Airport Program Management Officer II- Fire Safety and Risk Compliance, Emergency Management

City of Atlanta•Hapeville, GA

7h•$97,519 - $135,000

About The Position

The Airport Program Management Officer II for Fire Safety and Risk Compliance directs, manages, supervises, and coordinates the Department of Aviation’s enterprise Fire Safety Program and fire risk compliance function under the direction of the Assistant General Manager of Emergency Management. This senior leadership position has broad responsibility for fire risk governance, regulatory compliance, inspection and enforcement, fire protection impairment management, high-risk operations, construction and management-of-change review, hazard identification, risk analytics, and corrective-action oversight across Department of Aviation assets and operations. Its scope includes Department divisions, the Atlanta Airport Technical Center, tenants, contractors, subcontractors, and other airport stakeholders. The role establishes an enforcement-capable fire safety program aligned with organizational priorities, applicable codes and standards, and insurance carrier expectations. It manages a primary departmental function and recommends operating policies, procedures, standards, and enforcement actions subject to executive approval. The position leads the Fire Safety and Training Program and Risk Compliance Program, establishes and implements operational processes, contributes to policy development and strategic planning, and provides executive-level operational, financial, and performance analysis. It works independently under broad executive direction and collaborates with senior management, legal counsel, facilities and construction leadership, emergency management, public safety, risk management, insurers, regulators, and airport stakeholders. The position leads the organizational response to insurance assessments, audits, inspections, incidents, and internal reviews; sets enterprise risk objectives and inspection priorities; and oversees corrective action, risk mitigation, training, construction reviews, incident analysis, and program performance. It also directs and participates in budget development and administration. The work is described as a fully seasoned senior leadership role with broad decision-making authority, significant regulatory responsibility, and accountability for high-risk, mission-critical airport operations. The minimum qualifications are a bachelor’s degree in a listed or closely related field and at least seven years of progressively responsible relevant experience, including significant management or leadership responsibility. Preferred qualifications include a relevant master’s degree, eight to ten years of senior leadership experience in a large, complex, highly regulated environment, relevant professional certifications, and experience engaging directly with insurers, risk engineers, regulators, legal counsel, construction and facilities organizations, and executive leadership. An advanced fire protection or fire service leadership credential is preferred; a valid driver’s license may be required based on operational responsibilities. The stated physical demand is sedentary work, involving up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and negligible force frequently or constantly to move objects, including the human body.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Science, Occupational Safety, Emergency Management, Risk Management, Engineering, Airport Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, or a closely related discipline, including significant management or leadership responsibility.
Experience demonstrating responsibility for complex fire/life-safety programs, regulatory compliance, inspections or enforcement, and coordination with executive leadership or external regulatory/risk stakeholders.
Thorough knowledge of airport and aviation operations and principles and practices of fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, risk management, emergency management, regulatory compliance, and loss prevention.
Advanced working knowledge of OSHA regulations; NFPA codes and standards; International Building Code and International Fire Code requirements; and fire protection systems, inspection practices, impairment management, and code enforcement principles.
Comprehensive knowledge of fire risk governance, Human Element loss-prevention controls, hot work programs, construction fire safety, management-of-change practices, hazard identification, corrective-action management, and emerging fire risks such as photovoltaic power systems.
Skill in solving complex problems; interpreting technical codes, standards, regulations, engineering recommendations, and insurance risk findings; preparing executive, administrative, compliance, and financial reports; and evaluating new risk-control methods, procedures, technologies, and service-delivery approaches.
Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and executive presentation skills, including the ability to explain technical risk issues to employees, technical professionals, contractors, regulators, insurers, attorneys, and senior executives.
Ability to lead a multidisciplinary professional team while promoting accountability, staff participation, continuous improvement, and consistent enforcement.
Ability to exercise sound independent judgment in high-risk and time-sensitive situations; maintain effective working relationships; conduct analytical evaluations and studies; prepare reports and recommendations; and develop, review, and administer contracts and professional services supporting fire safety and risk compliance.
Advanced professional fire protection or fire service leadership credential preferred, such as Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (MIFireE), or comparable credential.
A valid driver’s license may be required based on operational responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Science, Occupational Safety, Emergency and Disaster Management, Risk Management, Engineering, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Eight to ten years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, risk management, regulatory compliance, or related operations within a large, complex, highly regulated environment.
Airport, aviation, transportation, municipal, industrial, or large-campus experience.
Professional certifications in fire inspection, fire plans examination, fire code enforcement, occupational safety, risk management, or related disciplines.
Direct experience interfacing with insurance carriers and risk engineers, regulatory agencies, legal counsel, construction and facilities organizations, and executive leadership.
Advanced professional fire protection or fire service leadership credential, including CFO, CFPS, MIFireE, or comparable credential.

