Sr Director, Transformation

Atlas Air•Erlanger, KY

About The Position

The Senior Director, Transformation at Atlas Air leads the end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of high-impact strategic initiatives that drive sustained EBITDA growth, improve operational performance, and evolve the company’s business model. This role partners closely with private equity investors, executive leadership, and functional teams to identify value creation opportunities, translate them into actionable initiatives, and ensure disciplined execution and value capture. The Senior Director is accountable for building robust business cases, mobilizing cross-functional teams, and driving initiatives from ideation through implementation and measurable financial results. In parallel, this leader establishes best-in-class governance, project management standards, and performance tracking for the Value Creation Office (VCO), including ongoing communication of progress against the Value Creation Plan (VCP). This is a highly dynamic, execution-focused role requiring strong ownership, pace, and the ability to operate across multiple functions and priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
11+ years of experience, including 5+ years managerial experience.
Track record of delivering measurable financial results (EBITDA, cost savings, revenue growth) through complex initiatives.
Experience managing consultants, contractors, and internal project teams.
Ability to link operational actions to financial outcomes and challenge assumptions with data.
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive decisions without formal authority.
High ownership mindset with a bias for action and speed.
Comfort operating in ambiguity while maintaining structure and rigor.
Ability to simplify complex problems into clear, actionable plans.
Management and development of direct reports to meet organizational and personal growth goals.
Project management best practices across all lifecycle phases.
Presentation preparation and delivery to senior leadership.
Independence and a desire to function autonomously with limited direction.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree – MBA or quantitative field (ex. economics, operations research, statistics, data science, computer science) – preferred.
Experience in aviation industry preferred – specifically in planning, operations, finance, analytics, continuous improvement, strategy, or consulting functions.
Experience operating in private equity-backed, transformation-driven, or high-accountability environments preferred.

Responsibilities

Identify and prioritize value creation opportunities through rigorous analysis of operational and financial performance, with clear linkage to EBITDA impact.
Develop investment-grade business cases with clearly defined value drivers, implementation plans, risks, and measurable financial outcomes.
Drive execution by ensuring appropriate resourcing, removing roadblocks, and holding stakeholders accountable to timelines and outcomes.
Ensure value realization by tracking actual performance vs. plan, identifying gaps, and implementing corrective actions.
Directly lead the highest-value ($40M+ EBITDA impact), most complex initiatives within the Value Creation Plan, with full accountability for delivery and results.
Establish and enforce a rigorous governance model for the Value Creation Plan, including stage gates, executive reviews, and clear accountability for results.
Lead preparation and delivery of materials for Steering Committees, Board meetings, and investor updates, with clear articulation of progress, risks, and value delivery.
Partner with FP&A to define standardized methodologies for forecasting, tracking, and validating value realization at the initiative level.
Maintain a single source of truth for all VCP initiatives, including status, risks, and realized vs. planned financial impact.
Drive prioritization and trade-off decisions across initiatives to maximize enterprise value.
Lead and develop a high-performing team that serves as a force multiplier for value creation initiatives across the organization.
Coach team members and cross-functional leaders on best practices in operational improvement, value creation, and execution discipline.
Act as a trusted thought partner to executive leadership while constructively challenging assumptions and advocating for data-driven decisions.