This position requires in-person collaboration up to five days a week. This arrangement is subject to change based on business requirements.
Why WestJet:
Since our story took off in 1996, WestJet has strived to enrich the lives of everyone in our world; a career with us is no exception. We’re proud to be one of Canada’s most admired and respected corporate cultures and continuously aim for the highest standards of service and success.
Join us, this is where your career story takes off.
Position Summary
At WestJet, disruption management is critical to supporting our people and delivering on our promise to our Guests. Reporting into the Operations Control Centre (OCC), the Program Manager, Disruption Management leads a portfolio of cross-functional initiatives that strengthen our ability to anticipate, respond to, and recover from operational disruptions.
This role brings together teams across the OCC, operational functions, Technology, and Product to deliver practical, scalable solutions. You will focus on enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of predictive insights, enabling better-informed decisions through advanced decision-support tools and optimization engines, and driving automation to improve the speed and efficiency of recovery processes.
Through these efforts, you will play a key role in continuously improving disruption outcomes over time—elevating recovery performance, enhancing the Guest experience, and supporting our frontline WestJetters with the tools and insights they need to succeed.
Key Responsibilities
Program Leadership & Delivery
- Lead the day-to-day delivery of a portfolio of initiatives focused on disruption recovery, including automation and AI-enabled capabilities.
- Build and manage integrated program plans, including timelines, dependencies, and risks (RAID), ensuring clear visibility and accountability.
- Ensure initiatives are aligned to the Disruption Management roadmap and WestJet’s operational priorities.
- Bring together stakeholders across OCC, Operations, Product, Data, Technology, and Regulatory teams to drive alignment and execution.
- Identify risks early and take action to keep programs on track and delivering value.
Operational Readiness & Change Integration
- Partner with frontline leaders to ensure solutions are practical, adopted, and ready for real-world operations.
- Coordinate training, communications, SOP updates, and process changes ahead of implementation.
- Lead scenario-based “table-top” exercises to test readiness and strengthen operational response.
- Ensure every initiative has a clear and effective transition-to-run plan.
Stakeholder & Governance Management
- Establish strong governance and provide clear, concise updates on progress, risks, and outcomes.
- Support OCC leadership with executive-ready updates for senior leadership (GLT/ELT), including business value and trade-offs.
- Build trusted relationships across teams to resolve issues, prioritize work, and support decision-making.
- Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements (APPR, DOT, EU261) and their impact on delivery.
Financial & Value Management
- Support development of business cases, cost estimates, and resource plans.
- Work with internal teams and vendors to ensure effective use of resources.
- Track program performance against KPIs and operational outcomes.
- Focus on delivering measurable improvements in recovery times, operational efficiency, and Guest experience.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Data Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional programs in operational or digital environments.
- Strong ability to work across teams and partner effectively with frontline operational stakeholders.
- Experience managing integrated plans, dependencies, risks, and governance frameworks.
- Demonstrated experience driving operational readiness, including training, communications, and SOP updates.
- Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and ambiguity.
Certification
- PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, Agile certification, or equivalent; or
- Demonstrated experience delivering programs of similar scope and complexity with discipline and consistent results.
Preferred Qualifications
- 6+ years of experience in airline operations or similar complex, time-sensitive environments.
- Experience in disruption management, recovery operations, or real-time decision-making environments.
- Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as APPR, DOT, and EU261.
- Understanding of product delivery, technology development, and cross-functional team ways of working.
The benefits of being a WestJetter:
WestJet provides all WestJetters with a competitive total rewards package. On top of that, we offer:
- A fun and friendly culture with colleagues who work together to win
- Travel privileges for you and your family, effective from your start date
- Savings and Benefit programs that are flexible to meet your specific needs
Think we’re a great fit? Apply now!
About WestJet Group of Companies
WestJet took to the skies in 1996 with just over 200 employees and three aircraft operating service to five destinations. Since then, WestJet has pioneered low-cost travel in Canada, cutting airfares in half, and increasing the flying population in Canada by more than 50 per cent. Since the Sunwing Airlines integration in 2025, more than 15,000 WestJetters support nearly 200 aircraft and connect guests to our global network of more than 100 destinations across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. The WestJet Group is a major Canadian employer and includes WestJet Airlines, WestJet Encore and Sunwing Vacations Group. We’re Canada’s leading value airline and largest vacation provider, with a united purpose of providing affordable and accessible air and vacation travel to Canadians.
Our safety promise
At WestJet, the safety and security of our people and our guests is a core value and at the heart of what we do. Safety and security are shared responsibilities all team members are expected to use safe work practices to ensure their well-being and the safety of others. WestJet recognizes that the use of Alcohol and Drugs can adversely impact a safe work environment and the well-being of others including guests, suppliers and the public, as well as place WestJet's operations at risk. All roles that are identified as Safey-Sensitive are required to pass a Pre-Employment Alcohol and Drug Test as per WestJet's Alcohol and Drug Policy.
Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
We embrace what makes each of us unique, and what makes us uniquely WestJet. We welcome diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds so if you're passionate about this role, we encourage you to apply – even if you don't meet every qualification listed. WestJet is committed to inclusiveness, equity and accessibility throughout the selection process. If you require accommodation at any stage, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at
[email protected].
We value the time and effort you put into your application. Our recruitment process is highly competitive and while every applicant will receive communication regarding their application status, only those selected to move forward will be contacted with next steps. If this role isn’t the right fit, we encourage you to explore future opportunities with us.
For more information about everything WestJet, please westjet.com/aboutus.
If you wish to withdraw your application or request that your personal information be deleted, please contact us at
[email protected].
