Passero Associates is seeking an accomplished aviation professional to serve as our Southeast Aviation Services Director, leading and growing our aviation practice across the Southeast, with particular emphasis on Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
This senior leadership position combines aviation industry expertise, business development, financial management, people leadership, and project-delivery oversight. We are looking for a proven leader who understands the airport industry, builds lasting client relationships, develops high-performing teams, and can successfully manage the financial and operational performance of a multidisciplinary aviation practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and direction for Passero's Southeast aviation practice.
- Lead, mentor, recruit, and develop project managers, engineers, planners, architects, and other aviation professionals.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with airport sponsors, airport authorities, municipalities, FAA representatives, state aviation agencies, and industry partners.
- Develop and execute regional business-development strategies, including client development, strategic pursuits, proposals, interviews, teaming arrangements, and contract negotiations.
- Represent Passero at aviation conferences, professional organizations, client meetings, and industry events.
- Maintain executive oversight of aviation projects to promote successful delivery, client satisfaction, technical quality, financial performance, and effective risk management.
- Lead the financial and operational performance of the practice, including revenue/net billings, profitability, budgets, forecasting, backlog, utilization, staffing, and workload planning.
- Develop future leaders and maintain effective succession and workforce plans.
- Promote collaboration across disciplines and offices to deliver comprehensive aviation planning, engineering, architecture, and construction-related services.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, planning, architecture, aviation management, business, construction management, or a related field.
- 15+ years of progressively responsible aviation consulting, airport management, program management, or related industry experience.
- Demonstrated leadership of an aviation practice, business unit, regional operation, major program, or comparable multidisciplinary organization.
- Strong working knowledge of the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and federally funded airport planning, design, and construction projects. FAA identifies AIP as its grant program supporting planning and development of eligible public-use airports.
- Demonstrated financial acumen, including experience with budgets, forecasting, utilization, backlog, project financial performance, and P&L management.
- Successful track record in aviation business development, client relationship management, and project delivery.
- Strong executive communication, leadership, decision-making, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability and willingness to travel throughout the Southeast as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional Engineer (PE), AICP certification, architectural registration, or other relevant professional credentials.
- Established relationships and a strong professional reputation within the Southeast aviation industry.
- Experience with state aviation funding and grant programs, particularly those administered by FDOT, GDOT, and NCDOT. Each of these states administers aviation funding programs supporting airport development.
- Experience working with both general aviation and commercial-service airports.
- Experience managing and growing multidisciplinary aviation consulting practice.
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