Manager, Pairing Optimization at Air Canada

Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.

The Manager, Pairing Optimization reports directly to the Director Crew Planning and is responsible for the oversight and production of crew pairings for pilots and flight attendants. This position is also responsible for leadership and management of a team of Pairing Optimization Analysts and System Pairing Analysts. The oversight of this team includes evaluating options and executing plans for crew pairing construction that meet contractual requirements, address safety, maximize productivity and achieve sustainable efficiencies while fully supporting the operation of the airline. This position will build and maintain SOPs related to crew pairings and employ performance data to detect, enact and monitor opportunities for cost, quality and process improvements. In addition, this position will also lead business enhancements and/or assist in development and evaluation and testing of software enhancements. This accountability is also extended to support requirements for Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Cargo.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage the complete production, distribution and integrity of the pilot and flight attendant pairings conjunction with Department, Branch and Commercial objectives. Responsible for ensuring adequate timelines are met in delivering crew pairings that also meet monthly crew planning and schedule generation cycles.
• Proactively monitor and address short and mid term corporate schedule revisions with respect to crew pairings. Provide feedback of opportunities or limitations to crew productivity, the blocking process, and related efficiencies based on schedule changes.
• Optimize safety and regulatory compliance by ensuring the Canadian Aviation Regulations and both the ACPA and CUPE collective agreements are implemented and followed in all aspects of pairing construction.
• Oversight and report pairing related issues related to monthly schedules such as operational delays, fatigue reports, CARs violations, Voyage reports, Crewcare reports, etc. and implement corrective actions where required.
• Ensure that Flight Training pairings are optimized efficiently via collaboration with the training department for Pilots in training.
• Evaluate and analyze crewing solutions, and alternatives, to prospective Commercial plans and ventures including costings and final recommendations inclusive of opportunities for productivity improvements supporting corporate and branch objectives.
• Manage pairing optimization software changes and enhancements where necessary with both the software vendors and IBM/IT. Pursue and evaluate new methods (automation) of constructing crew pairings and the monthly crew planning cycle on a continual basis and make recommendations. Lead benchmark and continuous improvement exercises where required.
• Seek out opportunities for increased efficiencies and potential process improvements within pairing development, block awarding, flight training, and crew scheduling as related to the total crewing solution.
• Collaborate with the Crew Accommodations team to ensure crew hotels, transportation, meals and per diems are planned and optimized within crew pairings, balancing costs with operational robustness.
• Conduct regular meetings with Flight Operations and In-Flight Service business units as applicable to provide insight on crew pairings related trends, performance measures, opportunities and potential issues.
• Participate in formal Company / Union committees where pairings and/or monthly schedules play a role and maintain a formal dialogue with CUPE and ACPA regarding crew pairing construction.
• Analyze and provide data to determine optimal crew base populations through pairing solutions and develop adjustment plans when required.
• Contribute to IFS and FOPs budget and outlook process by assessing and providing pairing assumptions. Develop and actively track actual pairing metrics and constraints to improve assumptions in future budget or outlook activities.
• Communicate effectively with the departments that have direct input to crew pairings data including PBS, Flight Training (OE, SIM and IOE Planning), Crew Scheduling, Crew Planning, Crew Resource Planning and Crew Optimization.
• Provide for development, guidance and counseling of Crew Pairing Optimization Analysts and System Pairing Analysts.
  
  

Safety And Regulatory Responsibilities

• Maintain safety as first topic day to day (production and administration).
• Assume any responsibilities delegated by the Director, Crew Planning.
• In person’s absence, all responsibilities for duties are delegated to another qualified individual
  
  

Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant field of study (aviation management, engineering, business, finance)
• Two years experience in Crew Resources, Flight Operations and/or In-Flight Service area
• Strong inter-personal skills, teamwork, and team building skills, and leadership capabilities.
• Related experience with Pilot and/or Cabin Crew pairing design and/or schedule generation. Experience with optimizing software, Netline Crew or other Crew tracking systems is an asset.
• Analytical and applied logic background with experience using operational, financial reporting, data querying and modelling tools and software such as Netline, Forum, Jeppesen Crew Planning tools, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio, Project), SQL, Python, RAVE.
• Creative problem solver who thinks strategically, is results oriented and attentive to details.
• Ideal candidate will be comfortable with advanced problem solving, be self-motivated, have the ability to multi-task, and work effectively in an unstructured environment.
• Ability to negotiate and communicate effectively and professionally with all levels of management.
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to explain complex subjects to others with limited knowledge of processes.
• Ability to understand financial implication of operational decisions and develop cost-benefit studies.
• In-depth knowledge of the Air Canada/ACPA and Air Canada/CUPE Collective Agreements as it relates to crew pairing, schedule generation.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills required for the interaction with the Pilot and Flight Attendant Association, flight crews and other branches (Finance, Training and Crew Scheduling)
• Proven ability to delegate workload and meet tight deadlines.
• Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.
  
  

Conditions Of Employment

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest, at the time any offer of employment is made and seeking any required work permits/visas or other authorizations which may be required is the sole responsibility of the candidates applying for this position.

Linguistic Requirements

Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.