Project Manager

Position Summary

The Project Manager will be responsible for supporting and executing the airline's Project Management Office (PMO) functions by leading cross-functional initiatives across Operations, Maintenance, Safety, IT, Finance, and Commercial teams. This role will ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with the company's strategic priorities.

The Project Manager will manage project schedules, risks, budgets, deliverables, and stakeholder communication while ensuring standard project governance and reporting practices are followed.

This role requires strong organizational skills, structured thinking, and the ability to drive execution in a fast-paced airline environment.

Key Responsibilities

Project Execution & Delivery

• Lead multiple projects simultaneously, from initiation through execution and closeout.
• Develop project charters, workplans, timelines, milestones, and resource plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure deliverables are completed on schedule.
• Ensure projects meet agreed scope, performance targets, and business objectives.

PMO Governance & Reporting

• Maintain PMO standards, templates, reporting cadence, and documentation.
• Prepare executive-level dashboards and project status updates (weekly/monthly).
• Track project dependencies and escalation items across departments.
• Facilitate project steering meetings and action tracking.

Risk, Issue & Change Management

• Identify risks early and drive mitigation plans with responsible owners.
• Manage project issues, decisions, and change control processes.
• Ensure key decisions are documented and communicated effectively.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a central point of coordination between leadership, vendors, and internal teams.
• Communicate project progress clearly and professionally to executives.
• Align expectations across stakeholders and ensure accountability.

Tools & Process Improvement

• Implement and maintain modern project management tools and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement across PMO processes and workflows.
• Support standardization of project execution across the organization.

Preferred Project Types (Examples)

• Aircraft induction / fleet implementation programs
• Route implementation and customer onboarding programs
• IT systems deployment (MRO software, BI tools, scheduling platforms)
• Operational transformation and process redesign
• Maintenance program implementation
• Regulatory / compliance-driven projects
• Vendor selection and contract implementation (MSA, SOW)

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Aviation Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of project management experience leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong ability to build and manage schedules, deliverables, and project documentation.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present to leadership.

Preferred

• Experience in airline operations, aviation maintenance, logistics, or transportation.
• Experience working in a fast-paced operational environment (24/7 operations preferred).
• Prior experience supporting or building a PMO is a strong plus.

Project Management Tools & Methodologies (Desired)

Candidate should have working familiarity with modern project management frameworks and tools such as:

Methodologies

• PMI / PMBOK fundamentals
• Agile / Scrum (basic working knowledge)
• Waterfall project execution
• Hybrid project management models
• Lean / Continuous Improvement (Kaizen, DMAIC, etc.)

Tools

• Microsoft Project/Planner (preferred)
• Smartsheet
• Jira / Confluence
• Monday.com, OnePlan or Asana
• Microsoft Teams / SharePoint
• Power BI (preferred for reporting dashboards)
• Advanced Excel (required)

Core Competencies

• Strong execution and follow-through
• Ability to manage ambiguity and shifting priorities
• Structured thinker and strong planner
• Strong stakeholder management and diplomacy
• Comfortable driving accountability across departments
• Detail-oriented with executive-level communication skills
• Ability to operate independently with minimal supervision

Work Environment

• Airline operations environment with time-sensitive priorities.
• Occasional travel may be required (bases, vendors, customer locations).
• Flexibility to support urgent operational initiatives as needed.

Performance Expectations

• Deliver projects on time with clear milestone reporting.
• Maintain accurate project dashboards and documentation.
• Escalate risks early and proactively drive mitigation.
• Support leadership in ensuring strategic initiatives stay on track.