Salary: $89,544.00 - $110,073.60 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number:
Department: DPW-Airport Enterprise Fund
Division: Airports
Opening Date: 07/24/2026
Closing Date: 8/25/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Summary
Airport Management Opportunity

County of San Diego
Department of Public Works - Airports

Interviews will take place the week of September 21, 2026. Job offers will be made the week of October 5, 2026.
The starting salary for this position will be based on the candidate's qualifications at time of appointment.

Future Salary Increase

** June 2027 - 4.27% increase to base pay (3.0% Across-the- Board + 1.27% Market Adjustment)
The County of San Diego is currently accepting job applications for Assistant Airport Manager, to fill a vacancy at the McCellan-Palomar (Palomar) Airport located in Carlsbad (North County Region), California. For additional information on the Palomar Airport, please click
The Position
The Assistant Airport Manager is a professional job classification primarily responsible for assisting management in the day-to-day operation and maintenance of County-operated airports. Under direction of the Airport Manager, the selected candidate will perform the following duties:

• Plan, organize and supervise airside and landside operations
• Inspect airside and landside facilities
• Provide airport construction oversight
• Issue NOTAMs
• Ensure FAA Part 139 compliance
• Coordinate special events
• Enforce environmental regulations
• Mitigate wildlife hazards
• Respond to emergencies

See the classification specification for a complete job description of the class, including minimum requirements, physical characteristics, and working conditions.
Hiring Timeline & Dates:

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

i. Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
ii. Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
iii. Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Working Conditions
Incumbents will work on Aircraft Flight line areas and may be exposed to biohazards such as fuel spills/hangar fires and dust, gas, fumes or chemicals; exposed to excessive noise of aircraft run up.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in airport/aviation management or a closely related field, and two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in airport maintenance including supervising, scheduling, and overseeing the maintenance, repair, and technical work required to safely operate an airport, airport operations, or airport management; OR,
2. An associate's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in airport/aviation management or a closely related field, and four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in airport maintenance including supervising, scheduling, and overseeing the maintenance, repair, and technical work required to safely operate an airport, airport operations, or airport management; OR,
3. A combination of education and experience as described above.

Note: Qualifying experience or education may be substituted on a year for year basis.
Blind Applicant Screening

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.
Conditions of Employment

As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation

The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
AccommodationReasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.
01

Please be sure to answer the following questions in a thorough, complete and truthful manner, as your responses may be used to determine your overall score.Please do NOT indicate "See Resume," or "See Application," as these are not valid answers. If you are invited to a selection interview(s) by the hiring department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.Please review the minimum qualifications for this position before completing your application. Do you understand this information?

• Yes
• No

02

Below are the minimum requirements for the Assistant Airport Manager. For the degree requirements mentioned below, please attach a copy of your college diploma, complete transcripts, or letter of verification on degree completion during Step 1 of the online application submittal process.Please select the box below that accurately describes your background, in terms of college education and work experience. Select only one.

• I have a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in airport/aviation management or a closely related field, and two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in airport maintenance including supervising, scheduling, and overseeing the maintenance, repair, and technical work required to safely operate an airport, airport operations, or airport management.
• I have an associate's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in airport/aviation management or a closely related field, and four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in airport maintenance including supervising, scheduling, and overseeing the maintenance, repair, and technical work required to safely operate an airport, airport operations, or airport management.
• I have a combination of 6 years of education and experience as described above.
• None of the above.

03

If you selected any option to Question #2 except "None of the above," then please describe your work experience below. Be sure to include the following information:1.) Your job title2.) Your employer name or name of airport3.) Length of your experience in terms of years or months4.) Your exact role and responsibility5.) A brief description of your duties.If you selected "None of the above" on Question #2, then please enter "N/A" below.
04

If you have work experience in airport operations, then please check the box or boxes where you obtained this experience.Note: If you selected at least one of these types of airports, then be sure to reference this kind of experience in the Work Experience Section of your online job application.

• General aviation
• Commercial aviation
• Military airport or airbase
• None of the above

05

Do you have work experience in airport operations which involved: (1) working in an airfield setting within an airport; AND (2) applying or following Federal Aviation Regulations?

• Yes
• No

06

If you responded "Yes" to Question #5, then please describe your work experience below. Be sure to include the following information:1) Your job title2) Your employer name or name of airport3) Length of your experience in terms of years or months4) Your exact role and responsibility5) A brief description of your duties.If you responded "No" on Question #5, then please enter "N/A" below.
07

Do you have work experience responding to noise complaints, or dealing with pilot complaints, airport user complaints, airport operator complaints, or responding to members of the public on related airport operation issues?

• Yes
• No

08

If you responded "Yes" to Question #7, then please describe your work experience below. Be sure to include the following information:1) Your job title2) Employer name or name of airport3) Your exact role and responsibility4) A brief description of your duties.If you responded "No" on Question #7, then please enter "N/A" below.
09

The working conditions for Assistant Airport Manager involve working on aircraft flight line areas; exposure to biohazards such as fuel spills/hangar fires and dust, gas, fumes, or chemicals; and exposure to excessive noise of aircraft run up.Are you willing to work in these conditions?

• Yes
• No

10

Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?

• San Diego County website
• Governmentjobs.com
• Veteran Outreach / FFSC
• Mana de San Diego
• Family, Neighbors, Friends
• County Employee Resources Group
• College/University Career Site
• County Social Media
• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• Voice and Viewpoint
• Government Alliance on Race and Equity
• Job Fair/Career Event
• AAAE or other airport or industry related advertisement
• Other

11

Thank you for your interest in employment with the County of San Diego.
Required Question