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The Director of Operations Communications is part of Global Engagement, a dynamic and collaborative team that helps shape the companys actions, along with its engagement with internal and external stakeholders, to help build and protect the American Airlines brand and its reputation. This role creates and maintains relationships between team members and American Airlines leadership, influences the evolving corporate culture, advances the business strategy — both internally and externally — and works closely with members of the media. This position will report into Global Engagement, but will have strong dotted line ties to senior leaders who lead the daily operation of the airline. The right person for this job must be able to work in a high-pressure environment with tight deadlines for real-time issues management. This individual must be able to tailor communications to different audiences in the ways that matter most to our team members, customers, media and the general public. Importantly, this individual should have experience with and a passion for leading teams.

Specifically, this individual will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and leaders in Airport Operations, including in-spanet hub leaders, as well as Technical Operations (Maintenance, Engineering and Supply Chain) and Contact Centers.

As noted above, this list is intended to reflect the current job but there may be additional essential functions (and certainly non-essential job functions) that are not referenced. Management will modify the job or require other tasks be performed whenever it is deemed appropriate to do so, observing, of course, any legal obligations including any collective bargaining obligations.

• Lead a team to develop and execute communications strategies around highly volatile and fast-moving issues with tight deadlines. This includes working on real-time operational issues with American Airlines leadership.
• Lead a team through rapid communications response throughout the airline, including creating and developing internal and external communication plans.
• Provide strategic leadership support of the Airport and Contact Centers Operations and Technical Operations Communications teams which are charged with executing and driving various strategic communications efforts that inform, educate, engage and align the frontline team members in each group, as well as the leaders who support them.
• Provide strategic leadership support of the Domestic Field Communications team, which leads in-spanet storytelling and helps manage issues response in a fast-paced environment across the airline’s domestic network. This team builds and executes on forward-looking, strategic in-spanet communications plans that tell American’s story in the media and through internal channels relative to each unique domestic spanet, while maintaining a cohesive communications plan nationwide.
• Drive compelling business education campaigns that help all team members and the general public — along with the media — understand important operational business decisions.
• Develop and execute creative plans for educating and engaging team members about key corporate initiatives, focusing on how these initiatives affect them and their day-to-day job.
• Work with the media to educate them on American Airlines operations, keeping all key stakeholders informed and updated. This includes developing and maintaining important relationships with key aviation reporters, handling media on site at events and acting as an on-the-record spokesperson.
• Work closely with senior leaders and departments throughout the airline to provide strategic counsel and quickly mitigate issues.
• Uphold the integrity of the Global Engagement division by developing and maintaining strong relationships between Global Engagement and operational leaders across the system, as well as with other workgroups within the organization.
• Identify proactive external media opportunities for the airline and assume media “on call” duties.
• Lead a team of other operational communicators who are charged with telling Americans operational story and fiercely defending its reputation.

Minimum Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience

• Bachelors degree in communications or relevant field, or equivalent experience/training
• 10+ years relevant work experience in communications in a corporate, agency or newsroom setting (or related field)
• 7 years of progressive leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications – Education & Prior Job Experience

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working as a reporter or journalist or in corporate communications or media relations for a large, multi-national organization is a plus
• Excellent organizational and project management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to lead tasks, manage processes, analyze and problem-solve, work independently as well as in a group
• Experience providing strategic counsel to senior leaders.
• Previous experience guiding internal and external partners, connecting workgroups and teams to ensure strategies and impacts are clearly understood
• Experience leading teams and developing their careers with care

Skills, Licenses, and Certifications

• Demonstrates the highest standards of ethics and integrity
• Relentlessly hardworking, with a passion for and ability to thrive in a 24/7 environment
• Excels at juggling multiple projects at one time
• Writes like a pro and manages media with ease
• Thinks critically and exhibits a “no surprises” and “no stone left unturned” mentality
• Collaborates effectively with other department leadership
• Strong analytical skills, quantitative ability, solution and detail-oriented
• High level of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential information
• Strong team player with ability to work successfully at all levels of the organization

Feel free to take advantage of all that American Airlines has to offer:

• Travel Perks: Ready to explore the world? You, your family and your friends can reach 365 destinations on more than 6,800 daily flights across our global network.
• Health Benefits: On day one, you’ll have access to your health, dental, prescription and vision benefits to help you stay well. And that’s just the start, we also offer virtual doctor visits, flexible spending accounts and more.
• Wellness Programs: We want you to be the best version of yourself – that’s why our wellness programs provide you with all the right tools, resources and support you need.
• 401(k) Program: Available upon hire and, depending on the workgroup, employer contributions to your 401(k) program are available after one year.
• Additional Benefits: Other great benefits include our Employee Assistance Program, pet insurance and discounts on hotels, cars, cruises and more

From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of the dynamic workforce at American Airlines. Our 20+ Employee Business Resource Groups are focused on connecting our team members to our customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders, helping team members reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment to meet and exceed the needs of our diverse world.

Are you ready to feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly as we care for people on life’s journey? Feel free to be yourself at American.