SKYWISE - HO Enterprise AI & Business Applications

Job Description:

Skywise is a leading digital services company, wholly owned by Airbus. We deliver a first-of-its-kind offer that seamlessly integrates Planning & Operations Control, Flight, Technical, and Ground Operations. By providing interoperable digital solutions for end-to-end operations, Skywise combines aircraft manufacturer expertise and digital know-how to transform operational complexity into predictable and profitable performance, ensuring resilient and more sustainable operations.

Summary: The HO Enterprise AI & Business Applications is a key leadership position within the Operational Excellence organization, responsible for supporting the company’s core operational foundation; while overseeing the definition, standardization, and implementation of the methodologies and software tools used across the organization.

In this role, you will be the key contributor to a transformation change through artificial intelligence within the operational workflows and will be directly accountable to the CEO for developing and executing an enterprise-wide strategy that leverages AI to drive operational efficiency.   

Leading a global team, you will work transversely across departments to align technical tools with business performance goals while driving operational efficiency by translating the company AI strategy into actionable tool deployment. Your focus will be on maintaining reliable systems, optimizing operational workflows, and supporting a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. 

This position requires a balanced leader capable of managing both technical tool deployment and the process methodologies required to support structured organizational growth, while making sound economic decisions that weigh AI investment against measurable productivity gains.

Main Responsibilities: 

Drive AI Internal Implementation

• Translate executive AI strategy into a concrete roadmap of specific tools, timelines, and resource requirements across business units while ensuring alignment with Airbus strategy.

• Identify operational bottlenecks through process mapping to prioritize high-impact areas for AI integration, while designing an AI-first blueprint to automate, augment and streamline daily processes (e.g., automating repetitive workflows, enhancing data analysis).

• Lead the evaluation, procurement, and deployment of internal AI tools, vendor solutions, and custom integrations, ensuring they align with existing architecture.

• Define clear KPIs and success metrics for AI initiatives, while establishing a rigorous framework to evaluate the cost-to-benefit ratio of AI tools and infrastructure. Ensure all AI deployments are financially sound. 

• Design and execute comprehensive change management plans to overcome organizational inertia and foster a culture of AI curiosity and literacy. 

• Create a feedback loop with end-users to continuously monitor tool performance, gather feature requests, and iterate on implementations to maximize operational efficiency.

• Monitor and enforce AI governance policies, standard operating procedures, and acceptable-use guidelines to ensure responsible and secure AI usage across the organization. 

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Tooling Strategy & Deployment

• Define & Execute Tooling Strategy: Define the global strategy for the governance, adoption, and support of new tools and technologies, ensuring total alignment with broader enterprise objectives and internal operating models.

• Cross-Functional Understanding: Deeply understand business requirements across all global user groups to guarantee the high availability, reliability, and relevance of necessary tools.

• End-to-End Toolchain Management: Govern the end-to-end lifecycle of internal tools from requirements gathering to decommissioning, with a sharp focus on securing and ensuring the high availability of the entire toolchain.

• Data-Driven Improvement: Analyze operational data and support trends to identify bottlenecks, improve system uptime, and continuously enhance the overall employee experience.

Team Leadership & Capacity Management

• Lead a Global Team: Directly manage, mentor, and inspire a geographically distributed team of 10-12 core professionals, fostering a culture of high performance and professional growth across time zones.

• Cross-Functional Authority & Influence: Guide and manage multi-functional teams across all business areas, providing the direct strategic leadership needed to implement AI technologies and automated workflows that drive operational efficiency.

• Strategic Resource Scaling: Leverage subcontractors and external partners tactically to increase team capacity as needed, creating an agile, flexible operational model.

• Optimized Support Infrastructure: Oversee the outsourcing of Level 1 and Level 2 support, managing partner relationships to achieve the highest possible ticket deflection, optimal utilization rates, and maximum service efficiency.

• Manage Software Development Train: Oversee the dedicated software development train responsible for the end-to-end development, maintenance, and support of all Aerodata Production Tools.

Financial & Vendor Governance

• Global Budget Ownership: Own the global budget for internal tools, ensuring rigorous fiscal responsibility and the strategic allocation of resources across the entire enterprise software portfolio.

• Value Realization & Reporting: Measure and report on the Realization of Value (RoV) for all active systems, ensuring they successfully deliver the business cases and efficiency gains originally promised.

• Procurement & Vendor Partnership: Partner closely with Procurement to negotiate and ensure all third-party vendor selections and subcontracted activities meet strict strategic, financial, and performance targets.

Required Experience & Capabilities:

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in technology or operations. 

• Five or more years working experience in an IT environment

• Extensive experience (3+ years) developing methods to support/deploy company processes

• Experience implementing and supporting AI models, tools and methodologies used to support operational efficiency

• Experience leading large projects   

Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities & Competencies:

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Strategic Thinking: Capability to align tooling investments with long-term financial and operational strategies. 

• Understanding of data governance, data quality concepts, and user adoption strategies.

• Proactive and self driven 

• A leader in change management 

• A continuous improvement mindset   

• Knowledge of DevOps practices and concepts; able to apply these concepts within the organization’s technical environment to drive business value

• Extensive knowledge of IT systems operations 

• Knowledge of transverse business processes and associated tools (e.g. sales and marketing, finance)

• Ability to prioritize, delegate effectively, and establish focus  

Travel Required:  Able to travel both domestically and internationally.

What we Offer:

Located in the heart of University of Waterloo’s David Johnston Research + Technology Park, Skywise is close to shops, restaurants, gyms, daycare, and many other amenities, and only 10 minutes away from Hwy 85. As part of our family, you will enjoy:

• Being part of Airbus Network

• Flexible hours

• Hybrid working environment (3 days in office)

• Free parking 

• Vacation Days (15 - 25)

• Professional Development Day

• Christmas shut down

• Summer core hours 

• Strong work-life balance 

• Casual dress code 

• Competitive group benefits plan 

• Strong focus on mental health support benefits

• Sick and Personal days 

• RRSP matching program

• Life Insurance

• Access to Employee Share Scheme

• Maternity & Paternity benefits

• Referral program

• Rewards and Recognition program 

• Training and Development Support 

• Monthly Lunch and Learns 

• Fitness & Wellness reimbursement

• An active social committee 

• Organized Volunteer Events

• Game room, including a flight simulator!

• Active Inclusion & Diversity Committee

• And much more

AI Disclosure: No artificial intelligence tools are used to screen, assess, or select candidates for this role

Selection and Hiring Commitment 

We thank all applicants for applying. Only selected applicants will be contacted.

Skywise is committed to creating an environment and a culture where everyone feels like they belong no matter who they are or where they are from. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications and ability to perform a job. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, colour, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, record of offences, and basis of disability or any protected class. Accommodations will be available on request for candidates throughout the entire recruitment and selection process.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company:

NAVBLUE, Inc.

Contract Type:

Permanent

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Experience Level:

Professional

Job Family:

Leadership <JF-FA-EM>

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Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief.

Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Airbus to do so should be reported to emsom@airbus.com.

At Airbus, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking.