Maintenance Operations Manager

Primary Function

The Maintenance Operations Manager is responsible for leading all maintenance planning and execution activities to support mission schedules, intermediate and phase maintenance in Houston, and depot-level maintenance in El Paso, TX. The position provides strategic and operational oversight for maintenance of NASA aircraft including the T-38, WB-57, Super Guppy, and Gulfstream platforms. This role requires strong leadership in a unionized environment, accountability for technical and administrative performance, and close coordination with internal teams and customer stakeholders to ensure mission success.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership & Coordination

• Organize and align departmental operations with mission outcomes, focusing on key tasks, decisions, contributions, and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Lead and support aircraft production controllers, maintenance control coordinators, and backshop leads to ensure seamless execution of aircraft maintenance and flight line support.
• Establish and maintain open, effective communication across maintenance disciplines, including backshop and flight line operations, to facilitate information flow and coordination.
• Ensure compliance with technical, safety, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) and foster a culture of integrity and professionalism in all customer interactions.

• Customer Engagement & Communication

• Serve as the primary point of contact for NASA officials and brief leadership on significant operational matters as they occur.
• Maintain strong working relationships and continuous communication with customer representatives across Flight Operations, Engineering, and Quality Assurance.
• Promote transparency and trust between Yulista and customer stakeholders to proactively address and resolve issues.

• Personnel & Team Development

• Provide direct leadership to aircraft platform managers and ensure consistent guidance to crew leaders and workforce personnel.
• Promote a leadership style grounded in open communication, mutual trust, and employee development—supporting individual growth through training, cross-utilization, and team decision-making.
• Drive a flexible, responsive workforce model that empowers team leads and employees through delegated authority and accountability.

• Performance & Process Optimization

• Monitor contract budget and resource allocations, including direct labor hours and overtime usage, to ensure financial performance goals are met.
• Assess and recommend repair capabilities and options; collaborate with analysts to propose corrective actions and performance improvements.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives, validate and refine branch performance capacity, and support organizational learning and adaptability.

• Safety, Compliance & Ethical Standards

• Partner with safety, training, and quality personnel to uphold program requirements and ensure high operational standards.
• Enforce compliance with company values, regulatory requirements, and ethical business practices.
• Ensure all communications and commitments to the customer are accurate and truthful, and that all personnel adhere to corporate and contractual policies.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position directly supervises the T-38 Aircraft Production Controller, WB and Gulfstream Platform Leads, Phase Lead, Pilot Equipment/Egress Lead, Back shop Leads, and Maintenance Control Coordinator who are responsible for multiple aircraft platforms and maintenance functions. The Manager exercises full authority in overseeing daily maintenance activities, assigning tasks, and ensuring performance standards are achieved in accordance with union agreements and contract requirements.

Desired Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proven ability to manage unionized personnel and foster a collaborative environment.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• Effective communicator with experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Knowledge of FAA and NASA standards; FAA A&P license preferred.
• Experience with maintenance tracking systems such as NAMIS.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to interpret technical documents, analyze data, and prepare detailed reports.

Required Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of experience in high-performance jet aircraft maintenance and aviation management.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field preferred; minimum five (5) years of aviation leadership experience required.
• Experience in configuration management and the aircraft product lifecycle.
• Background in military, government, or commercial aerospace operations is strongly preferred.

PREFERENCE STATEMENT
Preference will be given to Calista shareholders and their descendants and to spouses of Calista shareholders, and to shareholders of other corporations created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, in accordance with Title 43 U.S. Code 1626(g).

EEO STATEMENT
Additionally, it is our policy to select, place, train and promote the most qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work quality, attitude and experience, so as to provide equal employment opportunity for all employees in compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws and without regard to non-work related factors such as race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status. When applicable, our policy of non-discrimination applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, placement, layoff, compensation, termination, reduction in force and benefits.
 
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
It is Calista and Subsidiaries' business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities.
 
The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements.
 
This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.