilots academic training programs, ensuring quality, consistency, and compliance.
Ensure academic instruction is aligned with Spirit’s established pilot training programs and evaluation standards, which are overseen at the department level by the Sr. Director, Flight Ops Training & Evaluation.
Coordinate with Crew Training Scheduling to ensure proper resource allocation for academic events.
Lead the creation, revision, and maintenance of academic curricula, lesson plans, courseware, and assessments.
Ensure strict revision control and content accuracy, aligning with Spirit’s broader requirements for courseware, training supplements, multimedia, and grade sheets.
Collaborate with Fleet Managers, SMEs, SFOIs, and Flight Standards to update materials as operational policies evolve.
Support FAA interactions related to academic curriculum approvals, audits, AQP documentation, and oversight.
Contribute to preparation and review processes for AQP annual meetings and training program validations, consistent with leadership expectations described in Spirit’s training management roles.
Ensure academic training records remain accurate and compliant.
Supervise and mentor Spirit ground instructors delivering systems, procedures, and basic indoctrination training.
Conduct standardization checks, observations, and performance reviews.
Support staffing, interview processes, qualification tracking, and ongoing development of academic instructors.
Monitor training effectiveness, student performance, and instructor delivery quality.
Identify trends, training gaps, and areas for academic improvement.
Collaborate with the Spirit I/E Quality Assurance Observation (QAO) program to maintain high quality instruction.
Coordinate with Flight Standards, SFOIs, Safety, Dispatch, and Inflight Training to ensure academic content accurately reflects Spirit’s SOPs and operational changes.
Work with Simulator Training, AQP leadership, and Scheduling to ensure alignment between academic, FTD, and simulator events.