Aircraft Sourcing Manager - Sales & Buyers Wanted (Santa Barbara, On-Site)

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Description

At Silver Air, we've built something rare in private aviation: a Part 135 operation where safety, transparency, and client advocacy aren't just talking points—they're how we've earned our reputation.

Our Flight Club™ membership and on-demand charter business give clients access to a global fleet through one of the most trusted names in private aviation. We don't chase every trip. We chase the right trips—the ones that meet our standards and deliver real value to clients and aircraft owners alike (https://www.flightclub.aero/).

We're now hiring an Aircraft Sourcing Manager to join our Santa Barbara headquarters and own a critical piece of our commercial engine.

Compensation: $72,000 – $80,000 annually DOE + relocation assistance (Downtown On-Site Santa Barbara HQ – 2 blocks from the beach)

The Role in Plain English

You'll be the first line of defense between our Private Jet Advisors (PJAs) and the operator marketplace.

When a PJA needs aircraft options for a client trip, you source them. When an operator sends pricing, you negotiate it. When a deal doesn't make commercial sense, you kill it. When it does, you package clean, margin-smart options so our sales team can focus on what they do best: building client relationships and closing business.

This is a pit-style role. Fast, commercial, high-stakes. You'll manage 15-25 active sourcing requests simultaneously, negotiate with operators in real time, and make confident calls with incomplete information. It's chess at 2x speed.

Here's what a typical day looks like:

8:30 AM - Check overnight requests. Three urgent trips came in: SBA to Aspen (tomorrow), LAX to Cabo (Friday), Miami to Teterboro (repositioning play).
9:00 AM - Fire up Avinode. Query 12 operators for the Aspen trip. Target margin: 18%. You get quotes back ranging from $14K to $22K. You counter three of them.
10:15 AM - An operator calls. They're high on the Cabo trip but want to tack on a fuel surcharge. You push back, and do so firmly but professionally. You get them to $500 instead of $1,200.
11:00 AM - PJA needs a sanity check on a Paris-London-Geneva multi-leg. You flag that Leg 2's crew will time out unless they overnight in London. You source the workaround and present two options with cost deltas.
1:00 PM - You kill a trip. Operator's aircraft doesn't meet our safety minimums, pricing is underwater, and the client's timeline is unrealistic. You explain why to the PJA. They thank you for the save.
3:30 PM - Flight Club member wants a rush quote for tomorrow. You source four vetted options in 90 minutes, rank them by value and reliability, and hand them off with margin breakdowns and operator notes.

You're the gatekeeper. The margin protector. The operator whisperer. And you're extremely good at it.

Aircraft Sourcing & Negotiation (60% of role)

Source aircraft through Avinode, operator networks, and vendor relationships across domestic and international markets
Negotiate pricing, ferry positioning, fuel surcharges, overnight costs, and terms - aggressively but professionally
Apply margin targets to every trip: you know when we're at 22% vs. 12%, and you escalate when deals fall outside parameters
Filter out low-quality operators before they ever reach the sales team
Say "no" to bad deals with confidence and clear commercial rationale

PJA Support & Commercial Enablement (25% of role)

Remove sourcing burden so PJAs can focus on client strategy, discovery, and closing
Deliver vetted "go-forward" options ranked by safety, operator quality, margin, and feasibility
Anticipate questions: crew duty limits, repositioning logic, international requirements, fuel stops, de-ice capabilities
Flag red flags: questionable operators, unrealistic timelines, weather/airport restrictions, regulatory roadblocks
Support complex itineraries requiring multi-leg sourcing, international permits, or unusual routing

Build and maintain a network of reliable domestic and international operators
Track operator performance: on-time record, AOG incidents, crew professionalism, aircraft condition
Maintain vendor scorecards and blackout calendars so we always know who's available and who's trustworthy
Partner with Safety and Ops on vendor qualification and ongoing compliance
Be firm, be fair, be fast, and protect Silver Air's reputation in every operator interaction

What You Bring

Experience That Matters

3-5 years in charter brokerage, aviation sales, dispatch, trip coordination, or high-pressure inside sales where you've negotiated with vendors and managed tight deadlines
Proven track record negotiating with charter operators-you've pushed for better rates, walked away from bad deals, and built relationships that last
Hands-on experience with Avinode and trip management platforms like Jet Insight, FOS, or similar (required)
Working knowledge of CRM systems (HubSpot preferred) and comfort learning new tech quickly

Commercial Instinct

You understand margin dynamics and trip economics, you can smell a bad deal from three emails away
You know when to push for another $2K off and when the juice isn't worth the squeeze
You're comfortable making high-stakes decisions quickly, even when you don't have perfect information

Operational Awareness

You understand how crew duty limits, weather, repositioning, fuel stops, and international considerations affect trip feasibility and cost
You can assess whether an operator's quote makes operational sense or if they're gaming the numbers
You know the difference between a Challenger 300 and a Citation X, and why it matters for a 4-passenger LAX-Aspen trip

Work Style That Fits

You thrive in organized chaos - juggling 15+ active requests, rapid pivots, and constant operator communication energizes you rather than drains you
You communicate directly and succinctly: PJAs get clear options, operators get clear expectations, leadership gets clear escalations
You have thick skin and don't take negotiation pushback personally-you're here to get the best deal, not to be everyone's best friend
You see yourself as part of a revenue engine, not a cost center-your work directly impacts profitability and client experience

Why This Role Is Special

Location, Location, Location
Work from our newly renovated historic office in downtown Santa Barbara - two blocks from East Beach, walking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, and the harbor. You'll have ocean views from the office, year-round perfect weather, and a workspace that doesn't feel like a cubicle farm.

High-Impact Seat
Your sourcing decisions directly affect margins on $18M+ in annual charter revenue. When you negotiate a trip from 15% margin to 21%, that delta goes straight to the bottom line. When you kill a bad deal, you protect our reputation and resources. This isn't back-office work—it's frontline commercial warfare.

Career Growth Path
This role sits between PJA and the Charter Sales Director in commercial sophistication. Top performers typically move into:

Senior PJA roles (client-facing sales)
Charter Sales leadership
Operations or Safety management
Vendor partnerships or fleet strategy

We promote from within and invest in people who prove they can operate at the next level.

Flight Club & Brand Strength
You're supporting a growing membership product and a boutique brand that's known for doing things right. Our clients choose us because we don't cut corners. Our operators respect us because we negotiate hard but pay fast and treat people professionally. You'll be proud to say you work here.

Total Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $72,000-$80,000 (based on experience)
Health Benefits: Medical, dental, vision (company covers 80% of premiums)
Retirement: 401(k) with 5% company match
PTO: Unlimated PTO + 10 paid holidays
Relocation Assistance: Up to $5,000 for qualified out-of-area candidates
Professional Development: Annual budget for aviation conferences, training, and certifications
Perks: Discounted Flight Club membership for personal travel, quarterly team events, casual dress code

Silver Air is an equal opportunity employer. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive team where people from all backgrounds can do their best work.

We value different perspectives, different experiences, and people who challenge us to be better. If you're sharp, commercial, and ready to own a critical role in our operation - even if you don't check every single box - we want to hear from you.

About Silver Air Private Jets

Company Culture:

Silver Air Private Jets is driven to be the best in our industry – to change our industry by creating an environment where our team members can be their absolute best individually and collectively. We've built a culture based on core values like Drive, Own It, Respect, and Discipline. Silver Air fosters an environment of safety-first flight operations and service-first client relations. We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we encourage contribution and collaboration.

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