Director, Materials Strategy

Delta Air Lines, Inc.; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Delta Air Lines, Inc. seeks a Director of Materials Strategy to lead the long-term vision for the Materials organization within Technical Operations.

You will oversee inventory management, planning, material availability, and supply chain performance while driving innovation through analytics, automation, and emerging technologies. The role requires building a high-performing leadership team, advancing capabilities, and shaping talent strategy to sustain reliability, efficiency, and working

Qualifications

• Deep aviation materials and supply chain expertise.
• Strong analytics and leadership capabilities.
• Experience with Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement.
• Ability to develop multi-year strategic roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term Materials strategy aligned with operations and growth objectives.
• Lead inventory strategy, demand planning, material readiness, and supplier performance.
• Champion advanced analytics, AI, automation and digital technologies.
• Build and lead a multi-layered organization with succession planning.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain and Finance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Data analytics

Inventory management

Supply chain

Lean Six Sigma

AI / automation

Job description

The Director, Materials Strategy, is a critical leader within Technical Operations responsible for defining and executing the long-term vision for the Materials organization. This leader oversees inventory management, materials planning, material availability, and supply chain performance while driving innovation through advanced analytics, process optimization, automation, and emerging technologies that enhance reliability, efficiency and working capital performance.

Reporting to the Managing Director, Component Operations, the Director serves as a senior functional expert and transformational leader responsible for advancing the Materials organization’s strategy, performance, and long-term capabilities. The role leads a complex, multi-layered organization through general managers and managers, building a high-performing leadership team, strengthening succession readiness, and developing the next generation of Materials and Supply Chain talent.

Success in this role requires deep aviation materials and supply chain expertise, coupled with a forward-looking mindset that leverages data, advanced analytics, AI, automation, and digital technologies to enhance material availability, optimize inventory investment, improve operational reliability, and drive sustained business performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the long-term Materials strategy aligned with Technical Operations’ operational, financial, customer, and growth objectives.
• Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert for aviation materials, inventory optimization, demand planning, and material availability.
• Build a multi-year roadmap that supports future fleet, maintenance, and MRO growth.
• Identify emerging industry trends, technologies, and best practices to drive innovation, strengthen supply chain resilience, and sustain competitive advantage.

Operational Excellence

• Lead enterprise inventory strategy, demand planning, material readiness, supplier performance, and strategic supplier partnerships to ensure operational reliability and supply chain effectiveness.
• Ensure the right material is available at the right time, in the right location, balancing service, reliability and working capital objectives.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma and champion continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish and govern performance metrics that drive accountability and continuous improvement across service, reliability, inventory productivity, quality, cost efficiency, and operational effectiveness.

Data Analytics & Technology Leadership

• Champion advanced analytics, AI, machine learning, and digital technologies to improve decisions and outcomes.
• Partner with Technology, Engineering, Maintenance, Commercial, Logistics, and Finance to enable predictive decision making.
• Develop dashboards, KPIs, and tools that provide actionable insights.
• Lead modernization that simplifies processes, increases automation, and improves user experience.

Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Lead a large, multi-layered organization through direct reports and second-level leaders, creating alignment, accountability, and focus on strategic and operational priorities.
• Build a robust leadership pipeline and succession bench to ensure organizational readiness, leadership continuity, and long-term business success.
• Develop high-performing leaders who effectively balance operational execution, strategic thinking, innovation, and people leadership
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner across Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Technology, Operations Planning, and Commercial.
• Influence decisions across organizational boundaries and create alignment around enterprise priorities.
• Communicate effectively with frontline employees, senior leaders, and executive stakeholders.