Principal Process Improvement Specialist

Alaska Airlines

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.

Role Summary

The Principal Process Improvement Specialist is the sole subject matter expert in the analysis, design, and improvement of the processes, tools, and automation utilized by the Corporate Strategy and Performance Improvement team at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. As an individual contributor, this role defines the long-term continuous improvement strategy exercises considerable latitude and initiative.

• Leads the full lifecycle of enterprise-wide process improvement and automation initiatives — from problem definition and root cause analysis through solution design, implementation, and sustainment — delivering measurable operational results.
• Partners with leadership to set the long-term strategy and priorities for continuous improvement and automation efforts to ensure the greatest enterprise benefit.
• Exercises considerable judgment to make decisions regarding performance management and improvement processes to ensure a positive, measurable, and sustainable impact on the organization.
• Leads end-to-end process mapping and use-case discovery with AI teams to identify where artificial intelligence (AI), agents, and data automation can eliminate manual, repetitive work, and defines how AI and automation opportunities are prioritized and aligned to financial and cost-analysis guardrails.
• Partners with technology teams and external partners to design, facilitate, and implement AI-enabled and automation solutions from discovery through MVP and enterprise adoption.
• Identifies issues and opportunities within current team processes, and recommends improvements to their structure, governance, capabilities, quality, efficiency, effectiveness, measurement, and communication.
• Influences and coaches cross-departmental and cross-divisional teams to develop and implement new or improved processes — and new AI and automation capabilities — that deliver significant change to the business.
• Builds collaborative, process-centric, cross-divisional teams and forums to influence sustainable change.
• Oversees the continuous improvement of products, processes, and automation solutions, and grows the organization’s continuous-improvement capabilities in partnership with leadership — including leading Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training and embedding AI tools into improvement projects.
• Partners with leaders to conduct data analysis and apply a data-driven approach to setting priorities and identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Monitors and understands process, automation, and AI trends and leading practices occurring in the marketplace, bringing emerging capabilities back into the enterprise.
• Identifies and communicates unresolved problems or timeline risks and recommends corrective actions.

Required

• 7 years of experience in management consulting, project management, change management, organizational development, Lean/Six Sigma process improvement, or a related area.
• Bachelor’s degree with a focus in business administration, organizational development, human resources, or a related discipline, or an additional two years of training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Proven project and change management skills and the ability to apply research and best practices to existing business problems.
• Demonstrated experience leading the full Lean DMAIC lifecycle and delivering measurable value.
• Ability to lead analytical studies, project definition, and recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience using a data-driven approach for decision-making and solution implementation.
• Experience identifying and delivering process automation, and applying AI and automation tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate, agents) to improve business processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

• Certified practitioner in one or more of the following areas: Accelerated Improvement Workshop (AIW) certified, Green Belt/Black Belt, Lean, or Six Sigma.
• Experience leading AI-enablement or automation initiatives or serving in an AI champion/enablement role.

Job-Specific Leadership Expectations

Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.

Salary Details

Pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.

Note: We don’t typically hire at the top of the range.

Total Rewards

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off

The Principal Process Improvement Specialist is the sole subject matter expert in the analysis, design, and improvement of the processes, tools, and automation utilized by the Corporate Strategy and Performance Improvement team at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. As an individual contributor, this role defines the long-term continuous improvement strategy exercises considerable latitude and initiative.

• Leads the full lifecycle of enterprise-wide process improvement and automation initiatives — from problem definition and root cause analysis through solution design, implementation, and sustainment — delivering measurable operational results.
• Partners with leadership to set the long-term strategy and priorities for continuous improvement and automation efforts to ensure the greatest enterprise benefit.
• Exercises considerable judgment to make decisions regarding performance management and improvement processes to ensure a positive, measurable, and sustainable impact on the organization.
• Leads end-to-end process mapping and use-case discovery with AI teams to identify where artificial intelligence (AI), agents, and data automation can eliminate manual, repetitive work, and defines how AI and automation opportunities are prioritized and aligned to financial and cost-analysis guardrails.
• Partners with technology teams and external partners to design, facilitate, and implement AI-enabled and automation solutions from discovery through MVP and enterprise adoption.
• Identifies issues and opportunities within current team processes, and recommends improvements to their structure, governance, capabilities, quality, efficiency, effectiveness, measurement, and communication.
• Influences and coaches cross-departmental and cross-divisional teams to develop and implement new or improved processes — and new AI and automation capabilities — that deliver significant change to the business.
• Builds collaborative, process-centric, cross-divisional teams and forums to influence sustainable change.
• Oversees the continuous improvement of products, processes, and automation solutions, and grows the organization’s continuous-improvement capabilities in partnership with leadership — including leading Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training and embedding AI tools into improvement projects.
• Partners with leaders to conduct data analysis and apply a data-driven approach to setting priorities and identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Monitors and understands process, automation, and AI trends and leading practices occurring in the marketplace, bringing emerging capabilities back into the enterprise.
• Identifies and communicates unresolved problems or timeline risks and recommends corrective actions.