Airport Duty Manager

King-County,-W; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KCIA) seeks an Airport Duty Manager to lead daily operations in compliance with FAR Part 139 and all federal, state, and local regulations. The role serves as the senior airport representative and primary contact for safety, security, construction, and airline and tenant interactions.

The successful candidate will provide strong leadership, manage inspections, coordinate with the FAA tower, and oversee emergency response and program development,

Qualifications

• Strong grounding in airport operations at FAR Part 139 certified airports.
• Experience leading certification, security, emergency exercises, or airport maintenance operations.
• Knowledge of FAA FAR Part 139, TSA 1500-series regulations and advisory circulars.
• Able to mentor staff and leverage technology in daily work.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily airport operations in compliance with ACM and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct airfield inspections and coordinate corrective actions.
• Activate Emergency Plan and support incident command when needed.
• Coordinate with FAA tower on runways and taxiways for safe operations.
• Respond to weather events, irregular operations, and emergencies.
• Develop and enforce airport programs (driver training, wildlife, hazmat, snow/ice).
• Communicate with airlines, tenants, and airport personnel to resolve issues.
• Serve as primary POC for safety, security, compliance, and construction communications.
• Oversee common-use gates scheduling and billing with tenants/users.

Skills

Airport operations leadership

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Emergency response planning

Staff mentorship

Team coordination

Education

AAAE certification desirable

Job description

King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KCIA)

is searching for a new Airport Duty Manager who is knowledgeable, highly motivated, and an enthusiastic team player to comply with FAA FAR Part 139 and all local, state, and other federal regulations. This position will provide leadership for operations at the airport and serving as a senior airport representative. Incumbents are designated as the point of contact for information regarding safety, security, compliance, construction and interaction with airlines, passengers, tenants, and the public.

ABOUT KING COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BOEING FIELD)

KCIA is one of the busiest primary non-hub general aviation airports in the nation. Located just four miles south of downtown Seattle, it averages 180,000 aircraft operations each year. KCIA ranks among the most successful public investments in state history. The airport's annual economic impact is $3.5 billion - supporting more than 16,000 jobs and providing $1.8 billion in labor income in the county. KCIA promotes the health of the aviation industry by establishing pipelines for employment and for employee development.

As a general aviation airport, KCIA serves small, commercial passenger airlines, cargo carriers, including UPS, private aircraft owners, helicopters, corporate jets, and military and other aircraft. It is also the final delivery center for the Boeing Company's 737 aircraft and serves as the company's military flight center along with other Boeing operations. The Museum of Flight is located on the airport property with a wide variety of aircraft and exhibits showcasing aviation history. KCIA frequently is host to celebrities and dignitaries, who prefer Boeing Field because of its proximity to downtown Seattle and convenient connections to other business districts in the region. Due to its proximity to Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, and other sports venues, many teams prefer to use KCIA when playing in Seattle.

To learn more about King County International Airport please visit kingcounty.gov/airport.

This recruitment is an effort to fill our immediate vacancies as well as create a hire list that will be used for any positions that become vacant within the next 6 months, including additional Term Limited Temporary (TLT), Short-term Temporary (STT) and Career Service (CS) positions.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

SCOPE OF JOB DUTIES

• Manage the daily functions and responsibilities associated with the safe and efficient Airport operations in compliance with operational and regulatory requirements and the Airport Certification Manual (ACM).
• Conduct airfield and airport facility inspections to ensure compliance with FAR Part 139 regulations in addition to local, state and other federal regulations. Records discrepancies found during inspections and arranges for immediate corrective action when warranted.
• Activate Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) when necessary and assume/support incident command to ensure effective management of all incidents or accidents.
• Identify operations, safety, and security concerns by maintaining constant surveillance and radio contact with the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower. Takes initiative to address and follow-through on corrective actions to ensure compliance with FAR Part-139 regulations.
• Manage and coordinate opening/closing of taxiways or runways with airfield tenants and the FAA control tower to ensure safety of people and aircraft.
• Respond to weather events, irregular operations, and airport emergencies such as an accidents, bomb threats or hazardous spills.
• Develop, implement and enforce various airport programs including but not limited to Airport Driver's training, Wildlife Management, Environment compliance with Hazardous Spills, and Snow and Ice Control.
• Communicate with airline, tenant and airport personnel to resolve problems between airport customers and tenants.
• Act as the primary point of contact for information regarding safety, security, compliance, construction and interactions with airlines, passengers and tenants, and coordinates with senior management as needed.
• Manage Airport’s common use aircraft parking gates to ensure proper scheduling and billing to tenants/users.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES WHO

• Have a strong experience and grounding in Airport Operations at a FAR Part 139 certified airport progressively responsible experience; OR any combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the job duties of the position.
• Are experience leading at least one of the following: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport certification; airport, or airline security program; winter weather: recurring disaster/emergency exercises; or the monitoring and coordination of airport construction and maintenance operations.
• Have a strong working knowledge of FAA FAR Part 139, TSA 1500-series regulations and Advisory Circulars pertaining to airport operations, safety, airfield inspections, NOTAMs, airport design and emergency responses.
• Are good people leaders and can mentor and coach staff to do their best work. Are comfortable with using technology in their daily work.
• Can operate in environment requiring emergency response, customer service, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Can work effectively in a team setting and contribute to a work environment that embraces and encourages diversity in its workforce and where differences are valued.
• Can demonstrate behaviors that include fairness, respect, and inclusiveness.
• Certified Member designation with American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), is highly desirable.

• This position is represented by Professional and Technical Employees (PTE), Local 17. This position is a part of a 24- hour operation and requires working any shift including nights, weekends, and holidays. This position may be required to work extended and/or flex scheduled work hours to respond to deadlines and emergent work needs.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT WILL NEED TO

• Pass a fingerprint-based criminal history record check (CHRC) as required by TSA. Specifications can be found under Title 49 CFR §1542.209.
• Obtain and maintain a Washington State Driver's License
• Obtain movement area driving privileges, including airfield self-inspection, within 90 days of employment. Obtain First Aid, CPR, and airfield driver's certifications within 3 months after hire.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.