How youll help us Keep Climbing (overview & key responsibilities) At Delta Air Lines, connection is at the heart of everything we do and guides our every action. We strive to welcome and care for all of our customers during their travels with us and aim to deliver an elevated experience. The Principal Engineer, Aircraft Performance Engineering, serves as a recognized technical authority responsible for leading complex, high-impact engineering initiatives that shape aircraft performance strategy, operational capability, and cross-divisional decision-making. This role operates with broad autonomy, drives innovation in performance engineering methods, and influences outcomes across Flight Operations, OCC, IT, Commercial, and external industry stakeholders.Key Responsibilities:Lead large-scale, complex performance engineering programs affecting fleet strategy, aircraft deployment, and operational efficiency across the network. Provide full technical ownership of high-impact engineering solutions involving novel or ambiguous problems with significant operational and financial implications. Define and advance methodologies, tools, and analytical frameworks for aircraft performance, fuel optimization, and operational decision support. Translate enterprise and departmental objectives into actionable engineering strategies and ensure successful execution across multiple concurrent. Serve as the lead technical advisor for performance-related decisions, influencing senior leadership and cross-divisional stakeholders. Anticipate and assess operational risks and opportunities, proactively recommending and implementing strategic mitigations. Drive continuous improvement and innovation, introducing new technologies, data capabilities, and analytical approaches to enhance performance engineering outcomes. Establish and govern engineering standards, policies, and best practices ensuring regulatory compliance, safety, and operational consistency. Lead cross-functional engagement with internal partners and external industry groups; represent the organization in working groups, committees, and regulatory or manufacturer interactions. Mentor, coach, and develop engineering talent; provide technical leadership, delegate work effectively, and elevate team capability. Foster a safety-first culture while promoting data-driven decision-making and operational excellence.
Benefits and Perks to Help You Keep Climbing Our culture is rooted in a shared dedication to living our values – Care, Integrity, Resilience, Servant Leadership, and Teamwork – every day, in everything we do. At Delta, our people are our success. At the heart of what we offer is our focus on Sharing Success with Delta employees. Exploring a career at Delta gives you a chance to see the world while earning great compensation and benefits to help you keep climbing along the way: Competitive salary, industry-leading profit sharing program, and performance incentives 401(k) with generous company contributions up to 9 Paid time off including vacation, holidays, paid personal time, maternity and parental leave Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, short/long term disability and life benefits Family care assistance through fertility support, surrogacy and adoption assistance, lactation support, subsidized back-up care, and programs that help with loved ones in all stages Holistic Wellbeing programs to support physical, emotional, social, and financial health, including access to an employee assistance program offering support for you and anyone in your household, free financial coaching, and extensive resources supporting mental health Domestic and International space-available flight privileges for employees and eligible family members Career development programs to achieve your long-term career goals World-wide partnerships to engage in community service and innovative goals created to focus on sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint Business Resource Groups created to connect employees with common interests to promote inclusion, provide perspective and help implement strategies Recognition rewards and awards through the platform Unstoppable Together Access to over 500 discounts, specialty savings and voluntary benefits through Deltaperks such as car and hotel rentals and auto, home, and pet insurance, legal services, and childcare
What you need to succeed (minimum qualifications) Minimum of 8 years of relevant engineering experience, or demonstrated equivalent progression and performance.Demonstrated mastery of aircraft performance engineering principles, tools, and operational application.Proven ability to lead complex engineering initiatives with minimal direction, operating against broad objectives and delivering measurable business value.Strong experience in cross-functional leadership, influencing decisions across organizational boundaries.Advanced analytical, technical writing, and communication skills; ability to translate complex technical concepts into executive-level insights.Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions on methods, approaches, and design criteria for engineering solutions.Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to organizational capability development.Consistently prioritizes safety and security of self, others, and personal dataEmbraces diverse people, thinking, and stylesPossesses a high school diploma, GED, or high school equivalencyMust be at least 18 years of age and have authorization to work in the United States
What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications) Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Aeronautical or Aerospace preferred).,Extensive experience in airline flight operations, performance engineering, dispatch, and FAR 121 regulatory environments.Deep familiarity with aircraft performance systems, flight planning software, and operational data ecosystems.Advanced data analytics, modeling, or programming experience (e.g., Python, optimization modeling, large-scale data processing).,Track record of influencing enterprise-level strategy or delivering transformative operational improvements.Participation in industry working groups, OEM collaboration, or regulatory engagement.Experience driving adoption of new technologies, processes, or analytical frameworks across an organization.