Head of Partner Governance, Compliance & Contracts Management

The Head of Partner Governance, Compliance & Contracts Management is responsible for establishing and operating the governance, compliance and contractual management framework for the suppliers and partner ecosystem. This role ensures that partners, subcontractors, repair suppliers and strategic partners perform in line with agreed obligations, regulatory requirements, quality standards and commercial commitments. The position reports to the Head of Strategic Supplier Management & Ecosystem Strategy and converts supplier strategy into disciplined governance through clear decision making, structured performance reviews, active contract management, visible risks and effective escalation mechanisms.

1. Partner Governance Framework

• Governance Model: Design, implement and maintain the partner governance model for strategic suppliers, subcontractors, repair partners and service providers.
• Supplier Segmentation: Define supplier segmentation based on criticality, spend, operational impact, risk and strategic relevance.
• Decision Rights and Forums: Establish governance forums, meeting cadence, decision rights, escalation routes and executive review mechanisms.
• Ownership Discipline: Ensure each strategic partner has clear ownership, performance expectations and issue-resolution processes.
• Ecosystem Governance: Support the Head of Strategic Partner Management & Ecosystem Strategy in defining the optimal tier-1 and tier-2 partner governance approach.

2. Partner Performance Management

• Partner Scorecards: Establish and manage partner scorecards covering quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness, material availability, contractual performance and planning reliability.
• Performance Governance Reviews: Lead structured partner performance reviews with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Corrective Actions: Define corrective action plans for partners that are underperforming and track implementation to closure.
• Escalation Management: Coordinate escalation processes for partner failures affecting engine turnaround time, material availability, quality or customer commitments.
• Continuous Improvement: Support supplier improvement initiatives where performance gaps are identified and measurable recovery is required.

3. Contracts Management

• Contract Management Framework: Own the contract management framework for partner, supplier, subcontractor and service agreements.
• Obligation Visibility: Maintain and track contractual obligations, service levels, pricing mechanisms, renewal dates, liabilities, penalties, warranty terms and termination rights.
• Contract Governance: Ensure contracts are proactively managed following execution and translated into operational routines, performance reviews and escalation mechanisms.
• Negotiation Support: Work with Legal, Finance and Procurement to ensure new contracts contain clear governance, performance, compliance and escalation provisions.
• Commercial Leakage Control: Identify contractual leakage, missed claims, unclaimed warranties or supplier non-compliance with agreed terms.

4. Regulatory, Safety and Internal Compliance

• Partner Compliance: Ensure partners operate in compliance with applicable aviation regulations, safety standards, quality requirements and internal company policies.
• Audit Coordination: Coordinate with Quality and Engineering on supplier approvals, audits, findings, deviations and remediation plans.
• Corrective Action Tracking: Track supplier audit outcomes and ensure corrective actions are completed within agreed timelines.
• Subcontract Compliance: Ensure subcontracted MRO activities meet regulatory, quality and delivery requirements.
• Internal Control: Support internal compliance reviews related to partner management, contractual obligations and supplier risk.
• Risk Framework: Develop a structured supplier risk management framework covering financial, operational, regulatory, geopolitical, capacity and single-source risks.
• Risk Register: Maintain a risk register for critical suppliers and subcontractors.
• Mitigation Planning: Define mitigation plans for high-risk partners, including secondary sourcing, allocation management, contractual protections and contingency plans.
• Early Warning Indicators: Provide early warning indicators on supplier health, capacity constraints and supply chain fragility.
• Cross-Functional Risk Resolution: Work with OEM Relations, Procurement and Planning & Inventory to address supplier risks affecting material availability or shop-visit execution.

6. Subcontract Management Governance

• Outsourced MRO Governance: Govern outsourced MRO activities from a performance, contractual and compliance perspective.
• Subcontractor Performance: Ensure subcontractors meet agreed quality, delivery, cost and regulatory standards.
• External Repair Control: Monitor external repair partners and subcontracted work packages through structured KPIs and reviews.
• Cycle-Time Coordination: Coordinate with Procurement on commercial issues and with Planning & Inventory on cycle-time and capacity constraints.
• Improvement Initiatives: Initiate supplier improvement plans when subcontractor performance affects MRO execution.

6. Team Development

• Recruitment: Recruit and develop resources to become well-rounded professionals that add depth and contribute to the team’s success.
• Performance Management: Establish performance metrics and actively monitor performance and find areas for improvement and opportunities.
• Value Contribution: Quantify the contribution of the function for value leakage, cost avoidance, margin protection and supplier accountability.
• Mentorship: Provide mentorship and coaching to both direct reports and peers where experience and know-how can be shared.