Senior Manager – Cockpit Rostering

Responsible for optimizing the allocation of resources, maintaining efficient workflows, and meeting operational objectives through effective pilot crew roster planning.
Key Accountabilities
Develop and implement strategic plans for pilot roster planning & training planning to ensure optimal coverage while adhering to regulatory requirements.
Lead a team responsible for creating and maintaining pilot rosters, providing guidance, support, and training as needed.
Ensure all rostering activities comply with company policies, aviation regulations, and industry best practices.
Monitor roster performance metrics, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions as necessary.
Serve as the primary point of contact for pilot crew roster planning & training planning matters, fostering open communication within the team and with other departments.
Efficiently allocate pilot crew roster planning & training planning resources based on operational needs.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives in roster planning & training planning processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Address any issues or disruptions in pilot rosters promptly by making necessary adjustments in the upcoming rosters with the fleet approval.
Develop long-term strategies for pilot roster planning to meet operational requirements, optimize resource utilization, and enhance overall efficiency.
Ensure smooth operations by effectively managing pilot rosters using advanced software tools like Jeppesen Crew Pairing optimizer & Jeppesen Crew Rostering optimizer along with crew roster planning systems like CAE Crew Manager or any other crew rostering related tools.
Monitor key performance indicators related to crew utilization, on-time performance, crew satisfaction, and other relevant metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Collaborate with various departments such as flight operations, Training admin, network planning, administration-HR & Digital & Technology, and commercial to coordinate rostering activities effectively.
Undertake projects and studies to improve pilot crew rosters.
Accountable for the equal distribution of flights and flying hours amongst the crew.
Ensuring fairness parameters are within range in JCR optimized rosters of pilot crew.
Accountable for the timely release of rosters in compliance with rostering rules, including regulatory, company policies and welfare rules.
Accountable for pilot crew annual leave bidding and assignment.
Accountable for completion of pre-assignment tasks and any other carry forward non availability of crew within allocated time.
Accountable for pilot crew short leave bidding and assignment within allocated time.
Stay up to date with company policies, CAR requirements, OMD, OMA, DPM for ensuring compliance.
Raise any red flags to the reporting manager.
Work with in-house developers and IT team to improve the rostering efficiency, optimize processes, and enhancing roster quality.
Accountable for timely release of all the mandatory reports related to post publishing of crew rosters.
Assist the team in analyzing the historical data and forecast future needs to anticipate scheduling challenges and propose solutions.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance roster planning processes and efficiency.
Development of training module & continuous assessment strategy for pilot crew planners on roster planning processes and systems.
Handle any issues or challenges related to roster planning operations effectively and proactively.
Timely escalation of issues to the reporting manager.
Generate & analyze various reports of pilot crew rostering using the advanced business analytics & statistical software for management review.
Working as part of a team of analysts yet being able to work independently using one’s own initiative to complete tasks.
Problem solving using cost effective solutions.
Assist team members in the tasks that are reasonably required to carry out the daily operation of the pilot crew rostering team.
Any other additional responsibility could be assigned to the role holder from time to time as a standalone project or regular work.
Any other additional responsibility could be assigned to the role holder from time to time as a standalone project or regular work. The same would be suitable in the Primary responsibilities and agreed between the incumbent, reporting officer and HR.
Skills Required for the role
Airline Operational Expertise
Strategic Outlook
Strong Interpersonal Skills
Coordination & Planning Skills
Team Management Skills
Decision making Skills
Leadership Skills
Problem Solving Skills
Critical Thinker
Effective communication skills
Presentation skills
Key Interfaces
Internal Interfaces
Flight Operation Department
Work closely with the Flight Operations team to develop optimized pilot rosters that meet operational requirements while adhering to regulatory standards and safety protocols.
Crew Departments & Travel Desk
Coordinate with Flight Ops Training team, DOPS, licensing team to align crew rosters.
Digital & Technology Department
Needs to liaise with the IT team to leverage technological resources effectively, streamline rostering workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance decision-making through data-driven insights.
Network Planning Department
Coordinate with NPD for Schedule amendments, crew feasibility request related queries, etc.,
Administration- HR
Coordinate with admin-HR team for the HOTAC related requirement.
Commercial Department
Coordinate with commercial department for seat blocking on international sectors.
External Interfaces
Crew Management System Providers
Liaise with the Crew Management system provider for all system related activities.
Educational and Experience Requirements
Minimum Education Requirement
Bachelor’s degree or/with MBA or PGDM and/or any Master`s degree and/or any DGCA approved aviation related course of minimum three years of duration.
Minimum Requirement
Desired
Experience
5+ years of experience in crew rostering
Extensive and comprehensive knowledge of the airline /airport operation.
Well versed with DGCA rules and regulation pertaining to pilot crew FDTL & Training requirement.
Must have knowledge of BI & Analytics tools (Tableau, Power BI. Etc.,)
Must have experience of handling complex situations.
Must have experience of working under tight schedules.
Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
7+ years of experience in an airline operational environment.
Proficiency in using Jeppesen Crew Pairing & Jeppesen Crew Rostering software
Familiarity with CAE Crew Manager or similar crew management systems
Having hand-on experience in handling the operation of international airlines is an added advantage.
Understanding of fatigue risk management principles in relation to pilot crew scheduling.