Aviation Operations Manager Jobs in Alaska (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking an experienced Organizational Design and Change Management expert to support a large-scale, high-visibility federal modernization program. This role leads structural and strategic analysis to strengthen change management planning across a complex, multi-stakeholder program environment. This is a strategic diagnostic role: someone who can look beneath surface-level adoption challenges and identify the organizational structures, decision-making dynamics, and incentive systems that drive real, lasting change. 

The ideal candidate can take a complex organizational challenge and methodically unpack it, layer by layer, almost like a political economy analysis: understanding where decision authority truly sits, where incentives may be misaligned with stated goals, and where structural clarity, rather than individual effort alone, is the key to successful adoption. This is strategic work that combines organizational design expertise, strong metrics ability, and skilled facilitation to turn insight into actionable change strategy. Success in this role also requires emotional intelligence, intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to build trust across organizations with competing priorities. The candidate must be comfortable operating in ambiguity, listening for unstated concerns, and constructively challenging assumptions while maintaining productive relationships. 

Given the nature of this program, candidates who bring direct, on-the-ground experience within Alaska's aviation environment, whether through FAA, state government, Alaska Native organizations, or rural aviation operations, are especially encouraged to apply. That regional depth, paired with the strategic skill set above, is a particularly strong fit for this role. 

*Location Requirement: The ideal candidate is currently based in Alaska and brings established working relationships with Alaskan aviation, government, community, and other relevant stakeholders. This position does not include relocation assistance; therefore, preference will be given to candidates who already reside in Alaska and can immediately leverage local knowledge and stakeholder networks. The role also requires flexibility to work outside standard business hours as needed to coordinate effectively across Alaska and East Coast time zones. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Conduct structural and organizational diagnostics to identify factors affecting adoption of new systems, processes, and ways of working 

• Design and lead facilitated sessions, including focus groups and structured workshops, to surface root-cause organizational insights that inform change strategy 

• Develop and maintain metrics frameworks that track organizational health, adoption progress, and change effectiveness over time 

• Translate diagnostic findings into clear, actionable change management strategies and recommendations for program and organizational leadership 

• Partner with cross-functional and multi-organizational teams to clarify roles, decision rights, and accountability in support of successful change adoption 

• Design organizational structures, governance models, or operating models that support a scalable, repeatable approach to change management 

• Present findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders in a clear, constructive, and solutions-oriented manner 

• Collaborate closely with human factors, behavioral science, and broader organizational change management colleagues to ensure a coordinated, integrated change strategy 

• Build tools and frameworks that make organizational diagnosis and change strategy development repeatable and consistent 

• Monitor early indicators of organizational or structural risk to proactively inform change interventions 

• Apply active listening, thoughtful questioning, and situational awareness to identify unstated concerns, competing perspectives, and underlying organizational dynamics 

• Build trusted working relationships across leadership, technical, operational, and change management stakeholders 

• Navigate disagreement and competing priorities with diplomacy, objectivity, and a solutions-oriented mindset 

• Adapt methods and recommendations as stakeholder needs, program conditions, and organizational priorities evolve 

Required Qualifications 

• Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen and able to obtain a Public Trust Clearance and FAA Suitability determination. In addition to other standard background factors, this process includes a thorough and rigorous review of financial history and credit standing.  

• Candidates must meet one of the following three qualification pathways: 

• Advanced Degree Pathway: A Master's degree in Organizational Development, Public Administration, Business Administration, Aviation Management, Political Economy, or a related field, together with at least 10 years of relevant professional experience in in organizational design, organizational development, change management strategy, or institutional analysis within large, complex programs. 

• Bachelor's Degree Pathway: A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, together with at least 12 years of progressively responsible, professionally relevant experience in in organizational design, organizational development, change management strategy, or institutional analysis within large, complex programs. 

• Specialized Experience Pathway: An equivalent combination of education and at least 12 years of demonstrated specialized experience, in lieu of a directly relevant degree. Relevant specialized experience must demonstrate substantial knowledge of Alaska's aviation environment and include experience with some of the following: 

• FAA Flight Service 

• FAA Flight Standards