Job Description

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $115,683-$165,000. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location & Schedule

In this position you can expect to work on site Monday- Friday, standard business hours, at the Airfield trailer located at Denver International Airport.

Additionally, this person may be needed to support snow operations and/or emergencies which can occur nights, weekends, and holidays.

This position will also be part of a rotating manager on-call schedule.

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

About DEN

Since opening on Feb. 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world’s busiest airports. In 2025, 82,427,962 passengers passed through DEN, making DEN 4th busiest airport in the U.S. and the world’s 10th busiest airport. DEN is Colorado’s primary economic engine, generating $47.2 billion in annual economic impact for the state. At DEN, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We celebrate individuality and strive to keep Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) at the center of all that we do.

Denver International Airport is seeking an Assistant Director of Operations – Airfield to join the Airport Operations team. This position reports to the Director of Operations and provides leadership, management and direction to the airfield team. The Assistant Director leads the airfield operations team ensuring compliance with federal aviation and security regulations, policies and procedures, internal procedures and the delivery of quality customer and operational services in the airfield operation at DEN. As Assistant Director you will work closely with leaders across DEN divisions, the FAA, contractors, and our airline customers for safe and efficient operation of the airfield. Your responsibilities will also include the planning and management of the section’s budget. A strong leader with effective communication skills and the ability to build and maintain solid working relationships is key to success in this challenging and fast paced environment.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Provide administrative direction, leadership, mentorship, and technical expertise to the team, ensure timely communications; hold employees accountable to our division expectations and identify and capitalize on opportunities to increase employee engagement; offer employee development opportunities; support and foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture
• Develop long range and short-term planning initiatives and overall goals, objectives, and priorities and communicate these to the team
• Perform supervisory duties over Senior Airfield Operations Managers and other staff as assigned to develop goals and communicate expectations and priorities, manage distribution of work, ensure compliance with all applicable rules, policies and regulations, evaluate performance, provide feedback and recognition and hold all employees accountable uniformly
• Administer key performance indicators for the operation; monitor and validate performance data and make recommendations for improvement. Develop and present reports for analysis of team performance. Champion organizational change and best practices supporting continuous improvement
• Work with the Director of Operations and the Assistant Director of Operations – Ramp Tower to ensure alignment in the overall goals and expectations for the Airfield Operations team; foster collaboration and teamwork between the Airfield and Ramp Tower teams
• Develop and maintain relationships with DEN Infrastructure and Maintenance personnel, and other internal and external stakeholders by encouraging, developing, and strengthening cooperation, communication, and leadership in inter-group relations
• Manage the initiation and development of various contracts for services related to the Airport Operations mission and manage the oversight of these contracts once implemented.
• Resolve problems encountered and determine standards for problem resolution including escalations from airlines and other stakeholders; competently address technical or functional issues as they arise.
• Serves as a Senior Manager On Call (SMOC) and participates in the Incident Command System (ICS) in various Section Chief roles and performs "on-call" 24/7 SMOC support on a rotating basis
• Employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other City agencies to support core functions of the City during a City-wide emergency declared by the mayor.

What You'll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

We are looking for a reliable, positive, energetic leader who thrives in providing exceptional customer service and teamwork, who is an excellent communicator and problem solver, and can mutli-task and make decisions effectively in a fast paced, highly stressful environment. In addition, the ideal candidate will work to help us foster a positive culture and work environment with airfield management experience at a large hub airport.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Strong leadership traits promoting collaboration in a team-oriented atmosphere, with an aptitude for strategic thinking beyond the section level.
• Knowledge of FAA regulations, airport operations, aircraft types, large hub airport snow removal, and airport emergency management
• Skill in the simultaneous use of networked information display systems, video cameras, aircraft monitoring systems, several radios, and other electronic devices to be able to provide and receive information from airport, FAA, airline, and other personnel
• Certified Member (C.M.) Certification from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) preferred.
• A reliable and dependable team member with excellent attendance and a positive outlook with a willingness to learn and provide exceptional service to our customers
• Strong attention to detail with excellent time management and decision-making skills
• Desire for continuous process improvement with a proven ability to lead and provide direction to a diverse team, and work as part of a team to achieve a common goal

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in Aviation Management, Business Management, Communications or a related field.
• Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of progressive and supervisory experience in airport operations, airport management, or experience at a commercial airport or a military facility environment at an Administrator or supervisor level or higher.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education.
• Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.
• License/Certifications: By position, requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Internal Candidates Only: Please note that probationary employees are not eligible to apply to open positions until they’ve successfully passed probation. Please only apply if you have already passed probation.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until 7/8/2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than 7/7/2026 at 11:59 PM.

FBI Background Check FBI criminal background check is required for all positions at Denver International Airport (DEN). Employees are also required to report any felony convictions and/or moving violations to maintain this clearance and be eligible for continued employment. By position, a pre-employment physical/drug test may be required.

Snow / Emergency Duties Denver International Airport is a 24/7/365 team operation. If weather conditions warrant or an emergency crisis occurs, all DEN employees can be required to work extended hours and/or shifts

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CX2821 Airport Operations Manager Senior

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$115,683.00 - $196,661.00

Target Pay

$115,683 - $165,000/Based on Education and Experience

Agency

Denver International Airport

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.