Airport Project Programming Manager

Job Description:

Airport Project Programming Manager

Description

CAREER DESCRIPTION


Airport Project Programming Manager
(Capital Projects Manager)

THIS RECRUITMENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment is open to the public and is being held to establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Capital Projects Manager vacancies. The eligible list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately on both the ADK website and through the County of Orange's website.
The ADK Executive Search link will be provided below.
Please note - in order to be considered, all candidates must complete the County of Orange's application.
The deadline to apply for this position is Friday, December 19, 2025 at 11:59PM PST.

To view the full recruitment brochure with ADK Executive Search, please click here!

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT

Ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Large Airports in the J.D. Power 2024 and 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, John Wayne Airport (JWA) has been a major cornerstone of Orange County for more than 100 years. Located in beautiful Southern California, we currently serve approximately 11.8 million annual passengers. We strive to provide a superior guest experience to ensure travel is convenient and stress-free. The County of Orange owns and operates the airport and the service area includes more than three million people within 34 cities and unincorporated areas of Orange County and beyond.

As a medium hub airport, we have commercial flights to more than 40 nonstop destinations in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Eleven commercial airlines and two air cargo airlines fly out of the Airport. It is home to nearly 500 general aviation (private, non-commercial) aircraft, representing 60% of total operations, and includes two full-service fixed base operators and one limited use general aviation facility.

• Mission: Connecting People, Places and Opportunities.
• Vision: To be an airport of choice by creating exceptional experiences.
• Core Values: REACH
  • R espect
  • E nvironmental Stewardship
  • A ccountability
  • C ollaboration
  • H onesty

To learn more about working at John Wayne Airport, click here. To learn more about the County of Orange, click here.

DIVISION

The newly reformed Planning and Development Division oversees and delivers the airport's $700 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which includes airside, landside, and terminal renovations, as well as major utility projects and long-term infrastructure planning. The Division is also a key partner in the implementation of the General Aviation Improvement Program and the Terminal Tenant Concession Redevelopment Program. This team has 28 professionals in a variety of roles. This Division’s functional areas include engineering, A/E design standards, land use and airport planning, environmental compliance, capital project programming, project management, project controls, and construction Coordination and Logistics Management (CALM).

THE OPPORTUNITY
John Wayne Airport (JWA) is seeking a qualified and experienced Capital Projects Manager to lead the planning and execution of the Airport’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This position reports directly to the Planning and Development Business Services Deputy Director and will oversee the development, programming and planning of the Airport Capital Projects of JWA’s 7-year CIP, valued at over $700 million. The program includes key improvements to airport infrastructure such as the Airfield, Terminal Facilities, Parking Structures, Energy, and other related infrastructure. This role requires strong leadership, coordination, and technical skills to ensure projects are properly funded, budgeted, prioritized, and scoped to be delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with airport goals.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and manage the airport's multi-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), including budget creation, program approval, and project prioritization to meet short and long term infrastructure needs
• Plan and oversee major capital projects to enhance airport safety, reliability, and resilience, and updated FAA Airport Capital Improvement Program plans totaling over $700 million
• Review project studies, scopes, and specifications for inclusion in the CIP, ACIP and the 5 year Strategic Financial Plan relating to scope, funding, cost, and airport priorities
• Recommend project prioritization and scheduling to meet infrastructure needs, applying changes, FFA guidance, future projects and aviation best practices
• Prepare complex reports, cost estimates, and planning studies in support of Airport Project Planning, forecasting, budgeting, and scheduling for future improvements
• Collaborate with Planning, Engineering, Project Controls, Budget, Maintenance, Grants, CALM, as well as consultants and stakeholders to ensure capital projects are appropriately funded, defined and aligned with the airport's capital and operational needs
• Facilitate clear and concise communication among project teams, stakeholders, and executive management to ensure transparency
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify operational challenges, infrastructure gaps, and recommendations to mitigate risks
• Prepare memos, reports, and briefings that include recommendations and supporting documentations such as spreadsheets, charts and analysis
• Review projects to ensure delivered projects meet planning requirements and intent
• Gather stakeholder feedback and identify potential new projects for future improvements

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The most successful candidates will possess seven (7) years of direct and progressive experience in Capital improvement project programming, construction, grant management, project management, and/or civil engineering. Must include at least one (1) year of supervisory experience. Extensive experience in the development, programming, and management of infrastructure Capital improvement Programs. Must include at least three (3) years of experience in an airport setting.

A master's or a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, construction, aviation management, architecture or related field is highly desirable.

