Program Manager (Center)

FlightSafety International; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

FlightSafety International, Houston-based aviation training leader, seeks a Program Manager to lead a team of certified instructors and oversee course material development and device certification. You will supervise training delivery, ensure client satisfaction, and align with regulatory standards.

The role requires updating courseware, evaluating instructor performance, and coordinating with DOT/DOMT and account teams to meet program goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred (business or aviation management preferred).
• Three years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent education/experience in aviation or training/education.
• Current pilot and instructor certificates and ratings necessary to train all aircraft in the program.
• For Maintenance PMs, A&P Mechanic License is preferred.
• Minimum of six months’ teaching/training experience; two years in program field as pilot/maintenance technician.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily training and checking activities of instructors, including scheduling and staffing changes.
• Provide feedback and coaching; conduct observations and performance appraisals.
• Enforce FlightSafety policies; handle disciplinary actions as needed.
• Recommend merit-based salary changes within budget parameters.
• Assist in organizing instructors for customer training events and coordinate schedules.
• Review staffing and anticipate changes to meet client demands; recommend adjustments.
• Interview and evaluate instructor candidates; participate in hiring decisions.
• Evaluate and approve instructor certifications; ensure readiness to teach.
• Educate instructors on technology and delivery methods for training.
• Maintain expert knowledge of program aircraft, courseware, and regulatory developments.
• Liaise with customers to address training needs; coordinate with DOT/DOMT and managers.
• Maintain instructor qualifications per QMS and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and sustain courseware and training devices aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Help validate Flight Training Devices discrepancies as needed.
• Analyze projections and keep DOT/DOMT informed.

Skills

People management

Coaching

Customer service

Scheduling

Communication

Problem-solving

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

3+ years related experience

A&P license preferred

Equivalent education/experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

TMS Systems

CRM

iOS

Job description

About FlightSafety International

FlightSafety International is the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides training for pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full-flight simulators and award-winning maintenance training at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

Purpose of Position

The Program Manager’s primary role is to effectively manage and supervise a team of certified instructors within the assigned program(s), to ensure delivery of training meets or exceeds client and customer needs. The Program Manager is also responsible for development, modification, maintenance and delivery of program course material and assists in the certification of flight training devices, as applicable, to support training delivery.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Manage daily training and checking activities of instructors, including regular monitoring of scheduling and schedule changes, ensuring schedule optimization, managing availability and staffing through review and approval/denial of leave and time off requests, conducting team meetings or other routine communications with instructors regarding their daily work, and resolving client and/or instructor questions and conflicts using management discretion, independence, and Company policy.
• Manage program instructors’ performance by providing timely formal and informal feedback and coaching, conducting observations of instructor training and checking activities, preparing annual and mid-year performance appraisals, and when appropriate, preparing and managing performance improvement plans.
• Hold instructors accountable to comply with FlightSafety policies and procedures by recommending disciplinary action to DOT/DOMT and conducting disciplinary meetings and/or counseling/coaching with direct reports.
• Recommend annual merit-based salary changes for instructors using discretion within budget parameters and policies provided by FlightSafety.
• Support Scheduling Specialist in organizing, planning, and assigning instructors to customer training events and as aligned with instructor training and qualifications. Monitor instructor schedules and coordinate with Scheduling Specialist as needed to ensure instructor schedule stability.
• Regularly review program staffing and anticipate changes in personnel and customer demands to recommend program staffing changes to DOT/DOMT and Center Manager.
• Review qualifications of, interview, and evaluate instructor candidates for hire; recommend hiring decisions.
• In partnership with Director of Standards (DOS)/Director of Maintenance Standards (DOMS), evaluate and approve all new and existing instructors for certification of program-required training activities; provide any additional training to ensure readiness to teach subjects/courses on instructor training schedule.
• Educate and influence instructors’ use of available technology and effective training delivery methods in classroom, briefing, and simulator instruction.
• Maintain expert-level knowledge of (i) the program aircraft and its original equipment manufacturer (OEM), (ii) applicable courseware, training documentation, technology and equipment; (iii) technological and regulatory developments impacting training delivery; and (iv) the key customers receiving training under the program and overall demands for training in the program.
• Liaise between FlightSafety and customer contacts regarding training needs and expectations; make real-time discretionary decisions to address customer/client requests; coordinate back with DOT/DOMT, Account Managers, Relationship Managers, and/or Instructors as appropriate.
• Maintain instructor qualifications in accordance with FlightSafety Quality Management System (QMS) processes and procedures and applicable regulatory requirements; conduct training and/or checking activities as needed or assigned.
• Manage development, implementation, modification, presentation, and ongoing sustainment of courseware, training documentation and training devices associated with the program to align with effective training delivery and regulatory requirements.
• Assist the Manager of Flight Training Devices (MFTD) in validating and resolving Flight Training Devices (FTD) discrepancies as assigned by DOT from time to time.
• Analyze status of all current projections/plans and keep the DOT/DOMT apprised of any problem areas or issues and provide updates as requested or needed by the DOT/DOMT.

