Southwest Airlines has filed one layoff notice in the last twelve months, covering 107 workers, most recently March 2026. These are public filings with state labor departments, and an open role can sit alongside them. See the filings

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About the job

Department: Technology

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:

As a Senior Operations Research Developer for the Network Optimization Team, you’ll play a pivotal role in translating operational requirements into technical solutions. This position offers exciting challenges, as the Optimization Teams directly impact the efficiency of thousands of daily flights across hundreds of aircraft, thousands of crew members, and hundreds of thousands of passengers. You’ll gain exposure to a wide range of airline operations, including aircraft operations, crew planning, crew recovery, passenger movement, airport operations, and maintenance, expanding your understanding of the airline industry.

Additional Details

This role is offered as a remote workplace position, which may require travel for trainings, meetings, conferences, etc. Outside of those required visits, the majority of your working time may be spent in a remote location, away from our Corporate Campus. Please note, while this is a remote position, there is limited group of states or localities ineligible for Employees to regularly perform their work off-site. Those ineligible locations are: Alaska, Delaware, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics.

Responsibilities

Develop mathematical models based on business requirements

Develop solution strategies to solve models developed

Develop code to implement solution strategies

Prepare technical documentation of models and solution strategies

Lead reviews of models, solution strategies, and code with the Team to leverage its collective experience

Test applications to insure they perform as expected, and solve the correct problem

Lead reviews of solutions with business Customers to ensure that they are acceptable

Calibrate the model or solution strategy as needed

Work effectively with the rest of the Team, business Customers, Technology development Teams, and support groups

Provide support for developed applications as needed. Create enhancements, or recalibrate as the business problem changes

Provide leadership, guidance, and mentoring to other less-experienced Team members

May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of standard programming languages, and associated development tools (compilers, debuggers, etc)

Knowledge of software development, practice, concepts, and technology obtained through college degree program, formal training and/or work experience

Skilled in demonstrating a high-level of optimization aptitude and ability for logical and abstract thinking

Skilled in partnering, communication, and negotiating as to interact effectively with business Customers and technology development and support groups

Ability to complete root-cause analysis, design complex solutions, write code, perform testing, provide documentation, and implement optimization projects

Ability to analyze and resolve complex problems

Ability to work effectively in a strong Customer service/team oriented environment

Ability to work independently where appropriate

Ability to contribute thoughts and ideas on other active projects across the Team

Preferred: Foundational knowledge of AWS or other cloud infrastructure

Preferred: Foundational knowledge of Linux based development

Preferred: Preferred prior experience applying optimization methods in an airline environment

Preferred: Experience or familiarity with Scaled Agile for Enterprise (SAFe) Framework

Education

Required: High School Diploma or GED

Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information systems or similar fields of study or equivalent advanced level experience

Experience

Expert level experience, expansive and far reaching knowledge in:

Applying Operations Research methods in a business environment or a PhD with lesser business experience accepted

Using Xpress, CPLEX, or other industrial-strength LP/IP tools

Licensing/Certification

N/A

Physical Abilities

Ability to perform work duties from [limited space work station/desk/office area] for extended periods of time

Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job

Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job

Other Qualifications

Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines

Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986

Must be at least 18 years of age

Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines

Must be able to travel and /or attend Company and non-Company facilities and remote locations such as remote-based offices as necessary

Pay & Benefits

Competitive market salary from $153,000 per year to $170,000 per year* depending on qualifications and experience. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the company.

Benefits you’ll love:

Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)

Southwest will help fund your 401(k) retirement savings with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings**

Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit***

Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)

Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.

Explore more Benefits you’ll love: https://careers.southwestair.com/benefits

*Pay amount does not guarantee employment for any particular period of time.

**401(k) match contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits ***ProfitSharing contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please print/save this job description because it won't be available after you apply.

Job Posting End Date 11/10/2026