The ideal candidate’s work experience will also demonstrate the core competencies outlined below:
Technical Expertise

• Ability to work collaboratively with key staff, management, and the public in developing, reviewing, and monitoring the Capital Improvement Program to meet the airport's infrastructure needs
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practice of the airport Capital Improvement Program, including strategic planning, programming and budgeting
• Familiar with evaluating and rating infrastructure projects
• Thorough knowledge of FAA Regulations and advisory circulars, FAA ACIP requirements, FAA grant assurance requirements and CIP programing best practices
• Ability to prioritize projects based on business and community needs
• Familiar with principles of project management and project definition documents
• Ability to determine and calculate variances in budgeted to actual results
• Recommend corrective action plans to address variances

Analytical Skills

• Identifies, researches, evaluates, estimates, accurately interprets, and applies technical data and policy information
• Identify problems, gather relevant information, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions, and recommends solutions
• Evaluates information from multiple sources including Architectural/Engineering studies, stakeholders executive management, and collaborative partners, changes in regulations, and developments in the aviation industry
• Ability to balance competing priorities, consider the impacts of individual project on the overall CIP, consider the impacts on budgeting, FAA grant funding, project costs, project implementation complexity/timelines, and airport operational impacts
• Use sound reasoning and logical judgment to arrive at conclusions and find alternative solutions to complex problems
• Ability to collect and analyze cost and other data and prepare recommendation of findings

Communication Skills

• Present complex ideas clearly, concisely, logically and persuasively, both orally and in writing
  
• Effectively present, orally and in writing, proposals, progress reports, and recommendations to executive management, Airport Commission, county executive management, contractors, and external stakeholders
• Comfortable with navigating an occasionally political environment
• Communicate using both technical and non-technical language appropriate to the audience

Organizational Skills

• Recognize and prioritize workload
• Maintain moderately complex records requiring independent judgement and accuracy

Leadership

• Effectively manage, lead and coordinate with employees, management and executive staff to successfully put together the annual review and update of the 7 year Capital Improvement Program
• Effectively develop plans to complete projects, collaborate, delegate assignments to staff accordingly
• Ability to make well-informed and objective decisions by perceiving the impact and implications of the decisions in order to accomplish organizational goals
• Makes sound business decisions based on limited, complex, or contradicting information while taking into account relevant public service ethical principles

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Please click here for information on the minimum qualifications, physical, mental, environmental and working conditions for the for Capital Projects Manager.

LICENSE REQUIRED
The successful candidate must obtain, possess, and maintain the following licenses:

• Valid California Driver's License, Class C or higher, by date of appointment
• Valid Airport Access Badge with an Airport Driving Endorsement within ten (10) days of employment

AIRPORT ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
Employees must clear a background check, which includes a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check, and Security Threat Assessment (STA) check. Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Airport Access Badge with an Airport Driving Endorsement within ten (10) days of employment. Airport Access Badge must be maintained and renewed every two (2) years.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen applications and supplemental responses for qualifications that meet minimum qualifications, are highly desirable, and are most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the assessment step.
Application Screening | (Refer/Non-Refer)
Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those candidates that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Application Appraisal Panel (AAP) | (Weighted 100%)
An Appraisal Panel (AAP) of job knowledge experts will thoroughly screen and evaluate the application, supplemental questionnaire, and resumes for job knowledge, competencies, and related experience described above.

Structured Oral Interview (SOI) | Exam (Weighted 100%)
Applicants will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each applicant's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job.

Eligible List | Score Groups : Once all assessments have been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Please note: The information you provide on your application and/or response to the supplemental questions may be used as a scoring device, so please be thorough and complete in your response. "See Resume" is not a qualifying response and will not be scored in lieu of the required information.

Based on the Department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedure.

Veterans Employment Preference
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Michelle Bocicor at mbocicor@ocair.com or (949) 252-5174.

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Administrative Management *
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits -- such as a variety of health plan options, sick and vacation time and paid holidays -- we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as:

• Retirement: Benefits are provided through the Orange County Employees' Retirement System (OCERS). Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
  http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information.
• Paid Leave: Twelve holidays per year plus sick and vacation time
• Health & Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts
• Dental Insurance: County pays 100% of employee and dependent premiums
• Paid Life Insurance: $100,000 life insurance policy
• Paid Accidental & Death and Dismemberment Insurance: $100,000 AD&D insurance policy
• Paid Short & Long Term Disability insurance programs
• 457 Defined Contribution Program

*Effective 07/01/20, management employees who are sworn Public Safety Managers receive health insurance benefits through the AOCDS Medical Benefit Plans.

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.

Closing Date/Time: 12/19/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$116,251.20 - $161,012.80 Annually