Job Description
Our employee-owned and multi-disciplined team of engineering, design, and planning professionals is looking for an aviation planner with engaging leadership skills, a demonstrated ability to cultivate and enhance relationships with prospective and current clients, and a unwavering passion for understanding and delivering in accordance with the needs of the greater aviation community to join our team as the Aviation Planning Group Manager.
As the Aviation Planning Group Manager, you will lead a talented team of planning professionals to deliver airport master plans, airport layout plans, site selection studies, obstruction analysis, activity forecasts, environmental evaluations, land use compatibility evaluations, and other related airport planning projects for general aviation airport, commercial airport, and airline clients throughout the country. You will also be responsible for the overall growth, vision, and financial performance of the Aviation Planning team and therefore will collaborate with the Vice President of Aviation and other Group Managers to assess and outline annual and strategic business objectives, develop and implement marketing plans, track prospective business opportunities, make decisions on strategic project pursuits based on team capabilities, lead proposal development efforts, cultivate and maintain relations with current and prospective clients, represent TKDA at project interviews, and attend local / regional conferences.
As a Group Manager, you will be responsible for managing, recognizing, and developing the talents of your team members while encouraging and coaching your team to take on progressive and more autonomous responsibilities in alignment with their professional aspirations and annual / strategic business objectives of the Aviation team. Furthermore, you will frequently serve as a Project Manager for planning and multi-discipline projects and be responsible for evaluating the scope, complexity, and scheduling / deliverable requirements along with managing overall project budgets, quality control, and contract execution.
For this opportunity we are seeking a qualified professional who resides within a regular commuting distance of our MSP / Bloomington, MN location. The selected candidate will be provided with a flexible hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote) work arrangement.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in planning, airport management, or related program from an accredited college/university.
- Ten or more years of progressive experience developing, managing, and delivering an extensive portfolio of planning studies for general aviation and commercial service airports.
- Prior experience managing multi-disciplined airport planning projects with a track record of profitability and satisfaction or repeat business.
- Prior business development experience demonstrated by an ability to cultivate, maintain, or deepen client relations and an ability to identify new business / contract opportunities; prior experience pursuing and securing airport planning project opportunities in multiple locations / regions throughout the country is strongly preferred.
- Prior experience coaching, developing, and leading a team of planning, GIS, and/or engineering professionals with varying years of experience and diverse collection of competencies and talents.
- Prior experience preparing thorough and articulate technical reports based on extensive knowledge of FAA airport design and planning principles.
- Demonstrated ability to apply effective written, verbal, and visual communication and presentation skills when managing project teams, coordinating deliverables, facilitating team meetings, developing proposals, preparing reports, engaging in business planning discussions, leading public and stakeholder engagement presentations, and representing the firm and regional and national conferences.
- Ability to travel locally and overnight up to 10% as needed for project meetings, on-site client consultations, or conference attendance.
Advantageous Qualifications
- Certified Member of American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).
- American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.
- Previous experience contributing to or developing annual business plans and multi-year strategic plans to meet team, division, and corporate operational and financial goals.
- Proficiency with AutoCAD, AviPLAN, 3-D rendering software, and various aviation simulation tools.
- Licensed pilot.
$99,500 - $135,300 a year
Join Our 100% Employee-Owned Firm
At our company, every employee is an owner. From the front desk to the corner office, every one of our 430+ professionals thrive on collaboration and holistic development. Our success is collective, and so are the rewards.
Comprehensive Benefits
Health Benefits: Enjoy medical, dental, vision, and life insurance from day one
Annual Incentive Plan: Eligible for discretionary bonuses
HSA Contributions: Receive monthly employer contributions if you choose an HSA-eligible plan
401(k) Match: Get employer matching on your 401(k) deferrals
ESOP: Benefit from our Employee Stock Ownership Plan, funded entirely by company profits
Paid Time Off: Accrue PTO based on your professional experience and enjoy eight paid holidays per year
Upon receiving a formal offer, you will get a personalized Total Compensation Overview (TCO) to see how everything adds up and what it looks like to be part of our community.
*Pre-Employment Screening*
Upon acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete a standard pre-employment background screening, which consists of Social Security verification, educational verification, review of criminal convictions, and driving history.
*Notice to Recruiters and Placement Agencies*
TKDA will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or placement agencies unless a service agreement is in place. In the event TKDA receives an unsolicited resume without a service agreement in place, TKDA will not be obligated to pay a service fee of any amount nor will TKDA be held liable to terms or conditions under any agreement of any kind that has not been authorized in writing by a TKDA officer.
