Lead Planning Engineer

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Etihad Airways is seeking a lead planning engineer for the Short-Term Planning & Control team in Abu Dhabi. You will oversee the maintenance planning for the Airbus or Boeing fleets, ensuring airworthiness and operational efficiency.

You will collaborate with CAMO OpsPlanning & Control to generate schedules, forecast maintenance needs, and align plans with strategic priorities. Strong leadership and data-driven decision making are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related field.
• 7-10 years of experience in aviation maintenance planning with leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of maintenance forecasting tools, fleet management software, and aviation technologies.
• In-depth knowledge of aviation regulations surrounding maintenance and airworthiness planning.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach.
• Proven leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with COPC to create accurate, real-time maintenance schedules and daily plans.
• Identify and mitigate risks in maintenance planning to minimize disruption.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of fleet planning engineers.
• Drive continuous improvement and best practices in maintenance planning.

Skills

Leadership

Airline maintenance planning

Data-driven analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

Maintenance forecasting tools

Fleet management software

Aviation industry technologies

Job description

TheLeadPlanningEngineer at Etihad Airways is a keyleadership role within the Short-TermPlanning& Control team. Reporting to the SM Short-TermPlanning& Control, theLeadEngineer will be responsible for managing the maintenanceplanningteam for either the Airbus or Boeing fleet. This role combines technical expertise in fleet maintenance withleadership skills to oversee and optimize the maintenanceplanningprocess, ensuring both airworthiness and operational efficiency.

Accountabilities:

Operational Coordination:

Collaborate closely with CAMO OpsPlanning& Control (COPC) to create accurate, real-time maintenance schedules, forecasts, and daily plans.

Proactively identify and mitigate risks in maintenanceplanning, ensuring minimal disruption to operational schedules.

Work with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Tech Ops, and Strategic SlotPlanning, to optimize resources and capacity for scheduled maintenance activities.

Leadership & Team Management:

Lead, mentor, and manage a team of fleetplanningengineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the team, ensuring best practices in maintenanceplanningare followed.

Develop team competencies through training and professional development to ensure alignment with the company's evolving needs and technological advancements.

Fleet MaintenancePlanning:

Oversee the detailedplanningand coordination of all maintenance activities below the "C" Check level, ensuring full compliance with airworthiness requirements. Manage A-Check and LinePlanningactivities, ensuring alignment with fleet maintenance requirements, including 24-Month checks, LDG changes, weighing checks, and similar critical activities.

Ensure maintenanceplanningexcludes tasks managed under the Aircraft Maintenance Program or Mod campaigns not covered by Etihad Airways' P145 Maintenance Provider.

Leadthe synchronization of maintenance plans with operational schedules and strategic priorities, ensuring short-term tactical alignment with long-term strategic objectives.

Contribute to maintenanceplanningover different time windows (e.g., 2 years, 6 weeks, and 2 weeks), ensuring alignment with the broader business strategy.

Monitor and assess maintenance forecasting accuracy, continuously refining processes to improve performance and reliability.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in aviation maintenanceplanning, with proven experience in aleadership or team management capacity.
• Strong understanding of maintenance forecasting tools, fleet management software, and aviation industry technologies.
• In-depth knowledge of aviation regulations, especially in maintenance and airworthinessplanning.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach.
• Demonstratedleadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with a track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.

Additional Information

Etihad Airways is more than the UAE's national airline - we're shaping the future of global aviation. From our hub in Abu Dhabi, we connect people across continents and cultures, while driving our "Journey 2030" ambition to double our fleet, expand our network and grow our people for a new era of excellence. Join us and become part of a vision where the world is your workplace and extraordinary experiences take flight.