How to hire a flight operations specialist

How to hire a flight operations specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step flight operations specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a flight operations specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new flight operations specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your flight operations specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a flight operations specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect flight operations specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of flight operations specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Flight Operations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Flight Operations Specialist		$15-37
   Flight Operation Coordinator	Flight Operation Coordinators deliver their services from an airport control tower to ensure all takeoff and landing aspects proceed as per the standard procedures and safety. They check all navigation and flight records and monitor the aircraft from the time they take off from the starting place until they reach the scheduled destination... Show more	$11-33

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • NOTAMs
   • Flight Training
   • Federal Aviation Administration
   • Weather Reports
   • DOD
   • Aviation Flight
   • Aeronautical Charts
   • Air Traffic Control
   • Military Aircraft
   • Aviation Operations
   • Aircraft Movement
   • Flight Schedules
   • Flight Rules
   • Flight Logs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Personalize and manage a customer SQL network database to consolidate all incoming orders from different marketplaces.
   • Attend NCO leadership school Airforce community college.
   • Receive and relay emergency aircraft information, updates and post notices to airmen (NOTAMS).
   • Company NCO's are selected as master trainers for camp defense against air assault infantry attack.
   • Obtain weather information, NOTAMS, and all other pertinent flight information necessary for the safe operation of flights
   • Oversee direct deposit enrollment and benefits enrollment organizing and faxing forms to corporate payroll and outsourcing company to ensure employee enrollment.

   More flight operations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your flight operations specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A flight operations specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a flight operations specialist in North Dakota may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level flight operations specialist usually earns less than a senior-level flight operations specialist. Additionally, a flight operations specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average flight operations specialist salary

   $50,480yearly

   $24.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level flight operations specialist salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average flight operations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Arizona	$53,944	$26
   2	Texas	$50,666	$24
   3	Florida	$47,875	$23
   4	Colorado	$40,537	$19
   5	Kansas	$38,792	$19

   Average flight operations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Army National Guard	$55,120	$26.50	43
   2	Rampart Aviation	$53,835	$25.88	2
   3	US Airways Center	$52,744	$25.36
   4	UPS	$51,671	$24.84	1
   5	Spirit Airlines	$45,052	$21.66
   6	Kansas State University	$25,936	$12.47	3

4. Writing a flight operations specialist job description

   A good flight operations specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a flight operations specialist job description:

   Flight operations specialist job description example

   To functional test a variety of aircraft avionics and electrical systems and restore malfunctioning system to proper operation in compliance with engineering and flight test requirements\.
   JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   I\. Plans and performs a wide variety of functional testing and troubleshooting operations to determine cause of malfunctioning electrical and electronic systems used in production multiengine
   
   aircraft\. Complex systems may develop unusual malfunctions which are corrected according to accepted methods and engineering requirements\.
   
   A\. Works from aircraft orders, inspection records, schematic drawings, engineering specifications, oral and written instructions to assure that aircraft meets requirements for proper flight operation of systems such as auto pilots, flight directors, automatic direction finders, high frequency transmitters, radios, heating systems, weather radar, DME, transponders, EFIS systems and windshear\.
   
   II\. Observes operation of electrical and electronic systems while aircraft is in flight or being tested on flight ramp\. Adjusts GCUS and parallel generator voltages, compass directions, auto pilot headings and make other adjustments as required\.
   
   III\. Uses aircraft orders and inspection records to determine systems requirements\. Plans installation, functional testing and repair sequences for standard and optional equipment to complete work according to schedules\. May contact plant supervision, engineering and avionics departments to arrange for delivery of shortage items and to obtain specifications for optional equipment\. Works with vendor representative and/or engineering\.
   
   IV\. Takes corrective action to repair malfunctioning systems using a variety of test equipment and hand tools\. Maintains clean working area\.
   
   V\. Guides and instructs one to two lower grade employees engaged in flight line electrical and electronics work\.
   
   VI\. Performs other related duties as required such as field or ramp taxi of aircraft\.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   Job duties require equivalent to vocational high school education to have knowledge of electrical and electronic principles\. Ability to interpret schematic drawings, assembly blueprints and specifications is required\.
   
   EXPERIENCE:
   
   Over three years up to five years diversified aircraft electrical and electronic installation and functional testing experience required to have working knowledge of a wide variety of electrical and electronic systems\.
   
   **Take your career higher at Textron Aviation:**
   
   + Competitive starting salaries with growth potential
   
   + Health benefits beginning day one
   
   + Tuition assistance and continuing education programs
   
   + Paid holidays
   
   + Relocation assistance \(terms and conditions apply\)
   
   + Flight training courses and bonuses \(terms and conditions apply\)
   
   **Come feel the pride\.**
   
   **This role is eligible for $4,000 \(pre\-tax\) sign\-on bonus \(effective 7/28/2022 - 12/31/2022\)**
   
   **EEO Statement**
   
   Textron is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law\.
   
   **Pay Transparency Policy Statement**
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant\. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise, have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is \(a\) in response to a formal complaint or charge, \(b\) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or \(c\) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information\.
   
   **Job** Manufacturing
   
   **Primary Location** US\-Kansas\-Wichita
   
   **Recruiting Company** Textron Aviation
   
   **Schedule** Full\-time
   
   **Job Level** Individual Contributor
   
   **Shift** Second Shift
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right flight operations specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with flight operations specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit flight operations specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your flight operations specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit flight operations specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting flight operations specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new flight operations specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the flight operations specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new flight operations specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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