Sr Manager, Communications

About the role

Join our American Airlines family, where you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise, and become the best version of you. As the Senior Manager of Operations Communications, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while enriching both your personal and work life.

This role is part of a dynamic and collaborative team that shapes the company’s actions and engagement with internal and external stakeholders to build and protect the American Airlines brand and reputation. You’ll create and maintain relationships between team members and leadership, influence corporate culture, advance business strategy, and work closely with the media.

The position reports to the airline’s communications team but has strong dotted-line ties to senior leaders who oversee the daily operation. The ideal candidate thrives in a high-pressure environment with tight deadlines and tailors communications for diverse audiences, including team members, customers, media, and the public.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute communications strategies for highly sensitive, fast-moving issues, including leading crisis preparedness and response efforts, advising senior leadership, and supporting airline-wide coordination during operational disruptions and emerging events.
• Lead real-time operational communications, providing rapid response guidance and developing clear internal and external messaging to address day-to-day issues across the network.
• Serve as a key communications advisor to the COO, providing strategic counsel, preparing executive briefings and talking points, and ensuring alignment on high-priority operational and reputational matters.
• Design and implement business education campaigns that help team members, customers, and media understand complex operational decisions in clear, accessible terms.
• Manage media relations for operational topics, including building and maintaining relationships with key aviation reporters, proactively pitching stories, handling inbound inquiries, and serving as an on-the-record spokesperson during both routine and crisis scenarios.
• Support on-site media engagement and high-visibility events, ensuring accurate, timely messaging and a strong company presence.
• Strengthen cross-functional relationships by partnering closely with operational leaders and other internal teams to ensure aligned, effective communications—especially during critical events.
• Identify proactive media opportunities and manage on-call responsibilities, ensuring the airline is well-positioned to tell its story and respond quickly when issues arise.
• Lead and develop a team of operational communicators, setting strategy and ensuring consistent, high-quality storytelling that reflects the complexity and strength of American’s operation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a relevant field, or equivalent experience/training.
• 7-8 years of relevant work experience in communications in a corporate, agency, or newsroom setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience as a reporter, journalist, or in corporate communications/media relations for a large, multinational organization.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to lead tasks, manage processes, analyze and problem-solve, and work independently or in a group.
• Experience guiding internal and external partners, connecting workgroups and teams to ensure strategies and impacts are clearly understood.
• Experience leading staff and developing their careers.

Skills

• Relentlessly hardworking with a passion for thriving in a 24/7 environment and excelling at juggling multiple projects.
• Strong writing skills and ease in managing media relations.
• Critical thinker with a “no surprises” and “no stone left unturned” mentality.
• Collaborates effectively with senior managers and department leadership.
• Strong analytical skills, quantitative ability, solution-oriented, and detail-oriented.
• High level of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Strong team player with the ability to work successfully at all levels of the organization.

Benefits

• Travel Perks: You, your family, and friends can explore 365 destinations on more than 6,800 daily flights across our global network.
• Health Benefits: On day one, access health, dental, prescription, and vision benefits, along with virtual doctor visits, flexible spending accounts, and more.
• Wellness Programs: Tools, resources, and support to help you be the best version of yourself.
• 401(k) Program: Available upon hire, with employer contributions (depending on the workgroup) after one year.
• Additional Benefits: Employee Assistance Program, pet insurance, and discounts on hotels, cars, cruises, and more.

Culture

From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of our dynamic workforce. Our 20+ Team Member Business Resource Groups connect team members to customers, suppliers, communities, and shareholders, helping everyone reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment.

Feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly while caring for people on life’s journey. Feel free to be yourself at American.