Director of Propulsion Engineering

Company

Horizon Air

The Team

Our M&E team has earned the FAA’s prestigious Diamond Award for almost 20 consecutive years -- the only major carrier to receive the award for as many years, and the most of any airline. From our parts warehouse to the maintenance hangar, our Ready, SAFE, Go; mindset prioritizes safety in all that we do -- for our guests and coworkers. If you share our values to safety and excellence, we want to hear from you. 

Role Summary

The Director Propulsion Engineering sets the long-term strategy and oversees the financial performance of the propulsion product suite at Horizon Air. As a senior technical leader, this role establishes strategic goals and direction for a team, and influences cross-divisionally to maintain configuration, champion and execute on alterations/repairs/reliability initiatives, manage the repair cycle and related contracts, develop and make recommendations to manage risk, oversee maintainability and safety initiatives, and be the person accountable for budget forecasting and execution on all propulsion-related products in the Horizon Air fleet.

Key Duties

• Establish strategic goals and direction for a team of engineers and cross-divisionally with Strategic Sourcing, Flight Operations, and Materiel.
• Set the Propulsion team’s long-term strategy for systems and components.
• Make decisions for Materiel, Strategic Sourcing, and Engineering departments related to contracts, repair specifications, repair sourcing, vendor management, and vendor sourcing.
• Develop people through effective performance management and ongoing feedback, focusing on fostering strategic and systems thinking across team and department.
• Shape the culture of the team through action, presence, and reinforcement of behaviors.
• Responsible and accountable for budget forecasting based on unscheduled and scheduled removals planning.
• Develop a risk-based approach to forecasting fleet performance.
• Accountable to the Maintenance and Engineering teams, up to and including the Vice President Maintenance & Engineering, for executable instructions for continuing airworthiness.
• Monitor repairs, repairs contracts, technical execution of such contracts, and the budget development for such contracts.
• Responsible for the Propulsion Management Internal Procedure Manual and related propulsion system programs, and the propulsion systems maintenance program.
• Develop and maintain all Propulsion-related build specifications.

Job-Specific Experience, Education & Skills

Required

• 7 years of experience with powerplant or propulsion system engineering.
• 4 years of leadership experience, with at least 2 of those years directly leading people.
• A Bachelor of Arts or Science degree, or an additional 2 years of training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Minimum 2 years of experience with contracts and contract development.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to create collaborative relationships that drive outcomes in the best interest of the company with others in the organization and key external business partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, influencing and motivational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to present information and effectively communicate in front of varying audiences.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Preferred

• Experience with Pratt and Whitney Canada products and technical product support.
• Experience with General Electric gas turbine powerplant products and technical product support.
• Prior experience with Engine Condition Monitoring.
• Direct maintenance experience with powerplant systems.

Job-Specific Leadership Expectations

Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.

Starting Rate

Salary Range

$147,200 - $228,150 / year

Bonus

Salary Details

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/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/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. 

Total Rewards

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian 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, Hawaiian 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/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.

Airport SIDA Badge Requirements

Important notification for employees working at an airport or maintenance hangar: Employees will be required to obtain a SIDA badge provided by the airport authority and maintain good standing in order to keep their SIDA badge. Review the SIDA Badge Requirements document for a comprehensive overview. If an employee does not qualify for a SIDA badge or has their SIDA badge pulled from them, the employee will be terminated. 

 

Regulatory Information

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement  

It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian 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, Hawaiian 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, Hawaiian 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/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn. 

Apply by 7:00 PM Pacific Time on

10/18/2025

FLSA Status

Exempt

Employment Type

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Requisition Type

Management

Location

Portland, OR - OPS Building

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