Minimum Education

• One of the following educational/experience qualifications must be met:
• Bachelor’s degree is preferred (or its educational equivalent if issued outside the U.S. or Canada). A degree in business or aviation management is preferred.
• Three (3) years’ related experience and/or training; or
• Equivalent combination of education and experience in the aviation or training/education field.
• Current pilot and instructor certificates and ratings necessary to provide training for all aircraft within the assigned program.
• For Maintenance PMs, A&P Mechanic License is preferred.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of six (6) months’ work experience in a teaching/training environment. Experience within teaching/training environments for adult learners is preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience as appropriate in the program field as a pilot, aircraft maintenance technician or cabin safety function. Other aviation industry related experience will be considered.
• Previous management experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Proven ability in people management; resourceful; problem-solver.
• Results‑oriented with high drive to achieve objectives and standards.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Knowledge of aviation terminology as specified by FAA/NAA, EASA, or other applicable aviation regulatory authority(ies).
• Knowledge of basic scheduling concepts and/or experience with scheduling software.
• Detail oriented with excellent organization and time management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to interact with various levels of management in a professional manner.
• Ability to adapt to changes rapidly and perform in a fast‑paced work environment.
• Service‑oriented and ability to adapt/respond to different types of personalities of clients and customers.
• General knowledge of the following software: MS Office Suite, TMS Systems, CRM, and iOS.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

FlightSafety provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform their essential job functions. Subject to reasonable accommodations that may be provided, this position involves the following physical demands:

• Routine use of hands to finger, handle, or feel/reach with hands and arms (including typing, instrument operation, and use of touchscreen devices); and communicate verbally and in writing (typically by e‑mail or other written communication).
• Range of body motion to deliver or observe training activities, including: Reach, exert pressure and manipulate the rudder controls and/or anti‑torque with both feet in simulator training devices.
• Reach and manipulate numerous controls within the simulator device from the instructor’s chair.
• Enter and exit the simulator device by going up and down stairs and using the provided ramp.
• Vision abilities including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus; in each case, as applied to viewing monitors, technical documents, diagrams, and reference materials.
• The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate.

FlightSafety is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of required compliance reviews, including verification that the candidate is not prohibited from employment under U.S. economic sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

This position may require access to export‑controlled technology or services subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Employment consideration and any offer of employment are contingent upon the applicant’s ability to comply with these requirements, including qualifying as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or otherwise eligible for export authorization within a timeframe consistent with business needs. A “U.S. Person” includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (holders of approved and unexpired green cards), and certain refugees or asylees with protected status under U.S. law.

This position may also require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance for the duration of employment.

Cybersecurity Notice

Cybersecurity Notice: All official recruiting communication from FlightSafety International will come from an @flightsafety.com email address. FlightSafety International will never ask for personal or financial information through social media or third‑party email providers.