Associate Project Manager - UAX Fleet

United Airlines; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 82,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Disability

Parental leave

Employee assistance program

Commuter benefits

Paid holidays

Paid time off

401(k)

Flight privileges

Job summary

United Airlines seeks an Associate Project Manager - UAX Fleet to lead end-to-end aircraft modification and fleet enhancement initiatives, partnering with engineering, maintenance, airlines, vendors, and internal stakeholders to deliver complex projects on time and within budget.

The role translates technical requirements into executable timelines, maintains schedules and RAID logs, and ensures FAA compliance while preparing executive updates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Aviation, Management, or equivalent field.
• 2+ years in aviation or technical project management or related areas.
• Experience delivering projects with established PM practices.
• Experience creating presentations for senior leadership.
• Ability to translate technical data into business timelines.
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel.
• Independent problem solving and data-driven solutions.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Interview process required; reliable attendance.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end aircraft modification and fleet enhancement projects.
• Develop and maintain project plans, RAID logs, and change control.
• Coordinate across partner airlines, maintenance facilities, engineering, vendors, and internal teams.
• Monitor budgets, vendor invoices, and cost performance with recommendations.
• Prepare executive status reports and project updates with risks and resource needs.
• Support contract activities including SOWs and vendor management.
• Translate technical requirements into executable timelines while supporting FAA compliance.
• Provide flexible support across fleet programs and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Project management

Aviation knowledge

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Aviation, or Management

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network. Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

About the Job

The Associate Project Manager - UAX Fleet is a pivotal cross-functional role within the United Express organization responsible for managing the end-to-end execution of aircraft modification and fleet enhancement initiatives. This position partners with engineering teams, maintenance providers, airline partners, vendors, and internal stakeholders to deliver complex projects that improve the customer experience while minimizing aircraft downtime and operational disruption. The successful candidate combines strong project management discipline, technical aptitude, financial oversight, and stakeholder management skills to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Core Accountabilities

• Lead the planning and execution of aircraft modification and fleet enhancement projects from project initiation through implementation.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, RAID logs, and change control processes to effectively manage scope, budget, schedules, and dependencies.
• Coordinate activities across partner airlines, maintenance facilities, engineering teams, vendors, procurement, and internal stakeholders to ensure project success.
• Monitor project budgets, vendor invoices, and cost performance while providing recommendations to address variances and maintain financial objectives.
• Prepare executive status reports, steering committee materials, and project updates that clearly communicate progress, risks, mitigation plans, and resource requirements.
• Support contract-related activities including Statements of Work (SOWs), service agreements, procurement coordination, and vendor management.
• Translate technical requirements, engineering data, service bulletins, and modification documentation into executable project timelines while supporting FAA compliance activities.
• Provide flexible support across fleet programs, prototype installations, and other strategic operational initiatives as business needs evolve.

NOTE: This position provides a hybrid work arrangement including approximately 50% of the time spent working onsite at our Chicago office location and remotely.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Aviation, Management or equivalent technical/quantitative discipline
• 2+ years of experience in aviation, technical project management, engineering, operations management, or a related field
• Demonstrated success delivering projects using established project management methodologies and practices
• Experience creating presentations and communicating analytical findings to senior leadership
• Ability to interpret technical engineering data and drawings, to translate them into business-focused project plans and timelines
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel
• Ability to work independently, identify process gaps, and develop data-driven solutions
• Strong communication, collaboration, organizational, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to travel up to 25%, including visits to maintenance facilities, vendors, and partner airline locations
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• Demonstrates an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of generative AI tools and effectively leverages them to support research, analysis, content creation and problem solving. Apply critical thinking to validate AI-generated outputs while adhering to organizational policies for responsible AI use, data privacy and security.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Aviation, Management, or a related technical or quantitative discipline
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or comparable project management or process improvement certification
• Experience within the airline or aviation industry
• Experience supporting commercial aviation fleet modifications, MRO organizations, or airline Technical Operations teams
• Knowledge of United Express operations and regional airline networks
• Foundational understanding of aircraft modification certification requirements and FAA STC processes
• Experience developing dashboards, applications, or automated reporting solutions
• Knowledge of airline maintenance planning, engineering, supply chain, or operational performance metrics

The base pay range for this role is $81,795.00 to $106,602.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits:

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life
• accident & disability
• parental leave
• employee assistance program
• commuter
• paid holidays
• paid time off
• 401(k)
• flight privileges

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]