Aviation Management Director

Job Description

Under direction of the Chief Commercial Officer, the 0941 Aviation Management Director leads SFO-wide airline and space-tenant programs, setting strategy, policy, and operational direction for how terminal, gate, and facility space is allocated, managed, and optimized across the airport. This role partners closely with airlines, commercial tenants, regulators, and internal divisions to balance capacity, revenue, service quality, and operational reliability in a complex, high demand environment. The position is central to advancing SFO’s long-term vision by ensuring airport space supports airline growth, passenger experience, and the Airport’s financial and operational sustainability.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provides strategic leadership and managerial oversight for enforcement of tenant compliance with lease requirements, Airport Rules and Regulations, and applicable policies and procedures; establishes compliance priorities and directs resolution of complex or high-impact tenant matters.
2. Directs and oversees complex lease negotiations, landlord relations, and property management activities involving Airport properties and commercial tenants; establishes business terms and negotiation strategies consistent with Airport operational, financial, and long-term strategic objectives.
3. Provides managerial direction and oversight for the development and implementation of tenant space programs, coordinating facility design, leasing requirements, operational needs, and stakeholder priorities to ensure effective utilization of Airport facilities and alignment with long-range Airport plans.
4. Provides strategic and operational oversight of the Airport Space Request System, establishing priorities, business processes, and decision-making protocols governing the allocation and utilization of Airport space and ensuring alignment with operational and business requirements.
5. Provides leadership and strategic direction for aviation and land use business development opportunities, evaluating complex business proposals, establishing priorities, and directing initiatives that optimize Airport assets, support aviation operations, and generate long-term revenue and economic value.
6. Leads and oversees negotiations, in coordination with the Department of Real Estate and other City stakeholders, for the acquisition of property required for aviation use, evaluating business, operational, financial, and strategic considerations and recommending courses of action with significant implications for Airport development and long-term asset planning.
7. Directs the development and administration of right-of-way agreements, permits, and related property agreements for Airport properties and facilities; establishes strategies and priorities for implementing aviation programs and resolving complex property, operational, and stakeholder issues.
8. Provides senior-level policy guidance and recommendations regarding business terms, commercial agreements, property utilization, and Airport development opportunities, advising executive management on complex issues and recommending policies, strategies, and courses of action that affect Airport operations and revenue generation.
9. Provides strategic oversight of aviation business development, revenue-generating initiatives, and public and employee parking operations, establishing priorities and operational strategies to maximize Airport resources, revenue opportunities, service delivery, and long-term business objectives.
10. Leads, develops, coaches, and manages performance of direct reports, including setting expectations, providing feedback, conducting reviews, and addressing performance issues.
11. Manages and provides direction for policies, procedures, compliance, and governance related to the use and allocation of space, including monitoring adherence to established requirements and addressing issues or exceptions as appropriate.
12. Performs other functions outlined in the 0941 Manager VI job classification.

Qualifications

1.Education: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. AND

2.Experience: Four (4) years of managerial experience, in a supervisory capacity, which includes: four (4) years of infrastructure management experience within a large organization.

Substitution: Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

Education Substitution:Qualifying experience as described above may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis for up to two (2) years.  (One year of work experience is equal to 30 semester or 45 quarter units).

One-year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above 40 hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Verification

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. 

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training, and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Desirable Qualifications

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred to hiring.

• Experience in airline-airport lease and use agreement negotiation.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Collaborative leadership style.
• Demonstrated high ethics and integrity, and ability to demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of business and financial dealings.
• Ability to work with a variety of audiences and stakeholders.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Supplemental Questionnaire Examination (Weight: 100%)
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to take a Supplemental Questionnaire Examination (Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire). The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this position.  All candidates’ responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire are subject to verification. All relevant experience, education and/or training must be included in the responses in order to be reviewed in the rating process.

 A passing score on the Supplemental Questionnaire must be achieved in order to be placed/ranked on the eligible list. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score.

Note: Only those applicants meeting the minimum qualifications will be notified of the exact date, time and/or place for the examinations. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance: This position requires that the incumbent be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area. An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced. Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal. Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination. Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be six (6) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2021-22.pdf .

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of the List. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures prior to making final hiring decisions.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: 

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Additional Information

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

Information About the Hiring Process

Conviction History

Employee Benefits Overview

Equal Employment Opportunity

Disaster Service Worker

ADA Accommodation

Veterans Preference

Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

Right to Work

Copies of Application Documents

Diversity Statement

Where to Apply: 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process. Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall,1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Exam Analyst: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact recruitment analyst Ronnie Jones at [email protected].

Recruitment ID: RTF0166286- 01057402

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.