Senior Manager Audit Programs

Job Description

The Senior Manager Audit Programs provides strategic oversight of both technical and operations compliance domains, integrating safety, flight operations, quality, technical, ground, and security audits into a unified, risk-based framework. The role sets assurance strategy in line with international and regulatory standards, leads the transformation to a digitally enabled audit function, and ensures audit consistency and depth. Responsibilities include managing audit-related budgets, driving cost efficiency, governing cross-functional compliance, and embedding audit insights into business planning. The position also oversees auditor development, interfaces with regulators, and extends compliance standards to partners, ensuring continuous improvement and benchmarking against industry peers.

Additional Responsibilities

• Accountable for the operational division audit and assurance architecture, integrating safety, flight Operations, quality, technical, ground, and security audits into a single, risk-based framework.
• Set assurance strategy aligned to ICAO, IOSA, GCAA, EASA and regulatory expectations, ensuring proportional oversight of operational risk and organisational change.
• Act as the single point of accountability for audit consistency, depth for the operations division.
• Lead, develop and manage the transformation of audit into a digitally enabled, intelligence-led function, introducing automated planning, execution, and reporting.
• Oversee audit-related budgets and drive cost reduction initiatives to deliver measurable value and operational efficiency.
• Govern a single cross-functional compliance framework , integrating audit outcomes across all operational domains.
  
  

Accountabilities

• Ensure clear risk prioritisation, ownership, escalation, and corrective action governance.
• Embed assurance outputs into executive decision-making and business planning.
• Accountable for annual safety review board, chaired by the accountable manager.
• Act as senior interface with regulators and external auditors, reinforcing confidence in EY’s governance and compliance status.
• Oversight of EY’s sustainable compliance capability through a structured internal auditor development program
• Extend the EY compliance model to contracted partner’s, including ground handlers , catering, external maintenance providers and ACMI.
• Ensure audit outcomes are embedded in contractual governance and supplier performance management.
• Translate internal and external audit outputs into compliance and improvement priorities that reduce risk and improve operational performance.
• Benchmark EY’s compliance maturity against industry peers to inform strategic investment and leadership focus.
  
  

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level
• Minimum 10 years airline operational audit and compliance experience, with at least 7 years in a management role.
• Must have extensive knowledge of operations at major international airlines and have knowledge of a variety of other airline working practices.
  
  

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

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