How You'll Help Us Keep Climbing (Overview & Key Responsibilities)
At Delta Air Lines, connection is at the heart of everything we do and guides our every action. We strive to welcome and care for all of our customers during their travels with us and aim to deliver an elevated experience.
Delta's brand is built on industry-leading operational reliability and customer experience. Within Operations Planning & Performance (OP&P), the OCC Planning team serves as the analytical engine supporting the OCC Strategy organization. OCC Strategy acts as the strategic thought partner to operational leadership, helping the airline identify opportunities, improve decision-making, evaluate performance, and prepare for future operational challenges.
The Analytics Leader plays a critical role in this mission by transforming operational data into actionable insights that support strategic planning, operational performance management, and continuous improvement efforts across the Operations Control Center (OCC). Working in close partnership with OCC Strategy leadership, the Analytics Leader leads analytical efforts supporting critical initiatives such as After-Action Reviews (AARs), seasonal planning, performance measurement, operational readiness assessments, and strategic operational studies.
While OCC Strategy serves as the primary customer, the role requires maintaining a broad understanding of airline operations and collaborating across Flight Control, Operations Management, Crew, ACS, TechOps, Meteorology, and other operational stakeholders to connect operational execution with future planning and strategy. Through data-driven analysis and storytelling, the Analytics Leader helps leaders understand operational outcomes, identify underlying drivers of performance, evaluate strategic initiatives, and develop recommendations that improve future reliability and operational effectiveness. Successful candidates are naturally curious, highly analytical, and comfortable operating in ambiguous environments. They seek to understand not only operational outcomes, but the underlying drivers that influence those outcomes and the opportunities available to improve future performance. This position requires strong communication skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence decision-making through data-driven storytelling and analytical rigor.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary analytical partner to OCC Strategy by leading analyses that support OCC strategic planning, operational readiness reviews, performance evaluations, and executive decision-making
- Lead analytical support for Winter Planning, Summer Planning, and station planning efforts by evaluating historical performance, weather impacts, operational constraints, network vulnerabilities, and recovery outcomes
- Measure the effectiveness of seasonal planning initiatives and operating strategies and translate findings into recommendations that improve future seasonal execution
- Partner with OCC Strategy to lead Post-IROP After-Action Reviews (AARs), seasonal retrospectives, and operational scorecards used to evaluate operational effectiveness
- Develop performance frameworks and measurement methodologies that convert lessons learned into actionable improvements for future planning, operating procedures, and OCC strategy.
- Build deep understanding of OCC operational processes, technologies, decision-making frameworks, and business challenges through close partnership with Flight Control, Operations Management, Crew, ACS, TechOps, Meteorology, and other stakeholders to ensure analytical recommendations are operationally feasible and aligned with future strategic needs.
- Independently lead projects from business problem definition through implementation, including methodology design, data acquisition, analysis, recommendation development, and executive communication.
- Conduct strategic studies related to topics such as delay propagation, proactive cancellation effectiveness, resource fragility, recovery effectiveness, diversion performance, and future operating strategies.
- Build datasets, scorecards, dashboards, models, and decision-support tools that improve OCC Strategy's ability to measure performance, evaluate operational strategies, and make informed decisions.
What You Need To Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
- 5+ years of experience in analytics, business intelligence, operational analysis, strategy, consulting, or a related field
- Demonstrated experience independently leading analytical projects from problem definition through recommendation and implementation
- Experience working with large and complex datasets to solve business problems and support decision-making
- Strong quantitative, analytical, and critical thinking skills
- Experience developing and delivering presentations and recommendations to leadership audiences
- Proficiency with SQL and data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders, and projects in a fast-paced environment
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Consistently prioritizes safety and security of self, others, and personal data.
- Embraces diverse people, thinking, and styles.
- Possesses a high school diploma, GED, or high school equivalency.
- Is at least 18 years of age and has authorization to work in the United States.
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
- Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Economics, Computer Science, Data Science, Business Analytics, or a related quantitative discipline
- Advanced degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Economics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field
- Experience applying statistical techniques, forecasting methodologies, experimental design, optimization, predictive analytics, or other quantitative methods to solve business challenges
- Proficiency with Python, R, or other analytical programming languages
- Experience building analytical datasets, automating reporting processes, and developing scalable analytical solutions
- Familiarity with data engineering concepts including data modeling, ETL processes, data transformation, and data quality management
- Experience developing performance measurement frameworks, KPIs, and operational scorecards
- Experience supporting strategic planning, performance management, continuous improvement, or operational excellence initiatives
- Experience translating ambiguous business questions into structured analytical approaches and actionable recommendations
- Airline, transportation, logistics, or operations-focused industry experience preferred
Benefits And Perks To Help You Keep Climbing
Our culture is rooted in a shared dedication to living our values – Care, Integrity, Resilience, Servant Leadership, and Teamwork – every day, in everything we do. At Delta, our people are our success. At the heart of what we offer is our focus on Sharing Success with Delta employees. Exploring a career at Delta gives you a chance to see the world while earning great compensation and benefits to help you keep climbing along the way:
- Competitive salary, industry-leading profit sharing program, and performance incentives
- 401(k) with generous company contributions up to 9%
- Paid time off including vacation, holidays, paid personal time, maternity and parental leave
- Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, short/long term disability and life benefits
- Family care assistance through fertility support, surrogacy and adoption assistance, lactation support, subsidized back-up care, and programs that help with loved ones in all stages
- Holistic Wellbeing programs to support physical, emotional, social, and financial health, including access to an employee assistance program offering support for you and anyone in your household, free financial coaching, and extensive resources supporting mental health
- Domestic and International space-available flight privileges for employees and eligible family members
- Career development programs to achieve your long-term career goals
- World-wide partnerships to engage in community service and innovative goals created to focus on sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint
- Business Resource Groups created to connect employees with common interests to promote inclusion, provide perspective and help implement strategies
- Recognition rewards and awards through the platform Unstoppable Together
- Access to over 500 discounts, specialty savings and voluntary benefits through Deltaperks such as car and hotel rentals and auto, home, and pet insurance, legal services, and childcare
