Director Of Pilot Training

Job Description

The Director of Pilot Training provides enterprise-level leadership and strategic oversight of the airline’s pilot training ecosystem, ensuring it is safe, compliant, scalable, and future‑ready.

The role is accountable for shaping and governing a modern, integrated pilot training model that delivers high‑quality training outcomes while continuously improving efficiency, resilience, and regulatory assurance. This includes oversight of training design, delivery, compliance, innovation, and cadet progression, ensuring alignment with operational risk, fleet strategy, and long‑term workforce sustainability.

Acting as the senior authority for pilot training strategy, the Director ensures the organisation is equipped to support growth, evolving regulatory expectations, and technological advancement, while continuously elevating the standards of safety, competence and professionalism across the pilot population.

Accountabilities

• Strategic ownership of the pilot training strategy, aligning pilot capability development with Flight Operations, Safety governance, regulatory requirements, and long‑term growth objectives
• Provide governance and strategic oversight of all pilot training domains, including training design, delivery, compliance, innovation, and pilot progression, ensuring clear accountability and performance ownership.
• Ensure pilot training systems and frameworks are fit for scale, capable of supporting fleet expansion, increased training throughput, and varying experience levels without compromising quality or safety.
• Oversee the integrity and effectiveness of training design, ensuring all pilot training programs are evidence-based, competency-driven, and informed by operational data, safety trends, and regulatory expectations.
• Hold strategic accountability for training delivery outcomes, ensuring consistent standards, effective use of training resources, and measurable learning and performance results across all pilot programs.
• Provide senior leadership for regulatory compliance and assurance, ensuring pilot training activities meet all applicable aviation authority requirements and remain audit-ready at all times.
• Sponsor and govern training innovation, ensuring the structured adoption of new methodologies, technologies, and learning models that enhance training efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Oversee cadet and pilot progression frameworks, ensuring a structured, high-quality pipeline of future pilots and commanders aligned to long-term workforce and succession planning.
• Act as the senior escalation point for pilot training risk, making strategic decisions on mitigation, prioritisation, and corrective action where safety, compliance, or capability risks are identified.
• Build organisational capability and leadership depth within pilot training functions, reducing dependency on individuals and ensuring sustainable succession and professional standards.
• Represent pilot training at senior internal and external forums, providing authoritative input on training capability, readiness, and strategic development.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree level education. Qualified Pilot.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience within the airline (aviation) industry with quantifiable experience (minimum 5 years) within a senior operational management role that has led teams.
• Preferred, Senior leadership experience in pilot training, flight operations, or safety‑critical aviation roles, with accountability for large‑scale, multi‑fleet training systems
  
  

Additional Information

Etihad Airways is more than the UAE’s national airline - we’re shaping the future of global aviation. From our hub in Abu Dhabi, we connect people across continents and cultures, while driving our “Journey 2030” ambition to double our fleet, expand our network and grow our people for a new era of excellence. Join us and become part of a vision where the world is your workplace and extraordinary experiences take flight.

To learn more visit www.etihad.com

Recruitment Fraud Alert

Beware of fraudulent job offers from individuals or organizations claiming to represent the Etihad group. We will never ask for personal information, bank details, or payment during the recruitment process. Interviews are conducted face-to-face or via video/telephone before any formal offer. If you are asked for money, please treat it as fraudulent.

---