Career opportunities: Management Traineeship Business & Tech

Introduction

Help digitally transform the aviation industry and develop into tomorrow’s technology leader! As a Business & Tech Management Trainee at Air France-KLM, you will work on groundbreaking projects from day one—from smart digital platforms to the use of AI in our operations. You will lead agile teams, build innovative solutions and help shape the technological direction of an international organisation. 

What are you going to do?

The KLM Management Traineeship consists of four tracks: Business & Tech (English-language track), Finance, Engineering & Maintenance, and Corporate. You will start the traineeship together with all the other trainees and attend joint masterclasses, tours and training sessions every Friday. This means that, in addition to your own track, you will also become familiar with other disciplines.

As a trainee, you will be part of the overall KLM Management Traineeship programme. Within your specific track, you will explore a division by completing four challenging assignments. In this way, you will develop both broad management skills and in-depth expertise in your field.

Throughout the two-year traineeship, you will receive continuous professional guidance, coaching and training to help you become the best version of yourself, both professionally and personally. You will discover who you are, where your talents lie and how you can use them to make an impact. After completing the traineeship, and provided both parties have had a positive experience, you may progress to a full-time position within KLM and continue shaping your career.

During the two-year traineeship, you will complete four different assignments within KLM’s dynamic operational environment. In each assignment, you will be given direct responsibility and work on projects that truly matter. Examples include:

• Cargo IT projects: As a product owner, you will work within an agile team on a new digital platform for freight forwarders, from the first minimum viable product through to go-live.


• International IT implementations: You will lead a team rolling out Office 365 solutions and ensure smooth collaboration between Amsterdam, Valbonne, Toulouse and Paris.


• AI innovation: You will explore how artificial intelligence can help optimise flight schedules and analyse large data sources.

This will allow you to develop both strategic insight and technical expertise while playing a crucial role in the digital transformation of Air France-KLM.

During the traineeship, you will also have the opportunity to put new technologies into practice. You might set up a team for API development, contribute to implementing innovative self-service check-in equipment at Schiphol Airport, lead the introduction of a private ChatGPT environment within Air France-KLM, or develop digital integrations with SkyTeam partners. In doing so, you will play a crucial role in the organisation’s digital transformation while developing both strategic insight and technical expertise.

Where do you land?

Your workplace is flexible. Your main location will be Schiphol-Rijk, KLM’s main technology hub. You may also work at the head office in Amstelveen or at Schiphol Airport, and you will regularly collaborate with colleagues in France, including in Valbonne, Toulouse and Paris. You will work in a hybrid arrangement, depending on your assignment, and will be part of an international team of trainees, IT specialists and managers.

The working environment is open, innovative and inspiring. You will have plenty of room to develop your own initiatives and can always draw on the knowledge and experience of your colleagues.

Through the vibrant Trainee Community network, you will meet other young professionals who are just as ambitious and driven as you are. The network regularly organises activities, such as social gatherings and weekend trips, as well as professional events and peer-to-peer sessions. Together, you will learn, inspire one another and build a powerful network that will give your career a flying start.

Your profile

You move effortlessly between different projects, from strategy through to execution, and actively look for new ways to use technology to create smart solutions. You connect easily with others, enjoy working with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and know how to inspire others with your ideas and approach.

You reflect on your own actions, are willing to ask for and provide feedback, and are not afraid to experiment with new technologies—even if you do not yet have experience with them.

In addition:

• You have completed a degree at a university of applied sciences or research university, for example in business administration, data science, computer engineering, information management or another digital field;


• You have well-developed analytical skills;


• You are passionate about technology and interested in topics such as generative AI, cloud computing, sustainable IT, robotics, autonomous operations, virtual and augmented reality, DevSecOps or data science;


• You can demonstrate an affinity with IT, for example by having developed applications or led a technology project;


• You are familiar with design thinking, Agile and Lean methodologies, or Scrum;


• You speak and write English fluently at C2 level;


• We warmly encourage graduates and young professionals to apply. Ideally, you have no more than two years of relevant work experience, but ambition, motivation and the ability to learn are more important.

You also recognise yourself in the following competencies:

• Interest in and potential for leadership: You continuously develop yourself and demonstrate that you can grow into a future leadership role.


• Problem analysis: You quickly identify bottlenecks and develop smart solutions.


• Results-oriented approach: You persevere and ensure that projects are brought to a successful conclusion.


• Collaboration: You work effortlessly with colleagues from different backgrounds and disciplines and are able to build connections across departments.


• Ownership: You take responsibility for your assignments and actively contribute to improvements.


• Innovation: You continuously look for smart and efficient ways to improve processes and projects.


• Resilience: Setbacks do not throw you off balance; you remain focused and enthusiastic.


• Self-starter: You identify opportunities and take the initiative. You do not wait for things to happen—you take action yourself.

Within KLM’s diverse organisation, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where you can be yourself, regardless of how you look, what your passport says, how you identify, what your religious beliefs are or who you embrace when you come home. It is not about who you are, but how you are.

A disability or special requirement should not be a barrier to applying. Is there anything we should take into account? Please let us know so that we can work with you to make your application experience as pleasant as possible.