Director, Aerospace

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Formulate and implement an air transportation strategy that supports freight forwarding, expedited shipping, project cargo, and time-sensitive logistics.

• Synchronize aviation capacity planning with customer service level agreements (SLAs), commercial requirements, seasonal trends, and peak volume periods.

• Enhance scheduled air cargo operations, passenger belly capacity, block space agreements (BSAs), aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI), and charter transportation.

• Cultivate and manage relationships with airlines, charter operators, brokers, and aviation service providers.

• Negotiate airfreight contracts, BSAs, charter agreements, and ad hoc lift solutions.

• Evaluate carrier performance, reliability, costs, service quality, and regulatory compliance.

• Oversee aviation disruptions, develop recovery plans, and address service failures.

• Collaborate with operations, gateway, and customer service teams to ensure seamless air cargo execution.

• Direct charter planning and execution, which includes selecting aircraft, routing, optimizing payloads, and managing ground handling.

• Ensure adherence to aviation and air cargo regulations while overseeing security and dangerous goods programs.

• Manage aviation cost structures while supporting pricing, quoting, margin strategies, budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning.

• Work in conjunction with Procurement, Operations, Sales, Security, Compliance, and Technology teams.

• Assist in sales efforts and key customer interactions that require tailored aviation solutions.

• Lead, mentor, and manage staff; conduct meetings, performance reviews, appraisals, and disciplinary actions.

• Enhance efficiency through the use of Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools.

• Manage departmental key performance indicators (KPIs), financial objectives, budgets, invoicing, and variance policies, along with hiring, onboarding, and team development.

• Act as the senior aviation authority and liaison with regulatory bodies, carriers, and industry organizations.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is mandatory; an advanced degree is preferred.

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in aviation, air cargo, freight forwarding, or logistics.

• At least 5 years of experience in a leadership role.

• Comprehensive understanding of global air cargo operations, airline networks, and charter markets.

• Strong grasp of aviation and air cargo regulatory frameworks.

• Demonstrated experience in managing airline and charter partnerships.

• Proven commercial, financial, and analytical capabilities.

• Established track record of building relationships and earning trust with customers and vendors.

• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities in a logistics context.

• Experience in charter operations, project cargo, or time-sensitive logistics is preferred.

• Familiarity with IATA processes, air waybills, and air cargo security programs is advantageous.

• Previous leadership experience in a freight forwarding company, third-party logistics (3PL), airline cargo division, or aviation services provider is preferred.

• Aviation-related certifications or formal education in aviation are preferred.

• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office products.

• Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, multitask, communicate effectively, motivate teams, and thrive in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment.

• Capability to lead, mentor, train, and manage a diverse team.

• Demonstrated client-focused approach, integrity, adaptability, and accountability.

• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.

• Supervisory experience, along with the ability to recruit, hire, coach, conduct appraisals, and implement disciplinary actions.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive health and wellness programs.

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.

• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

• Flexible work arrangements and a supportive work environment.

• Generous paid time off and holiday policies.