Brief about the role:
The Associate Director – Crew Systems role is responsible for end-to-end governance, optimization, and strategic development of crew management systems at IndiGo—primarily AIMS or any advanced crew solutions adopted by the airline. You will lead the technology, process, and policy interface between OCC, Crew Management, and IT to ensure safe, compliant, efficient, and cost-effective crew operations across the network.
This role requires strong operational expertise, vendor/contract leadership, and the ability to drive digital transformation for crew-related workflows.
Qualification & Experience:
- 12+ years of experience in airline operations, OCC, crew management, or crew systems
- Experience with AIMS or a leading crew ops platform is essential
- Experience in managing teams and working in a high-stakes operational environment
- Engineering, Aviation Management, or related degree preferred; Master’s degree is a plus
Key Skills set and competencies:
- Strong knowledge of Crew Management Systems (AIMS, Jeppesen, Sabre, or similar)
- Deep understanding of crew scheduling, rostering, FDTL/FTL rules, and OCC operations
- Expertise in contract/vendor management and technical system governance
- Analytical and structured problem-solving mindset
- Ability to manage high-pressure operations and time-critical decisions
- Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder alignment skills
- Experience in project management, product ownership, or digital transformation
Job responsibility:
- Serve as the product owner for the airline’s Crew Scheduling, Pairing, Rostering, and Day-of-Ops systems (AIMS or equivalent)
- Ensure system stability, reliability, and continuous availability for OCC and Crew Management
- Drive system configuration aligned with regulatory, policy, and operational needs
- Lead and approve change requests, release management, and version upgrades
- Identify process gaps and enhance workflows for crew planning, rostering, tracking, and disruption management
- Develop SOPs, governance controls, and compliance frameworks for crew system usage
- Introduce automation and AI-based tools to reduce manual interventions and improve decision-making
- Ensure the system accurately interprets DGCA regulations, FDTL rules, company policies, and special agreements
- Oversee tools used for crew notifications, duty changes, and communication
- Liaise with OCC, Flight Ops, Cabin Ops, HR/Crew Resources, Network Planning, Legal, IT, and senior leadership
- Interpret operational needs and translate them into system functionalities
- Collaborate with DGCA and external bodies for compliance audits and regulatory updates
- Manage end-to-end contract lifecycle with AIMS or any vendor partners
- Conduct performance reviews, SLAs, penalty management, and commercial negotiations
- Ensure rapid vendor response to defects, disruptions, and system outages
- Lead projects related to new fleet types, network expansion, wide-body/XLR introduction, and wet lease/special ops
- Drive system enhancements for new operational needs (e.g., ULH, international bases, multi-contract crew)
- Support digital transformation initiatives and integration with other OCC systems
- Build and lead a high-performing team of Crew System Analysts, Config Specialists, and OCC support staff
- Mentor team members, develop technical/operational capability, and define performance KPIs
- Create a culture of continuous improvement and operational consistency
