Department:
TechnologyOur 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:
As the Sr Manager Technology supporting Southwest’s AI and Agentic initiatives, you’ll lead multiple high‑performing, cross‑functional Teams responsible for delivering scalable, enterprise‑grade AI platforms and solutions that power both Customer experiences and internal operations. This role combines strategic leadership with delivery oversight—setting vision and roadmap, guiding a portfolio of complex AI and machine learning products, and aligning Teams to execute business priorities with measurable outcomes. You’ll partner closely with Sr and Executive Leaders across Business, Product, Engineering, Data, and Cybersecurity to translate emerging AI opportunities into actionable plans, while establishing best practices across system design, reliability, governance, and performance. With accountability for talent development, operational excellence, and continuous improvement, you’ll foster a strong, inclusive culture and build the Leadership bench needed to scale AI across the enterprise. This role offers the opportunity to shape how Southwest delivers and evolves AI at scale—driving innovation while ensuring consistent, trusted outcomes across the Company.
Model the Southwest Way
- Guide and lead team members using SWA talent management practices to coach, develop, and engage employees
- Adhere to Company values and competencies to foster a culture of inclusion, recognition, and support of a safe work environment
- Invest in leadership and self-growth through participating in continuous learning and development
- Build, lead and advise a high-performing team and/or multiple teams responsible for delivering multiple, highly complex data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or optimization products in a timely, efficient manner with high quality by working with business customers to understand contextual problems quickly and define, analyze, and deliver innovative solutions that address business needs and support the company’s strategic priorities
- Develop and effectively communicate a vision for the team(s) aligned to the vision of the department, lead efforts to establish long-term and near-term plans as part of a roadmap necessary to meet the vision, and align the team(s) appropriately through prioritization to execute the plan utilizing development and training to enhance the team’s skills as needed
- Work with direct leadership to translate industry trends and opportunities into objectives, well-defined plans, priorities, and assignments for your team
- Advise functional, senior, and executive leaders on new ideas and processes to increase efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction of the artificial intelligence program
- Establish best practices across system design, reliability and performance, and development processes.
- Foster relationships with key executives, business leaders, internal customers, and peers to promote and advise on opportunities across the enterprise that may be addressed through data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or optimization
- Oversee the team(s) portfolio of products and guide the prioritization of the delivery of those products in partnership with internal customers, communicating results and value delivered via impactful metrics
- Recruit, develop, and retain individuals with the skills, attitude, and experience necessary to achieve goals/commitments as part of a high-performing, cohesive team
- Recognize achievements and advocate for career growth of employees to build a bench using mentorship, stretch opportunities, and training plans via a skills-based learning plan
- Create an environment where debate, dialogue and diversity of thought are encouraged, expected, and welcomed to foster high morale, integrity, trust and teamwork
- May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders
- Advanced knowledge of situational and strengths-based leadership to provide continuous coaching to unveil areas of opportunity for an employee in order improve team performance and hold team accountable
- Advanced knowledge of data procurement and integration methodologies, platforms, and tools
- Advanced knowledge of data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, agentic AI, or optimization product development methodologies, platforms, and tools
- Skilled in leading a team(s) to develop multiple, highly complex data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or optimization products in a timely, efficient manner; delegating authority for decision-making when needed, but sharing accountability when delegating
- Skilled in developing strong working relationships across all levels of the company including employees, customers, leadership, and executives, and communicate effectively to that network in a clear and concise way
- Skilled in demonstrating self-confidence and emotional intelligence in crucial conversations that result in positive action or change
- Skilled in developing talent to create a strong bench with adaptability to replace key positions across functional areas
- Ability to anticipate changing circumstances, unexpected constraints, or challenges and develop ideas, processes, and approaches through creative problem solving to meet those simple to complex challenges, recognizing the interdependencies of other teams, functional areas, and departments
- Ability to identify and articulate important tends and opportunities for the enterprise to be addressed by data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or optimization
- Ability to create an inclusive team environment that encourages dialogue and empowers your team to sharing varying perspectives to drive overall team trust
- Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information systems or similar fields of study or equivalent advanced level experience
- Required: Demonstrated experience in directly or indirectly leading team(s):
- Fully functioning, broad knowledge in:
- Data analysis, advanced analytics, Artificial Intelligence project experience
- Data pipeline, Artificial Intelligence and/or relevant programming
- Visualization and presentation development and delivery
- Solving ambiguous and complex problems through a systems thinking approach
- Formally or informally growing and mentoring talent, skills and abilities across a diverse Team
- Building and growing a new capability including driving and managing change
- Data analysis, advanced analytics, Artificial Intelligence project experience
- Data pipeline, Artificial Intelligence and/or relevant programming
- Visualization and presentation development and delivery
- Solving ambiguous and complex problems through a systems thinking approach
- Formally or informally growing and mentoring talent, skills and abilities across a diverse Team
- Building and growing a new capability including driving and managing change
- Strong technical foundation in backend and distributed systems and scalable architecture and system design
- 12-15 years relevant work-related / leadership experience
- 4-5+ years in strong people leadership experience in leading multiple AI/SWE teams
- 3+ years of delivery ownership for portfolio of AI/ML or agentic products in production
- Good understanding of architecture & design of the products to unblock the teams
- Good experience in driving conversations with customers on product strategy & roadmap
- Experience in Setting up systems that helps in driving accountability & ownership
- Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary and sensitive Company information
- Ability to work extended hours as needed
- Must be able to travel and / or attend Company and non-Company facilities and remote locations such as remote-based offices as necessary
Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a similar field, or equivalent advanced-level experience
- 12–15 years of relevant work-related or leadership experience
- 4–5+ years of people leadership experience leading multiple AI or software engineering teams
- 3+ years of delivery ownership for a portfolio of AI, machine learning, or agentic products in production
- Experience with data analysis, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence projects
- Experience with data pipelines, artificial intelligence, and relevant programming
- Experience developing and delivering visualizations and presentations
- Experience solving ambiguous and complex problems using systems thinking
- Experience growing and mentoring talent across diverse teams
- Experience building and growing new capabilities, including driving and managing change
- Strong technical foundation in backend and distributed systems, scalable architecture, and system design
- Understanding of product architecture and design sufficient to unblock teams
- Experience driving customer conversations about product strategy and roadmaps
- Experience establishing systems that drive accountability and ownership
- Ability to work extended hours as needed
- Ability to travel and attend company, non-company, and remote facilities as necessary
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of proprietary and sensitive company information
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.
