Intern Ops Strat & Anlytcs (Summer 2027)

United Airlines; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Flight privileges

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

United Airlines invites motivated undergraduates and graduates to join its Operations Strategy & Analytics team as a 6-month internship. You will work on predictive models to optimize aircraft operations, collaborating with cross-functional teams and applying data science methods to real-world problems.

The program emphasizes hands-on experience, exposure to industry leaders, and opportunities to engage with employee groups and conferences while developing your professional skill set.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in a quantitative field such as data science, CS, math or statistics.
• 2+ years of coursework or experience in data science, ML, optimization or analytics.
• Experience designing data structures for large-scale models.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.
• Proficiency with SQL, Python or R and ability to work cross-functionally.
• Familiarity with large-scale data processing and model deployment concepts.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with domain experts to understand business challenges and opportunities.
• Perform data mining, cleaning and feature engineering for modeling.
• Develop ML or analytics solutions to drive actionable insights.
• Communicate findings clearly to non-technical partners.
• Stay updated on industry trends and analytics best practices.

Skills

SQL

Python

R

Data analysis

Machine learning basics

Education

Undergraduate or graduate student in data science / CS / math

2+ years of experience or schooling in data science / ML / statistics

Tools

Palantir Foundry

Job 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.

Description

At United, we offer internships, co-ops, and full-time opportunities for early career professionals. In any role, you're a key member of our team, contributing to real projects that help move the business forward while gaining hands-on experience, growing your professional skill set, and connecting with industry leaders. You'll also have a chance to build community through our employee-run Business Resource Groups, participate in industry conferences, and enjoy unlimited standby travel anywhere we fly.

The Operations Strategy & Analytics team collaborates with cross-functional teams such as Aircraft Technical Operations, Network Operations and Network Planning to design, develop and maintain predictive models that drive actionable insights and optimize various aspects of our airline operations with an emphasis on Aircraft Technical Operations performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Responsibilities for Operations Strategy & Analytics include:

• Engage with domain experts to understand business challenges, identify data-driven opportunities, and enhance decision-making and operational efficiency in the intersection of Aircraft Technical Operations and Network Operation Center business process.
• Conduct data mining, data cleaning, and feature engineering to ensure high-quality datasets for analysis and modeling, in order to reduce unplanned out of service aircraft or improve throughput or mitigate risk for Aircraft Technical Operations.
• Develop state-of-the-art models (e.g. machine learning, statistics or optimization) models and advanced analytics solutions to create actionable business insights for better future operational outcomes to enable data-driven decision making within demand, supply and buffers as it relates to Aircraft Technical Operations performance
• Effectively communicate complex data insights and model results to non-technical partners in a clear and concise manner.
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and standard processes in data science and machine learning to ensure the continuous improvement of our analytics capabilities.

This is a 6-month (Summer-Fall) commitment.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Applicant must be a current undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in data science, computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering or a related quantitative field
• 2+ years of experience or schooling in data science, machine learning, optimization, statistics or a related field
• 1+ years designing and programming/coding data structures for large-scale computer models
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Coursework or work experience with statistics, machine learning, optimization, big data analytics and/or forecasting techniques
• Ability to work with cross functional groups, with strong relationship building skills
• Demonstrated expertise in designing, developing, and deploying machine learning models or advanced analytics solutions with business results.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to non-technical partners.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and presentation skills with a focus on collaboration
• Experience using SQL, Python or R preferred
• Ability to handle simultaneous projects and adapt to a fast-paced, changing environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working toward a master’s degree or higher
• Green Belt certification and demonstrated results through utilization of DMAIC
• Prior experience in the aviation industry or a strong understanding of airline operations is a plus
• Knowledge of United/industry data sources
• Structured programming for large-scale computer models
• Familiarity with Palantir Foundry
• Field experience working with frontline workers
• Demonstrated understanding of the capabilities and limitations of generative AI tools and the ability to leverage AI effectively to support research, analysis, content creation, and problem-solving. Applies critical thinking to validate AI-generated outputs while adhering to organizational policies related to responsible AI use, data privacy, and security.

Posting dates: September 1, 2026 through September 15, 2026

The starting rate for this role is $20.00. The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience, education and skills. This position may also be 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) and 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]