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Senior Specialist - Cargo Safety

United Airlines

Chicago, IL · HybridJob$82–107K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$82–107K/yr
Location
Chicago, ILHybrid
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Senior Specialist – Cargo Safety manages the health and quality of Cargo’s Safety Management System and works with senior leadership to identify and mitigate hazards and risks. The role leads safety programs, supports safety policy and risk management, and promotes SMS across cargo operations. It is hybrid, with in-office requirements 50% of the time at United’s Chicago headquarters, and requires travel up to 30%.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Cargo Operations SupportSafety Management SystemsCompliance ChecksCorrective ActionsRoot-Cause AnalysisWorkplace SafetyCargo SecurityOSHAWorkflow AnalysisOperations SupportInfluencing OthersSafety TrainingProcess ImprovementCargo Handling AnalysisOperational Problem-SolvingGenerative AICritical Thinking

Qualifications

High School Diploma or GED2+ Years Relevant ExperienceOSHA 10- or 30-Hour CertificationLegally Authorized to Work in US Without SponsorshipSuccessful Interview Completion

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Parental Leave
Paid Time Off
401(k) Match

Full job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

About the Job

The Senior Specialist – Cargo Safety manages the health and quality of Cargo's Safety Management System and ensures it continues to be woven into the day-to-day culture. This includes working cross-functionally with senior leadership to identify and mitigate safety hazards/risks in the cargo operation, as well as responsibility for safety policy, risk management, assurance, and promotion. In addition, this position leads key cornerstone United safety programs such as the station safety excellence program, and access to safety data reporting streams.

  • Lead the SMS culture for Cargo Operations and find creative ways to ensure compliance and build on United Cargo's safety culture.

  • Influence, Inform and hold internal and external leaders accountable to United Cargo's SMS standards.

  • Negotiate risk acceptance by the appropriate leader

  • Spearhead the use of Safety Risk Assessments in all operational change

  • Develop initiatives to embed SMS within day-to-day cargo operations

  • Support Cargo Operations in implementing and upholding OSHA standards via United’s Safety Excellence Program.

  • Ensure day-to-day SMS processes and requirements are met including identifying, assigning and processing Hazards and SMS CAPAs.

Note: This position offers a hybrid work arrangement, with in-office requirements 50% of the time at United’s Corporate Headquarters in Chicago, IL. This role will also be required to travel up to 30% of the time.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

  • High school diploma or equivalent (GED)

  • 2+ years of relevant experience

  • Experience supporting cargo operations, safety, security, compliance, or related operational activities

  • Experience conducting compliance checks, supporting corrective actions, and assisting with root-cause analysis of incidents

  • Strong skills in workplace safety, cargo security, OSHA, workflow analysis, and operations support

  • Ability to influence others who do not directly report to you

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

  • Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification

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

Preferred Qualifications

  • OSHA 10- or 30-hour certification

  • Leading an aviation related Safety Management System

  • Ability to identify, analyze and communicate key metrics that identify the health of an SMS culture

  • Experience supporting safety training, procedures, or compliance

  • Experience improving operational processes

  • Experience analyzing cargo handling and recommending improvements

  • Experience resolving complex operational challenges and recurring service issues

  • 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 $81,795.00 to $106,602.00.

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]

How this job compares

Set against the 10,652 open Operations jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$82–107K/yr
  • Illinois median$80–113K/yr215 salary ranges
  • US median$95–150K/yr5,111 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $94K, is 4% below the Illinois median midpoint ($98K) — in the middle half of Operations salary ranges in Illinois.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 365 open Operations jobs in Illinois and 10,652 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience; Operations postings that state a minimum ask for 4 years at the median (6,646 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a high school diploma; 5,243 of the 10,652 open Operations jobs (49%) ask for a high school diploma or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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