Airport Planning & Development, Assistant Director- Architecture

Salary range: $107,271-$160,000

Posting expires: June 26, 2026

General Description and Classification Standards:

The proponent will work under the direction of the Director of Architecture and will assist in effectively managing a staff comprised of Department of Aviation and consultant design management and Administrative Personnel, whose primary objective is to design, build, and maintain airport facilities in a safe and efficient manner. The Department’s capital program has work divided into numerous areas, or types, of work.

The Assistant Director of Architecture position will be responsible for overseeing the design management of architectural projects. Most of the architectural designs are developed by on-call design consultants under contract to the Department of Aviation. Design management includes managing task orders, design budgets, technical details of design, and schedules. The designs include new buildings and renovations of existing facilities. The proponent will also be responsible for assisting in the management of the Department’s airport-wide roadway signage & graphics, sustainability, and capital, tenant & concessions design submittals review process groups. When workload allows, the proponent may also manage self-perform design.

Supervision Received:

This position requires work to be completed with minimum supervision. Direction received is a function of the task, with direction focusing on strategic objectives as well as project detail and is typically collaborative in nature.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
These are typical responsibilities for this position and should not be construed as exclusive or all inclusive.

This position supports and reports to the Department of Aviation’s Director of Architecture within Infrastructure Planning and Development, as well as Department senior staff.

The proponent will have demonstrated experience in carrying out the following primary essential duties and responsibilities to include:

• Implementing landside, airside, and cargo projects from planning through facility commissioning.
• Interacting and teaming with affected stakeholders, such as other Department of Aviation business units; airlines serving the airport and their liaison representatives; consultants supporting Planning and Development; federal agencies such as the FAA, TSA, and others.
• Review designs for compliance with Department of Aviation architectural design standards, architectural principles, customer contract requirements and specifications.
• Evaluate and approve design changes, specifications and drawing releases.
• Being involved in design consultant selection.
• Effectively communicate project challenges and solutions to Department executives; and
• Manage staff as well as develop and mentor younger staff members

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
This is a partial list of necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job successfully, it is not an exhaustive list.

The proponent is expected to exhibit detailed knowledge, skills, and abilities of the following:

• Typical project management and design processes involved in the planning, design, and construction of a project, ideally at medium and large hub airports
• The ability to manage architectural design consultants and guide them in preparation of designs and specifications resulting in projects that come in on schedule and budget
• The ability to read and interpret airport-related design drawings and specifications
• The skills to develop teams to deliver successful projects
• The ability to “think out of the box” to arrive at a creative solution when required
• The ability to use discretion and make quick decisions when necessary
• The ability and desire to communicate both good and bad project news to superiors
• The skill to clearly communicate (both in written and verbal forms) with all stakeholders
• The ability to research topics or issues in preparation for meetings with senior Department staff
• The ability to prepare clear presentations with PowerPoint and well-written briefings
• The ability to ask questions when confronted with an unfamiliar design or project management situation
• Has broad knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of daily architectural design tasks with a background preferably in airport related work and/or industrial/commercial design
• Has solid knowledge of applicable building codes, engineering codes, the NFPA code and ADA regulations.