Safety Management System (SMS) Delivery Lead

Air New Zealand; Auckland; On-site; NZD 130,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted travel opportunities

Learning and development opportunities

FlexiLeave — additional leave weeks

Wellbeing support and healthcare

Discounts on hotels and retail

Job summary

Air New Zealand is seeking an SMS Delivery Lead to drive the ongoing evolution of our Safety Management System. You will work with maintenance teams, safety specialists and regulators to turn insights into practical actions, improving safety performance and regulatory compliance across Aircraft Maintenance and Delivery.

You will lead programs, coach leaders, and embed lasting change while shaping a proactive safety culture for a complex, highly regulated aviation environment.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering or improving Safety Management Systems.
• Strong knowledge of aviation safety and regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to translate data into practical safety actions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery and continuous improvement of SMS initiatives.
• Embed proactive safety practices with operational leaders.
• Prioritise SMS work programmes and drive cross-functional delivery.
• Champion Human Factors and fatigue management programmes.
• Maintain relationships with regulators, auditors and assurance teams.
• Translate findings into actionable safety improvements.
• Coach leaders to strengthen safety ownership and sustainable change.

Skills

Aviation safety

Regulatory compliance

Safety data analysis

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Tertiary Aviation qualification

Job description

Kia ora!

Shape the future of aviation safety and make a lasting impact on how we maintain and deliver our aircraft.

Job Description

At Air New Zealand, safety is at the heart of everything we do. As our Safety Management System (SMS) Delivery Lead, you'll have the opportunity to influence safety performance, strengthen operational excellence and help our people deliver safe, reliable aircraft for customers travelling across Aotearoa and the world.

Based within Aircraft Maintenance and Delivery, you'll report to the Head of AKL Base Maintenance and lead the delivery and ongoing evolution of our Safety Management System. Working alongside operational leaders, safety specialists and regulatory partners, you'll turn insights into action, strengthen safety capability and embed improvements that make a real difference.

This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to one of New Zealand's most recognised brands, where your leadership will help shape safety practices across a complex and highly regulated aviation environment.

How You'll Make An Impact

• Lead the delivery and continuous improvement of SMS initiatives, strengthening safety performance and regulatory compliance across Aircraft Maintenance and Delivery
• Partner with operational leaders to embed proactive safety practices, build capability and support a positive, accountable safety culture
• Coordinate and prioritise SMS work programmes, bringing teams together to deliver meaningful and sustainable operational improvements
• Champion Human Factors and fatigue management programmes, using evidence-based approaches to reduce maintenance errors and strengthen operational safety
• Build trusted relationships with regulators, auditors and assurance teams to support effective audits, regulatory compliance and timely resolution of findings
• Translate safety data, investigation findings and emerging risks into practical actions that improve safety outcomes and operational reliability
• Coach and influence leaders and teams to strengthen safety ownership, improve decision-making and embed lasting change.

What You'll Bring

You’ll be a credible and collaborative safety professional who combines technical expertise with the ability to influence people, navigate complexity and turn strategy into practical outcomes.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

• Proven experience in aviation maintenance, MRO, operational safety or an equivalent complex, regulated operational environment
• Strong working knowledge of the CAANZ regulatory framework, particularly Parts 100, 145, 43, 66, 147 and 119
• Experience delivering or improving Safety Management Systems, regulatory compliance or operational safety programmes
• The ability to build trusted relationships, influence senior stakeholders and support teams through change
• Strong analytical skills, with experience using safety data, investigations and risk insights to identify opportunities for improvement
• Experience coordinating cross-functional programmes, projects or continuous improvement initiatives
• A tertiary qualification in Aviation, Aircraft Maintenance or a related discipline is preferred. Experience in Human Factors, adult learning, investigation or auditing would be an advantage.

If you bring most of this experience, along with transferable skills and the drive to grow, we’d love to hear from you.

Why join Air New Zealand?

We want our people to live their best lives, with benefits that support their wellbeing, development and time outside work.

• Enjoy generous discounted travel opportunities for you, your friends and whānau
• Access learning and development opportunities that help you grow your expertise and leadership capability
• Purchase up to four additional weeks of leave each year through FlexiLeave
• Access wellbeing support, employee assistance services and healthcare options
• Enjoy a range of discounts on hotels, activities, retail and other everyday essentials.

Ready for take-off?

If you're motivated by the opportunity to influence aviation safety, lead meaningful change and help our people deliver their best, we’d love to hear from you.

Bring your expertise, fresh thinking and passion for continuous improvement to Air New Zealand, and help shape a safer, stronger future for Aircraft Maintenance and Delivery.

Applications close Sunday 22nd November 2026.

Additional Information

At Air New Zealand, we are proudly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and believe in creating a truly inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. Our people are our greatest asset – because while everything else we do in our operation can be replicated by our competitors, it is our people that truly set us apart. We are firm believers in celebrating the differences and diversity of thought our people bring to their roles.

Whāia te pae tawhiti kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua, kia tina.

"Seek to bring distant horizons closer. Once near, seize them and make them your reality."