Department:
Talent & Org StrategyOur Company Promise
We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.
Job Description:
The Associate Talent Development Program Manager supports the Frontline Development Team by facilitating learning experiences that help frontline Employees build skills, strengthen Leadership capabilities, and achieve professional growth. They’ll Lead training sessions, support learning program delivery, and partner with Program Managers on content development, program design, and execution activities. They’ll build strong relationships with frontline operational Leaders and Teams while creating engaging classroom experiences that promote learning and development. The Associate Talent Development Program Manager leverages strong facilitation, communication, and relationship‑building skills to deliver impactful learning experiences and support the growth of Southwest Employees.
Additional Details
The culture of Southwest Airlines means we value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. Due to the nature of this role, you would be required to work from our Dallas, TX headquarters facility during business hours.
U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.
We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics.
- Own small to medium-scale learning programs of limited scope and visibility from intake through sustainment, ensuring requirements, timelines, and approved budgets are maintained
- Manage defined components or workstreams of large, complex programs in partnership with a Program Manager, ensuring alignment to overall program intent, learner experience standards, and delivery readiness
- Coordinate content development and updates by gathering inputs, documenting edit needs, routing changes through development partners, and protecting established design standards and core learning intent
- Facilitate learning experiences within assigned scope, including leading modules, sessions, or cohorts using established design and facilitator guidance; manage basic group dynamics and respond appropriately to learner questions, resistance, and real‑time needs while escalating complex situations as needed
- Enable learner application by reinforcing tools and expectations, supporting reflection and practice, capturing barriers to application, and elevating patterns that indicate opportunities for program improvement
- Execute delivery management fundamentals including tracking milestones, risks, issues, and dependencies, and escalating scope, budget, or risk considerations to the Program Manager as appropriate
- Communicate program status, expectations, and updates clearly and accurately to stakeholders, maintaining shared understanding of progress and constraints
- Recommend improvements to assigned programs or components based on learner feedback, partner input, and evaluation data, within defined decision boundaries
- May perform other job duties as directed by Employee’s Leaders
- Knowledge of foundational talent and leadership development concepts, including adult learning principles and how development experiences support behavior change and performance
- Knowledge of program or project management fundamentals, including scope, timeline, dependency, and risk management
- Skilled in coordinating work across multiple partners and contributors to achieve defined outcomes within agreed standards
- Skilled in organizing information, maintaining documentation, and managing multiple priorities simultaneously
- Skilled in identifying issues, assessing options, and making day‑to‑day execution decisions within established guardrails
- Ability to facilitate learning sessions or modules and respond effectively to learner needs within defined scope
- Ability to communicate clearly and tailor updates to different audiences and levels of context
- Ability to synthesize feedback and recommend practical improvements within assigned responsibility
- Required: High School Diploma or GED
- Intermediate-level experience, fully functioning broad knowledge in
- Human Resources
- Supporting or managing programs, projects, or initiatives in learning, talent, human resources, operations, or a related environment
- Preferred: Experience in leading engagement and inclusive learning experiences
- Preferred: Experience in managing different group dynamics while facilitating
- Preferred: Experience in supporting learner behavior change through reflection, feedback, and real‑world application tied to observable outcomes.
- Preferred: Experience in managing scope, readiness, milestones, risks, and dependencies to deliver programs with quality and consistency.
- Preferred: Experience in evaluating outcomes and participant feedback to iterate design and delivery and improve program effectiveness over time.
- Preferred: Experience in creating learning experiences for a frontline workforce
- N/A
- Ability to perform work duties from limited space workstation/desk/office area for extended periods of time
- Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
- Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job
- Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
- Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
- Must be able to travel and transport work materials as required
Pay & Benefits:
- Competitive market salary from $81,200 per year to $90,200 per year* depending on qualifications and experience. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the company.
Benefits you’ll love:
- Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
- Southwest will help fund your Retirement Savings Plan with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings**
- Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit***
- Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)
- Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.
- Explore more Benefits you’ll love: https://careers.southwestair.com/benefits
*Pay amount does not guarantee employment for any particular period of time.
**401(k) match contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits
***ProfitSharing contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company.
Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Skills Required
- High school diploma or GED
- Intermediate-level experience in Human Resources
- Experience supporting or managing programs, projects, or initiatives in learning, talent, human resources, operations, or a related environment
- Experience leading engagement and inclusive learning experiences
- Experience managing different group dynamics while facilitating
- Experience supporting learner behavior change through reflection, feedback, and real-world application tied to observable outcomes
- Experience managing scope, readiness, milestones, risks, and dependencies to deliver programs with quality and consistency
- Experience evaluating outcomes and participant feedback to improve program effectiveness
- Experience creating learning experiences for a frontline workforce
- U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the United States
- Ability to work from the Dallas, Texas headquarters during business hours
- Ability to travel and transport work materials as required
- Ability to communicate and interact in English
- At least 18 years of age
- Ability to comply with company attendance standards
- Ability to use computers and office productivity tools
Southwest Airlines Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Southwest Airlines and has not been reviewed or approved by Southwest Airlines.
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Pay Growth & Progression — Pay progression is described as materially improving after major 2024 union agreements, especially for pilots and flight attendants. Compensation satisfaction is framed as stronger over time as step scales and seniority accumulate.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support stands out through a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match and the presence of profit-sharing contributions that can add to retirement savings. Stock purchase access is also positioned as an additional ownership-oriented component of total rewards.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle value is elevated by extensive space-available travel privileges and broad travel-related discounts that can materially offset personal travel costs. Recognition mechanisms like points-based rewards are also positioned as an added lifestyle-oriented perk.
Southwest Airlines Insights
What We Do
At Southwest Airlines we connect People to what’s important in their lives—that also means connecting our Employees to what’s important in their lives! Our Employees value the opportunity to work hard, be creative, and have fun on the job. Southwest Airlines recognizes, respects, and values differences. By fostering a culture that embraces and utilizes our diversity, we create competitive advantages in teamwork and innovation that contribute to our overall success.
