Director MRO & Maintenance Planning

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our managerial teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you. 

The Director Maintenance Planning & MRO sets the long-term strategy and oversees operational and financial performance of the Maintenance Planning and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) functions for Horizon Air. This role is responsible for the compliant, timely execution of the Company’s FAA‑approved maintenance program through effective planning, vendor oversight, and operational governance. As a people leader, this role establishes priorities for the heavy and line maintenance planning teams and the Sr. on‑site maintenance partners embedded at MRO and heavy maintenance vendor facilities.  

• Establish strategic goals and direction of the maintenance planning and MRO functions for Horizon Air (QX) as discrete disciplines.  
• Set long-term strategy to ensure all planning functions enable compliant execution of the FAA‑approved maintenance program while minimizing operational disruption.  
• Responsible and accountable for safety, compliance, schedule adherence, vendor performance, and cost control associated with planning and MRO execution.  
• Responsible for budget adherence and financial durability of planning and MRO departments, including C-checks.  
• Oversee the line/long-term maintenance planning functions setting expectations and controls to ensure accurate, compliant, and operationally effective maintenance planning.  
• Ensures maintenance requirements are properly forecasted, sequenced, and aligned with fleet utilization, engineering requirements, and capacity constraints.  
• Establish long‑range maintenance plans with engineering, supply chain, material, operations, finance, and MRO providers.  
• Maintain oversight of interval compliance, deferral control, and planning accuracy.  
• Collaborate with quality, safety, and engineering to address audits, findings, and planning‑driven compliance risks.  
• Oversee heavy maintenance and other long‑dwell maintenance activities executed at external MRO facilities to ensure maintenance is performed in accordance with:  
  
  • FAA regulations and approved maintenance programs.  
  • Approved task cards, technical data, and company procedures.  
  • Maintains accountability for aircraft airworthiness and quality prior to return‑to‑service following MRO events.  
• Oversee contract management of MRO and heavy maintenance vendors and lead contract scope definition, performance requirements, enforcement mechanisms, and renewal strategies.  
• Partner with supply chain, legal, finance, and quality to ensure contracts support regulatory, operational, and financial objectives.  
• Apply Safety Management System (SMS) principles across both planning and MRO functions.  
• Ensure planning and MRO execution facilitate safe maintenance practices and aircraft airworthiness.  
• Represent planning and MRO activities at the Divisional Analysis Group (DAG) responsible for safety trends, compliance performance, audit results, and risk mitigation actions.  

Required 

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in aircraft maintenance planning, heavy maintenance, MRO oversight, or related maintenance operations role.  
• 4 years of leadership experience, with at least 2 of those years directly leading people.  
• Bachelor’s degree or an additional 2 years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree. 
• Holds a valid FAA A&P Mechanic Certificate.  
• Working knowledge of FAA regulations and approved maintenance programs.  
• Experience supporting heavy maintenance, long dwell maintenance events, and maintenance planning execution.  
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.  
• Working knowledge of SMS principles.  
• Ability and willingness to travel up to approximately 40%.  
• Experience working with Safety Management Systems (SMS).  
• Exceptional integrity, with impeccable ethics and commitment to safety and compliance.  
• Effective communication (e.g., verbal, written, presentation) and people skills, with the ability to create collaborative relationships that drive outcomes in the best interest of the company.  
• High school diploma or equivalent.  
• Minimum age of 18.  
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.   

Preferred 

• Experience managing heavy maintenance events at third-party MROs. 
• Background in vendor contract management and performance governance.  
• Familiarity with labor relations and maintenance workforce engagement.  
   

• Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
• Own safety and compliance above all else. 
• Exercise sound judgement in complex planning, and maintenance execution environments.  
• Communicate clearly across maintenance, engineering, operations, supply chain, and vendor partners.  
• Drive disciplined execution while maintaining appropriate separation between planning and maintenance performance accountability.  
• Balance performance, cost control, and strong vendor relationships while maintaining operational authority.  
• Demonstrated ability to quickly scope situations, develop an accurate understanding of risks, and develop plans responsive to those risks.  

The pay range and total target compensation package listed above is the expected pay offered for this position at the start of employment. Your pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, your relevant experience/level, experience level, and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.

Note: We don't typically hire at the top of the range. 

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air with high priority status 
• Select number of confirmed travel credits provided annually 
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off 

For more information about Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement  
It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.   

We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.  

We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”).  All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.   

To implement this policy, we will: 

(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories; 

(2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and 

(3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories. 

Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions  of VEVRAA. 

Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations 
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.