Responsibilities

Plans, organizes, and directs the enterprise Fire Safety Program through subordinate managers, supervisors, inspectors, compliance officers, coordinators, and professional staff; reviews subordinate recommendations and actions and resolves complex fire safety, compliance, and risk issues.
Provides executive oversight of fire safety and fire risk programs and establishes enterprise fire risk governance, performance objectives, inspection priorities, enforcement standards, and corrective-action requirements.
Exercises authority to compel corrective action for fire and life-safety deficiencies across Department of Aviation organizations and external stakeholders, consistent with applicable law, policy, contractual requirements, and executive authority.
Approves or recommends enforcement actions with potential legal, operational, contractual, or financial implications and coordinates them with executive leadership, the City Law Department, procurement, risk management, and other appropriate offices.
Engages insurance carriers, brokers, risk engineers, regulatory agencies, fire code officials, and senior leadership on fire risk assessments, loss-prevention recommendations, corrective-action plans, and mitigation priorities.
Leads responses to fire-related findings from insurance assessments, audits, inspections, incidents, and internal reviews, including findings involving Human Element deficiencies, physical fire protection gaps, system impairment management, hot work, construction, management of change, hazard identification, and emerging risks such as photovoltaic power systems.
Establishes and enforces standardized fire protection impairment processes for authorization, notification, compensatory measures, restoration, documentation, escalation, and closure.
Establishes and oversees controls for high-risk operations, including hot work, temporary fire protection arrangements, combustible loading, and hazardous operations.
Reviews construction, renovation, maintenance, and capital projects for fire safety and risk compliance and ensures fire protection considerations are incorporated into design review, commissioning, occupancy, and management-of-change processes.
Develops and maintains processes for fire hazard identification, risk ranking, corrective-action tracking, trend analysis, risk analytics, and executive reporting; establishes key performance indicators and measures program effectiveness.
Ensures compliance with applicable OSHA requirements, NFPA codes and standards, the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, locally adopted fire and building codes, and other applicable requirements and standards.
Develops, recommends, and implements fire safety policies, standards, procedures, inspection protocols, training requirements, and enforcement mechanisms for Department of Aviation employees and airport stakeholders.
Establishes and maintains risk-based fire safety education, qualification, and training requirements for employees, tenants, contractors, subcontractors, and other stakeholders.
Reviews fire incidents, system impairments, near misses, audit findings, inspection results, and trends; directs root-cause analysis and recommends corrective and preventive actions.
Directs and participates in development and administration of the program budget and prepares reports and recommendations concerning staffing, operating expenditures, technology, consulting support, equipment, and capital risk-reduction needs.
Provides customer service while maintaining the independence and enforcement authority necessary to protect life safety, property, operational continuity, and organizational risk posture.
Leads the Fire Safety and Training Program and Risk Compliance Program.
Establishes and implements operational processes, procedures, and policies; contributes to airport policy development and strategic planning.
Provides executive-level operational, financial, and performance analysis to support decision-making.
Reviews insurance carrier inspection and assessment reports and leads the development of responses, mitigations, and prevention measures.
Exercises broad decision-making authority and manages complex operational challenges.