U

United Airlines

Flies passengers and cargo worldwide from US hubs

Senior Analyst - Pilot Workforce Planning & Analysis

Full-TimePosted on 10/26/2026
$81.8k - $106.6k+ Bonus + Long-term incentive compensation awards
Mid
Bachelor's
Chicago, IL, USA
In Person
Business & StrategyBusiness Operations
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree or four years of relevant work experience is required.
  • At least two years of experience in a related role is required.
  • At least two years of management-level experience is required.
  • Advanced Excel capabilities and strong data analysis, querying, and modeling skills are required.
  • Leadership, communication, and presentation-development skills are required.
  • The candidate must be intellectually curious and self-motivated to identify signals in data, understand root causes, and derive actionable insights.
  • A demonstrated track record of using data analysis to evaluate anecdotal hypotheses or abstract concepts is required.
  • Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate through visual mediums such as dashboards and PowerPoint are required.
  • The candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship.
  • Successful completion of an interview is required to meet the job qualification.
  • Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position.
Responsibilities
  • Collaborate with Workforce Planning analysts to support the mid-term plan and offer jobs aligned with broader strategic goals.
  • Maintain the midterm strategy and headcount forecasts that determine supportability at a base, fleet, and seat level for United pilots.
  • Determine necessary staffing levers, including vacancies, displacements, staffing minimum adjustments, and associated pilot movement expectations.
  • Evaluate vacancy snapshots and write supporting monthly summaries for MD and VP audiences.
  • Run the training optimization model to analyze training solutions and determine an optimized staffing strategy that balances training constraints, cost implications, contractual requirements, and uncertainties in pilot behavior and interest.
  • Support UPA implementation, contract, and ALPA-related efforts to maintain contractual compliance with the vacancy process and management of pilot movement and training.
  • Collaborate with the Flight Training Center, Finance, and other stakeholders to optimize resource and capacity cost and utilization.
Desired Qualifications
  • A degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Mathematics, or Statistics, or equivalent experience in management consulting or airline management.
  • Experience in crew planning, network planning, financial planning and analysis, or strategic planning/corporate development at a major global airline with multiple aircraft types and crew bases.
  • Programming language experience.

About the company

United Airlines flies passengers and cargo across the United States and to destinations around the world, running a hub network that spans Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington Dulles and Guam. It was a founding member of Star Alliance, the global airline partnership that links its routes and frequent-flyer benefits with carriers such as Lufthansa and Air Canada. Travelers book seats in economy, premium and Polaris business cabins, and United earns money from fares, bag and seat fees, cargo, and its MileagePlus loyalty program, which sells miles to card partners. United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines, which began flying airmail in 1926, and is based in Chicago.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

1926

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Premium travel fuels growth: premium revenue rose 16% in Q2 2026 as total revenue reached $17.7 billion.
  • Hiring keeps expanding: United had 117,500 employees by June 2026, up 5.6% from a year earlier.
  • Cabin crew pay is climbing: the flight attendant deal reached in March 2026 lifts base pay 31% on average.

What critics are saying

  • Fuel prices squeeze profits: in July 2026, United expected nearly $6 billion more fuel expense for the year.
  • Mechanics' labor fight drags on: United technicians rejected a Teamsters tentative deal 53.5% to 46.5% in September 2026.
  • Newark growth was capped: the FAA limited the airport to 72 hourly flights from January through October 2026.

What makes United Airlines unique

  • United gives loyalty members free fast WiFi: it targets Starlink on nearly 1,000 aircraft by end of 2026.
  • Its Pacific reach extends past Hawaii: United runs a hub on Guam, a US island territory near Asia.
  • United dominates New York's Newark airport: it runs about 70% of the flights there.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Parental Leave
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Commuter
  • Paid Holidays
  • Paid Time Off

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

11%

1 year growth

11%

2 year growth

11%
Yahoo Finance
Oct 24th, 2026
American Airlines warns fares will stay high even if fuel falls, as fuel adds $1.9B to costs

American Airlines expects airfares to stay high even if fuel prices fall, finance chief Devon May told the Financial Times. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the Iran war began in late February. "If fuel comes down, I think airfares probably stay largely where they're at right now," May said. Higher fuel costs added $1.9 billion to American's costs in the third quarter, and the airline warned it could lose $1 to $1.60 per share this year. The average base fare rose from $405 in late 2025 to $436 in the second quarter, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. May said fares had not fully recovered in real terms since the pandemic. Delta raised fares by about 20% without a noticeable drop in sales. United recouped 72% of a $1.8 billion fuel hit through higher prices.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 21st, 2026
United bets on Starlink to win brand-loyal flyers as Q3 revenue rises 17% to $17.9B

United Airlines is betting that Starlink, SpaceX's in-flight satellite internet service, will win over customers loyal to other airlines. Chief executive officer Scott Kirby said on the company's third-quarter 2026 earnings call that the carrier sees evidence the service influences which airline people choose. United offers more Starlink flights than the entire US airline industry combined, Kirby said. It has launched a tracker so customers can check whether their flight has the service. Kirby said some customers loyal to rival airlines switched solely because of Starlink, and stayed after trying United. He expects higher revenue per available seat mile in 2027 and beyond. Third-quarter total operating revenue rose 17% year over year to $17.9 billion. Loyalty and premium revenue each grew 17%, while basic economy revenue rose 16%.

PR Newswire
Sep 24th, 2026
United Airlines receives first GTF Advantage-powered A321XLR from RTX's Pratt & Whitney

United Airlines has received its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney's GTF Advantage engines, marking the inaugural delivery of this enhanced engine variant. The GTF Advantage offers up to twice the operational lifespan of current GTF engines and provides 4-8% more takeoff thrust, enabling extended range capabilities. The engine features an advanced hot section design and remains fully compatible with existing GTF models, simplifying fleet operations. Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, plans to transition its entire PW1100G-JM production line to the Advantage specification by 2028. Current GTF operators will be able to access 90-95% of the Advantage's durability improvements through a Hot Section Plus upgrade option, available from early next year during scheduled maintenance visits.

Yahoo Finance
Sep 17th, 2026
DISH and United Airlines bring live football to 35,000 feet via Starlink screens

DISH and United Airlines have partnered to bring live football to passengers on Starlink-enabled flights. The service launches this week on over 200 United aircraft, expanding to nearly 700 planes by February 2027. Passengers will have access to nine live sports channels including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, NFL Network, and Prime Video's Thursday Night Football. The service covers both college and professional football games throughout the 2026–2027 season. The partnership uses DISH's OnStream platform, which delivers entertainment across multiple business sectors including hospitality, senior living, and aviation. The collaboration aims to keep sports fans connected to live games whilst travelling at 35,000 feet.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 27th, 2026
United trades at forward P/E of 11 as US airfares jump 25.5% and CEO predicts more rises

US airline fares rose 25.5% year over year in July, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expects further gradual increases through the first half of 2027 if demand holds. United's second-quarter revenue reached $17.67 billion, up 16% year over year. Despite industry-wide fare growth, United shares have gained only 2.69% year to date, compared with Delta's 20.64% rise. United trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11, versus Delta's 13. Kirby framed the fare increases as structural catch-up, noting airport fees have risen roughly 60% since COVID and maintenance costs remain elevated. He told investors that airfares are still 13% below 2019 levels in real terms.