Program Manager, Transformation (Crew)

Overview of role:
The Transformation organization sits at the core of the WestJet Group and is accountable for translating the enterprise strategy into delivered, measurable financial outcomes. Program Managers within Transformation own a single enterprise program end to end, including the business case, the benefit commitments embedded in the annual budget and five-year plan, and the program delivery budget. These roles are designated for top-tier talent with a proven record of delivering transformation at scale and serve as a developmental platform for future leadership roles.
As a member of this team, the Program Manager, Transformation (Crew) leads end-to-end delivery of the Crew Productivity, Resilience & Flexibility program and is accountable, in partnership with the Program Sponsor, for the realization of $10–50M in annual run-rate EBITDA benefit. Reporting to the Director, Corporate Strategy and working in close partnership with the VP – Operations Planning & Performance and the Director, Group Resource Planning, this role sets delivery strategy and cadence, secures decisions from executive sponsors and the Executive Committee, and directs cross-functional and external delivery resources so committed transformation benefits are achieved.

Key Responsibilities

Own end-to-end delivery of the Crew Productivity, Resilience & Flexibility program, including scope, integrated plan, milestones, decision gates and the committed outcome of $10–50M in annual run-rate EBITDA benefit, so that transformation value is realized and sustained

Own the program business case and benefit commitments with Finance and the Program and Executive Sponsor(s) – size unsized components, set and defend the benefit assumptions used in the annual budget and five-year plan, and report realized value against baseline, so that committed savings are credible and auditable

Direct matrixed delivery teams drawn from Operations, Commercial, Technology, Finance, People and Experience, plus external consulting and vendor partners – define the work, set standards and hold delivery owners to committed outcomes without formal reporting authority

Drive the crew North Star and scorecard: translate the long-term fleet and network plan into a multi-year crew vision, objectives, KPIs and targets that balance productivity, resilience and flexibility

Lead delivery across the five program workstreams – workforce and labour strategy, planning process and parameters, day-of process and crew scheduling coordination, advanced tooling and analytics, and core technology modernization

Support the long-term crew and basing strategy, dynamic workforce modelling and the CBA toolkit, including peer benchmarking to inform upcoming pilot and cabin crew negotiations, in close partnership with Labour Relations / People / InFlight / Flight Ops

Partner with business and technology leaders to advance the crew technology roadmap, delivering transformational platform upgrades and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, financial commitments, and operational outcomes

Engage executive stakeholders on a regular basis, including the Executive Sponsor(s), Chief Transformation Officer and the Executive Committee – frame trade-offs, recommend decisions on scope, sequencing and investment, and secure alignment and resources, so that the program is unblocked at the pace required

Determine and manage the program delivery budget, including approved external consulting spend, and establish the delivery operating system – war rooms, escalation paths, RAID discipline, structured lookbacks and Lean problem solving – so that risk, interdependencies and change impacts are controlled

Integrate the crew agenda with adjacent transformation programs and enterprise planning cycles so that crew decisions, network and schedule decisions, and budget assumptions remain connected and consistent

Competencies & Attributes

Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to synthesize operational, financial, labour and system inputs into concise, compelling insights and defensible benefit cases

Deep crew domain credibility; able to move fluently between workforce planning, pairing and rostering, reserve and day-of scheduling, crew pay and contractual rules

Politically astute and organizationally savvy; skilled at navigating labour-sensitive topics, anticipating risks, surfacing trade-offs and mitigating challenges before they materialize

Demonstrated excellence in program, portfolio and stakeholder management, with meticulous attention to detail and a bias for execution under tight timelines

Highly trusted and discreet; adept at handling sensitive information, labour strategy, investment decisions and executive communications with integrity and professionalism

Exceptional communication and executive writing skills; able to tailor messaging from the front line to the Executive Committee

Collaborative and team-oriented, yet self-directed and confident in assuming leadership without formal authority

Optimistic, resilient and solution-focused, with a passion for delivering meaningful organizational impact through operational change

Professional Experience & Qualifications

Minimum of 8–12 years of progressive experience in transformation, operations leadership, crew planning or enterprise program delivery within large, complex or matrixed organizations

Demonstrated accountability for delivering large-scale, enterprise-wide transformation programs of comparable financial scale at another organization – the successful candidate will have done this before, not led it for the first time

Deep, ideally end-to-end, crew experience with a track record of delivering results in this area of the business, spanning long-range workforce and basing strategy, crew planning and parameter setting, pairing and rostering, reserve optimization, and day-of crew scheduling

Practical understanding of collective agreement mechanics and their productivity, resilience and cost implications, including experience preparing or supporting negotiation strategy and modelling contractual scenarios

Experience delivering crew system implementations or replacements (e.g., crew management, pairing and rostering, vacancy bidding or crew analytics platforms), including vendor selection and benefits realization

Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives across operations, commercial, technology and finance, driving alignment and execution across diverse stakeholder groups without formal authority

Strong familiarity with corporate governance processes, including preparation of Board and executive committee materials, business case approval, budget cycles and enterprise portfolio governance

Lean / Continuous Improvement background, with Lean Six Sigma certification preferred; PMP or equivalent an asset

Aviation or comparable complex operating environment experience preferred

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, Aviation Management or a related field required; Master’s degree or MBA preferred