Title:  Director Operational Safety & SMS

Position Summary 

The Director Operational Safety & SMS partners with the Vice President Safety and Regulatory Compliance to develop and execute the JetBlue Safety program. The Director is the principle point of contact for safety matters relating to flight operations. The Director is also responsible for developing JetBlue’s Safety Management System and promoting safe actions in order to prevent personal injury and property losses resulting from accidents and incidents. 

The Director Operational Safety & SMS is a key member of the Safety team that is dedicated to leading safety and quality improvements at JetBlue. The Director thrives when working on complex, detail-oriented projects that result in concrete outcomes and is skilled at using appropriate interpersonal styles to gain acceptance of ideas or plans. The Director is comfortable maintaining a public profile, enjoys interacting daily with people at different levels within and outside of the organization, and is an effective leader whose personal values match JetBlue’s Values of Safety, Caring, Integrity, Passion, and Fun. 

Essential Responsibilities 

• Identify and recall JetBlue’s Safety Management System (SMS), Safety Policy, Security Policy and behavioral standards 

• Perform the duties as the FAR 119 Director of Safety and act as a liaison with the FAA and other external agencies on safety related issues  

• Develop and/or oversee the execution of the Flight, Maintenance, Inflight, Airports and System Operations Safety strategy while ensuring compliance with government regulations  

• Design and direct the activities of the Operational Safety & SMS teams, including flight related investigations to promote a safety culture  

• Oversee safety related programs including, but not limited to, the Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA)/Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP), Safety Management System (SMS), Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), Regulatory Compliance, and Quality Management  

• Interact frequently with other departments leadership to ensure follow-through and completion of milestones related to ad-hoc or long-term safety related projects 

• Partner with Operational Leadership to ensure operations are conducted without unnecessary safety risk and/or security threat to people and/or property (including identifying trends and making recommendations to Leadership)  

• Facilitate the Risk Working Groups which partners with other departments to establish and support processes that identify/mitigate risk   

• Monitor JetBlue University and JetBlue’s Operational Workgroup training programs to ensure safe operations 

• Act on behalf of the Vice President of Safety, as needed 

• Liaise with other functional departments and Crewleaders to ensure safety programs are integrated into day-to-day operations as required by the JetBlue SMS  

• Develop and manage departmental financial plan and annual budget 

• Take a significant role in the development of crewmembers to support their engagement, growth, goal achievement and development of their succession plan and for the department  

• In the event of an accident or significant incident, leads the JetBlue Airways Accident Investigation Team as the AIT Section Leader and serves as the NTSB party coordinator. 

• Ensure the management of safety risks and security threats to aircraft operations 

• Ensure Operations are conducted in accordance with conditions and restrictions of the Air Operator Certificate (AOC), and in compliance with applicable regulations and standards of the Operator 

• Will maintain qualification as per FAR 119.65(a) 

• Other duties as assigned 

Minimum Experience and Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree; OR demonstrated capability to perform job responsibilities with a High School Diploma/GED and at least four (4) years of previous relevant work experience 

• Seven (7) years’ experience in an aviation administration function dealing with safety matters 

• Three (3) years of supervisory experience in one of the following roles: 

• Part 121 or a scheduled part 135 air carrier  

• United States Military aviation operation 

• United States Government department, board, or agency that deals directly with aviation matters 

• Available for moderate overnight travel (40%)  

• Currently in possession of a valid Passport with the ability to travel in and out of the United States   

• Available after hours via Company issued telephone and for emergency response   

• Able to pass a pre-employment drug test 

• Legally eligible to work in the country in which the position is located 

Preferred Experience and Qualifications 

• Valid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification 

• Qualify and remain current as a JetBlue Pilot, including flying the line a minimum of 2 days/ 4 segments per month to monitor flight operations, training, and performance firsthand 

• Two years’ experience as a Manager or Director of an aviation centric Quality Management System (QMS) 

• Received formal flight safety training from a recognizable entity 

• Knowledge of Sabre  

• Knowledge experience of an ASQ or IOSA audit process 

• Knowledge and experience with implementation of SMS  

• Knowledge of all areas of airline maintenance, flight operations, ground operations and regulations governing commercial aviation  

• Knowledge of external agencies (including FAA, NTSB, ICAO, EASA, etc)  

• Participating/familiar in external safety committees and organizations (including FSF, IASA, A4A, IATA, ALPA, IFALPA, RAeS) 

• Leading a safety related meeting, including planning, action planning, and follow-up 

• Making a presentation to senior leadership   

• Leading a team of remote crewmembers  

• Leading an investigative team  

• Demonstrating ability to act as a Safety Ambassador for the organization, both internally and externally 

• Demonstrating knowledge of risk management principles and root cause analysis  

• Managing a safety cross-functional project team 

• Managing a safety program with a focus on continuous improvement  

Crewmember Expectations:  

• Regular attendance and punctuality  

• Flexibility to report to work at either LSC or OSC to attend meetings and manage effectively both Crewmembers and Leadership expectations  

• Potential need to work flexible hours and be available to respond on short notice 

• Able to maintain a professional appearance 

• When working or traveling on JetBlue flights, and if time permits, all capable crewmembers are asked to assist with light cleaning of the aircraft 

• Must be an appropriate organizational fit for the JetBlue culture, that is, exhibit the JetBlue values of Safety, Caring, Integrity, Passion and Fun  

• Must fulfill safety accountabilities as prescribed by JetBlue’s Safety Management System  

• Promote JetBlue’s #1 value of safety as a Safety Ambassador, supporting JetBlue’s Safety Management System (SMS) components, Safety Policy and behavioral standards  

• Identify safety and/or security concerns, issues, incidents or hazards that should be reported and report them whenever possible and by any means necessary including JetBlue’s confidential reporting systems (Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) or Safety Action Report (SAR))  

• Responsible for adhering to all applicable laws, regulations (FAA, OSHA, DOT, etc.) and company policies, procedures and risk controls  

• Ensure adherence to all Safety and Security regulations  

• Uphold JetBlue’s safety performance metric goals and understand how they relate to their duties and responsibilities  

Equipment:  

• Computer and other office equipment 

Work Environment:  

• Normal office environment 

• Cockpit, simulator, and ramp exposure per FAA required Pilot duties 

• Available for on call duties as needed 

• Onsite accident investigations may require strenuous physical activity in hazardous and rugged environments 

Physical Effort:   

• Generally not required, or up to 10 pounds occasionally, 0 pounds frequently. (Sedentary) 

Compensation:   

• The base pay range for this position is between $150,000 and $175,000 per year. Base pay is one component of JetBlue’s total compensation package, which may also include performance bonuses, restricted stock units, as well as access to healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan and company match, crewmember stock purchase plan, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, free space available travel on JetBlue, and more.