Safety Investigations Program Director

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, 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 Safety Investigations Program Director drives the safety investigation strategy, governance, and execution for Alaska Air Group. This role leads the development, implementation, and continuous advancement of investigation policies, procedures, and tools that support a high-reliability safety culture. As a highly specialized individual contributor, the Director collaborates closely with senior leaders in Air and Ground Safety, as well as cross-functional operational stakeholders, to ensure all safety investigations are executed with rigor, consistency, and in alignment with regulatory standards and internal expectations. Through strategic oversight and subject matter leadership, this role ensures the organization’s investigative capability drives meaningful risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and continuous operational learning. 

• Lead the strategic design, implementation, and continuous optimization of the organization’s safety investigation framework, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and enterprise-wide safety objectives for both safety-led and division-led investigations, while developing and executing a 12–24 month roadmap to enhance investigative capabilities, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and embed a proactive safety culture.
• Provide oversight of all operational safety investigations, including incidents, accidents, and events involving aircraft, ground operations, and flight crews—ensuring thorough, timely, and compliant execution in accordance with FAA, NTSB, and internal standards. Support the development and enhancement of the organization’s Safety Management System (SMS), including data analysis, trend identification, and risk mitigation.
• Drive the evolution of the organization’s Safety Management System (SMS) by leveraging advanced data analytics, trend monitoring, and risk modeling to inform proactive risk mitigation strategies. 
• Foster cross-functional alignment by partnering with Legal, Operations, HR, and Risk Management to ensure investigations are comprehensive, legally sound, and support organizational resilience.
• Work closely with Safety leadership to oversee the implementation and sustainability of corrective and preventive actions, ensuring they address root causes and deliver measurable safety improvements.
• Influence a proactive and transparent safety culture across the organization.  

Required  

• 10 years of progressive experience in safety, compliance, and technical airline operations, with a proven track record of driving operational excellence and regulatory adherence in complex aviation environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Safety, Aeronautical Science, Engineering, or related field or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Effective communication skills (e.g., verbal, written, and listening) for all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Detailed oriented and highly organized, with ability to multi-task and work independently with limited guidance in a fast-paced environment.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. 

Preferred 

• Aviation safety experience.
• In depth knowledge of safety regulations, industry standards and best practices.
• Familiarity with aviation SMS frameworks, ASAP, FOQA, LOSA, and safety risk management (SRM). 

• Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be kind-hearted, deliver performance, and be remarkable.
• Create a culture where all employees feel safe and they belong. 

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/Horizon employees. Alaska/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 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 & 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
• Quarterly and annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off 

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

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement  
It is the policy of Alaska 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 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 & 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/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.