The purpose of this classification is to provide executive leadership and management for the Tooele County Wendover Airport. The Airport Director is responsible for the safe, efficient, and financially sustainable operation of the airport, including airfield operations, Fixed Base Operations (FBO), airport facilities, personnel, capital improvement projects, regulatory compliance, and business development. The Director ensures compliance with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), State of Utah, local, and County regulations while supporting the County's strategic goals for aviation, economic development, and public service.
Primary Responsibility
Provides exceptional customer service, promotes continuous improvement, ensures operational excellence, and provides strategic leadership for the safe, efficient, and financially responsible operation of the Tooele County Wendover Airport.
Typical Duties
Provides executive leadership: Plans, directs, coordinates, and evaluates all airport operations, Fixed Base Operations (FBO), maintenance activities, airport facilities, personnel, customer service, and administrative functions. Develops policies, operational procedures, and long-range strategic initiatives that support County objectives.
Supervises airport personnel: Recruits, hires, trains, assigns work, evaluates performance, coaches employees, approves leave, administers discipline, promotes employee development, and fosters a culture of accountability, safety, and teamwork.
Ensures airport safety and regulatory compliance: Maintains compliance with FAA regulations, grant assurances, airport certification requirements, environmental regulations, and County policies. Oversees runway and taxiway inspections, lighting systems, wildlife hazard management, foreign object debris (FOD) control, NOTAM issuance, emergency preparedness, and airport security.
Manages airport operations: Directs daily airfield and terminal operations, oversees aircraft services, Fixed Base Operations, fuel systems, airport facilities, grounds maintenance, snow removal, emergency response coordination, and airport infrastructure maintenance.
Administers financial operations: Develops and manages the annual operating and capital budgets; monitors expenditures and revenues; oversees purchasing and procurement; manages airport leases, contracts, and concession agreements; ensures accurate financial reporting and responsible stewardship of County resources.
Administers grants and capital projects: Identifies, prepares, and administers FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP), State of Utah, and other grant opportunities. Coordinates engineering consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and County departments to successfully complete capital improvement projects from planning through closeout.
Provides strategic planning and business development: Develops and implements the Airport Capital Improvement Plan (CIP); identifies opportunities to expand aviation services, attract new tenants, increase airport utilization, and support economic development within Tooele County.
Maintains stakeholder relationships: Serves as the County's primary liaison with the FAA, Utah Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, TSA, military agencies, airport tenants, aviation organizations, elected officials, neighboring communities, and the general public.
Administers airport leases and contracts: Negotiates, administers, and monitors leases, permits, easements, and service agreements to ensure compliance with FAA requirements, County policies, and applicable laws.
Promotes the airport: Develops public information materials, maintains the airport website and social media presence, coordinates aviation events, supports tourism and community outreach efforts, and represents the airport at professional meetings and conferences.
Provides emergency management leadership: Coordinates airport emergency planning, disaster response, mutual aid activities, and continuity of operations. Serves as an essential employee during emergencies and severe weather events.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Aviation Management, Airport Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, Engineering, Aviation Science, or a closely related field.
Five (5) years of progressively responsible airport management experience, including at least three (3) years of supervisory or executive leadership experience.
Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
Preferred Qualifications
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Accredited Airport Executive (AAAE) or Certified Member (CM)
- FAA Private Pilot Certificate
- Experience managing FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants
- Experience managing a Part 139 certificated airport
- Experience with Fixed Base Operations (FBO)
Performance Aptitudes
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to coordinate, manage, and correlate data. It includes exercising judgment in determining the time, place, and/or sequence of operations, referencing data analyses to determine the necessity of revising organizational components, and formulating operational strategy.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to function in a managerial capacity for a division or organizational unit; includes the ability to make decisions on procedural and technical levels.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver, and control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and materials requiring complex and rapid adjustments.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory, and design data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; calculate decimals and percentages; perform mathematical operations with fractions; compute discounts, interest, and ratios; and calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.
Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles to develop approaches and techniques to resolve problems.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is measurable or verifiable.
ADA Compliance
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the County will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
Physical Ability: Requires occasional physical effort involving lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling between 10 and 25 pounds of weight.
Sensory Requirements: Requires mild differentiating in recognizing and identifying similarities or differences in colors, forms, sounds, colors, textures, and physical appearances associated with objects, materials, ingredients, and people. Tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
Environmental Factors: Essential functions are regularly performed indoors with occasional needed duties outdoors or in various areas of the facility/area.
**Tooele County is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or any other protected class.**
