Senior Manager - Safety Management Systems Programs (Hybrid)

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Description

As an airline, safety is our most important principle. Our Corporate Safety team helps ensure safety is embedded in how we operate, make decisions, manage change, and continuously improve. We partner across the airline to identify and manage risk, strengthen safety performance, and advance the systems, data, technology, and capabilities that support a safe, resilient and successful operation.

This role provides strategic leadership, ownership, and execution of United’s Safety Management System (SMS), ensuring compliance with 14 CFR Part 5 while advancing SMS maturity, safety risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion, and data-driven decision-making across the airline.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise oversight of United’s SMS and ensure compliance with 14 CFR Part 5, ICAO Annex 19, and applicable safety requirements.

• Serve as a strategic SMS advisor to Corporate Safety and operational leaders on safety risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion, governance, and management of change.

• Establish and strengthen enterprise approaches for safety risk assessments, hazard identification, risk controls, and monitoring of safety performance.

• Translate safety data, operational information, and emerging risks into actionable insights that support executive decision-making.

• Advance the responsible use of data, analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence to improve hazard identification, risk monitoring, safety assurance, and organizational learning.

• Partner across operational, technology, data, and enterprise functions to strengthen the quality, accessibility, governance, and effective use of safety information.

• Provide strategic leadership for Safety Action Teams, Safety Round Tables, the Integrated Safety Round Table, Corporate Safety Review Board, and other SMS governance forums.

• Serve as a lead SMS subject matter expert for regulatory, internal, and external audits and assessments.

• Support SMS training, education, promotion, and organizational capability-building strategies that strengthen safety culture and employee engagement.

• Support the continued evolution of United’s digital safety capabilities, including safety platforms, workflows, data integration, analytics, and modernization of legacy processes and systems.

• Monitor emerging safety practices, technologies, regulations, and industry developments and identify opportunities to continually strengthen United’s SMS.

• Serve as a key liaison with the FAA Certificate Management Office (CMO), maintaining a strong, trusted relationship and representing United on significant SMS, safety risk, regulatory, and oversight matters.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aviation, safety, engineering, business, technology, data/analytics, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• 5+ years of relevant aviation, safety, operational risk, technology, or related experience.

• Applied knowledge of Safety Management Systems and Safety Risk Management.

• Working knowledge of applicable aviation safety regulations, standards, and practices.

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives and organizational change.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex information into actionable recommendations.

• Strong executive communication, facilitation, written, and presentation skills.

• Experience using data, analytics, digital platforms, or technology to improve processes and decision-making.

• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries.

• General understanding of generative AI capabilities and limitations and the responsible use of AI, including data privacy, security, governance, and human oversight.

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multi-priority environment.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship.

• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or MBA.

• Advanced aviation safety or enterprise SMS experience.

• Experience leading enterprise safety, technology, data, or business transformation initiatives.

• Experience with enterprise safety management platforms, digital workflows, data integration, or system modernization.

• Experience with safety analytics, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, or emerging-risk identification.

• Familiarity with enterprise risk management, operational resilience, or integrated risk frameworks.

• PMP or other relevant program, risk, safety, data, or change-management certification.

• Demonstrates an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of generative AI tools and effectively leverages them to support research, analysis, content creation, and problem-solving. Apply critical thinking to validate AI-generated outputs while adhering to organizational policies for responsible AI use, data privacy, and security.

The base pay range for this role is $127,870.00 to $166,492.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [email protected]