Manager Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System Investigations

Company

Alaska Airlines

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day.

If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.

This role is responsible for executing on the strategy for Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS) investigations and compliance monitoring at Alaska Airlines. As a people leader, the Manager, Quality Assurance / CASS Investigations leads and establishes priorities for the team to conduct risk‑based surveillance and investigations, perform systemic root cause analysis, and ensure corrective actions are effectively implemented and sustained across Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) and maintenance providers.

• Leads a team and establish priorities of the CASS surveillance and investigation activities to verify maintenance program performance, effectiveness, and effectiveness for the M&E Division.
• Direct quality assurance investigations, ensuring systemic root cause analysis that evaluates organizational, procedural, human factors, and control weaknesses.
• Establish risk-based prioritization of surveillance and investigative activities using structured risk assessment methodologies.
• Review investigative work to ensure findings are evidence-based, root causes are systemic, and conclusions are clearly articulated to senior leadership.
• Oversee development, approval, tracking, and validation of corrective action plans to ensure deficiencies are effectively resolved and do not recur.
• Monitor operational performance data to identify emerging risks, adverse trends, and compliance gaps.
• Ensure CASS processes, policies, and documentation meet regulatory expectations and maintain independence from operational execution.
• Partner with cross‑functional leaders to strengthen system controls, mitigate risk, and present investigation outcomes and systemic themes to executive governance forums.
• Present investigation outcomes, systemic risk themes, and corrective action status to executive governance forums including SRB and DAG.
• Develop people through effective performance management and ongoing feedback, focusing on delegation for stretch assignments, growing and developing the team for capacity and growth, looking at performance across the team, and time management
• Shape culture of team through action, presence, and reinforcement of behaviors and drive effective practices to build a culture of belonging.

• 5 years of experience in quality assurance, compliance monitoring, investigations, maintenance oversight, or related operational leadership.
• 2 years of leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in aviation, engineering, safety, business, or related discipline, or an additional two years of relevant experience in lieu of degree.
• Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 121 or 135 maintenance program requirements.
• Experience leading structured root cause analysis and corrective action development.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and risk assessment skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated executive presentation capability.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

• Experience with CASS, Safety Management Systems (SMS), or regulatory compliance programs.
• Aviation maintenance or engineering background.
• FAA interaction or voluntary disclosure experience.
• Formal training in systemic root cause analysis or human factors.
• Quality or compliance certifications (CQA, CIA, ISO, or similar).

• Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
• Create a culture where all employees feel safe and they belong.