Chief Administrative Officer

Global Infrastructure; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards package

Medical insurance (extensive)

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Continuing education benefits

Paid time off

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Landrum & Brown seeks a highly experienced Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to drive the firm’s administrative, operational, and financial management in support of growth and performance.

Reporting to the President on administrative matters and to the CFO for financial matters, the CAO will join the senior leadership team to deliver operating discipline, financial insight, and cross-functional coordination to translate strategy into measurable results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, operations, or a related field; an MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent designation is preferred.
• Significant senior-level experience in operations, finance, administration, or business leadership.
• Experience in a professional services, consulting, engineering, aviation, infrastructure, or project-based organization is strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, project economics, profitability, utilization, working capital, and financial controls.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment with dual or functional reporting relationships.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives, organizational change, and business process improvement.
• Strong executive communication, judgment, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead business administration, planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with the President to implement strategic priorities and annual operating plans.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and performance analysis in alignment with the CFO.
• Monitor revenue, profitability, backlog, utilization, project margins, working capital, and cash flow.
• Strengthen project financial management, commercial discipline, and operational controls.
• Identify business risks, performance gaps, and improvement opportunities, and coordinate corrective action.
• Establish effective leadership routines, dashboards, reporting, and decision-making processes.
• Coordinate with corporate functions, including Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Risk, Information Technology, and Marketing.
• Support organizational design, workforce planning, business transformation, and change initiatives.
• Lead assigned administrative, operational, and financial support teams.

Skills

Executive leadership comms

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

Problem-solving

Financial controls

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/finance

MBA or CPA preferred

Job description

Landrum & Brown is a global aviation consulting firm with airports at the core of our DNA. We bring passion and creativity to solve the most complex global aviation challenges with the potential to enhance the world.

Serving airports and other aviation clients for more than 70 years across all seven continents, our aviation consulting practice includes both planning and development services that span activation planning, airfield and airspace, business and finance, commercial development, environmental, ground transportation, master planning and strategy, terminal planning and design.

Job Summary

Landrum & Brown is seeking a highly experienced Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to lead the administrative, operational, and financial management activities that support the firm’s continued growth and performance.

Reporting to the President of Landrum & Brown, for administrative and operational matters, and functionally to the Chief Financial Officer, for financial matters, the CAO will serve as a key member of the senior leadership team. The role will provide the operating discipline, financial insight, and cross-functional coordination required to translate business strategy into measurable results.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

• Lead business administration, planning, and organizational effectiveness.

• Partner with the President to implement strategic priorities and annual operating plans.

• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and performance analysis in alignment with the CFO.

• Monitor revenue, profitability, backlog, utilization, project margins, working capital, and cash flow.

• Strengthen project financial management, commercial discipline, and operational controls.

• Identify business risks, performance gaps, and improvement opportunities, and coordinate corrective action.

• Establish effective leadership routines, dashboards, reporting, and decision-making processes.

• Coordinate with corporate functions, including Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Risk, Information Technology, and Marketing.

• Support organizational design, workforce planning, business transformation, and change initiatives.

• Lead assigned administrative, operational, and financial support teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, operations, or a related field; an MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent designation is preferred.

• Significant senior-level experience in operations, finance, administration, or business leadership.

• Experience in a professional services, consulting, engineering, aviation, infrastructure, or project-based organization is strongly preferred.

• Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, project economics, profitability, utilization, working capital, and financial controls.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment with dual or functional reporting relationships.

• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives, organizational change, and business process improvement.

• Strong executive communication, judgment, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will improve operational effectiveness, strengthen financial performance and accountability, enhance the quality of business information, and ensure that Landrum & Brown has the processes, controls, and organizational infrastructure required to support sustainable growth.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an executive who combines strong financial acumen with operational discipline, strategic perspective, and the ability to influence across a complex organization.

Additional Information

We believe in recognizing the unique value thateach individualbrings to our team. As such, the job title and ultimate compensation for this role will be thoughtfully aligned with the depth of your experience, the breadth of your skills, and the genuine enthusiasm you bring to the position. We are committed to fostering an environment where your contributions are both acknowledged and rewarded appropriately. Join us inshapinga rewarding future together!

Landrum & Brown offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Our benefits may include extensive medical, disability and life insurance coverage, continuing education benefits, paid time off, employee assistance program and a retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.

We encourage all candidates to explore our total rewards offering.

Collaboration, mission-driven focus, discipline, and leadership skills developed through military service benefit us all. Whether you are a Veteran, Guardsman or Reservist, a Military Spouse or you are planning to transition to civilian life in the near future, we welcome and value your application.

Landrum & Brown is an equal opportunity employer, and we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type as protected by federal, provincial, state or local laws. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The company and its employees are required to comply with all local health authority, legal or lawful client requirements.