Our employee-owned and multi-disciplined team of engineering, design, and planning professionals is looking for an aviation planner with desire to develop the talents of others, a demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships, and an unwavering passion to address the needs of the greater aviation community to join our team in an all-new position as our Aviation Planning Assistant Group Manager. As the Aviation Planning Assistant Group Manager, a key responsibility will be to coach, mentor, and develop a talented group of planning and GIS professionals. With insight on our strategic and annual business plan, you will engage with your team members to outline development plans and establish obtainable goals that further their professional growth and help the greater TKDA team make progress toward achieving business performance objectives. Through recurring discussions with each team member, you will provide guidance on FAA planning practices and standards and encourage them to take on autonomous responsibilities and 'stretch assignments'. In collaboration with other managers from the Aviation team, you will assign team members to project assignments, delegate applicable planning tasks, review work in accordance with applicable standards, and oversee deliverable progress in relation to submittal schedules. In alignment with current planning practices and emerging trends, you will also be responsible for developing and expanding the depth and breadth of planning knowledge and capabilities for the collective team. As the senior planner of the team, you be responsible for the overall development and delivery of 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 commercial airline clients throughout the country. Furthermore, you will frequently assume project management responsibilities for planning and occasional multi-discipline projects, including the evaluation of project scope, fee estimates, scheduling / deliverable requirements and management of project budgets and QA/QC processes. From a market development perspective, you will assist in developing proposals, cultivating relations with current and prospective clients, facilitating project interviews, and attending conferences. For this opportunity we are seeking a qualified professional who resides within a regular commuting distance of our current Saint Paul / future Bloomington office location and who is able to travel as needed based on assigned responsibilities. The selected candidate will be provided with flexible hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote) work arrangements. Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Airport Management, or related program from an accredited college/university.
- Eight or more years of progressive experience developing and delivering an extensive portfolio of planning studies for general aviation and commercial service airports.
- Prior experience managing airport planning projects with a track record of profitability.
- Prior experience coaching and developing a team of planning and GIS professionals with varying years of experience and talents.
- Prior experience preparing articulate technical reports based on extensive knowledge of FAA airport design and planning standards.
- Ability to travel overnight up to 10% as needed for project meetings, client consultations, or conference attendance.
Advantageous Qualifications
- Prior business / market development experience demonstrated by an ability to cultivate or deepen client relations and identify new business / contract opportunities; prior experience pursuing airport planning opportunities in various locations / regions throughout the country.
- Certified Member of American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).
- American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.
- Proficiency with AutoCAD, AviPLAN, 3-D rendering software, and various aviation simulation tools.
- Licensed pilot.
***Have you heard the news? After nearly 115 years, TKDA will be relocating from downtown Saint Paul to the South Loop neighborhood in Bloomington. Learn more about our upcoming move by reviewing this announcement: TKDA Moving to SoLo in 2025. Follow TKDA on LinkedIn for additional move updates!
*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.
**Important Note** To be considered for this opportunity and to perform the assigned responsibilities, candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States, possess a valid driver's license with a clean driving record, and have the ability to travel throughout the country without restrictions for project assignments. Candidates must also be able to complete and pass security / property access screenings and drug testing requests required by TKDA, clients, and applicable state and/or federal agencies.
*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.