Director, Aviation Security & Emergency Preparedness

Port of Seattle•SeaTac, WA

About The Position

As the Director, Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness, you will provide senior leadership and strategic oversight of the Airport’s aviation security functions, while ensuring emergency preparedness programs are effectively coordinated to support operational resilience and continuity during incidents and major disruptions, in alignment with Aviation Division and Port goals and priorities. You will communicate strategies and methods for ensuring the security of the Airport, aligning security programs and initiatives with Aviation business plans, operational needs, and regulatory requirements. You will represent Seattle-Tacoma International Airport within the Port, community, region, and nation on aviation security and related emergency preparedness issues impacting airports. You will provide senior leadership, direction, and performance oversight of Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness staff, ensuring accountability, employee engagement, and effective delivery of programs through subordinate managers. You will oversee the development and maintenance of the Airport Security Plan by assessing evolving threats, risks, and vulnerabilities to the Airport, the traveling public, and critical infrastructure. You will provide strategic oversight and coordination of the Airport’s Emergency Preparedness program, ensuring readiness to respond to, recover from, and mitigate a range of incidents including security events, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and major operational disruptions. You will ensure effective coordination across Aviation departments, the Port, and external stakeholders to align security and emergency preparedness roles, responsibilities, plans, and operational expectations. You will ensure emergency preparedness plans, procedures, and protocols are operationally sound, regularly exercised, and aligned with federal, state, regional, and Port requirements and best practices, and integrated with security and operational response activities. You will ensure the planning and execution of exercises, after-action reviews, and corrective action processes related to security incidents and emergency events, strengthening cross-departmental coordination and continuous improvement. You will provide strategic counsel to Aviation leadership on issues spanning aviation security, emergency preparedness, and public policy. You will leverage relationships with federal agencies, peer airports, and industry organizations to inform decision-making, shape policy outcomes, and strengthen aviation security and preparedness practices. You will also participate in targeted advocacy activities requiring operational expertise. You will strategize, develop, and manage budgets for Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness in partnership with AV Finance and Budget, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational priorities. You will present aviation security and emergency preparedness topics to Aviation and Port leadership, tenants, stakeholders, industry associations, and the broader community. You will serve as a senior Aviation leader during security incidents and emergency events, supporting Aviation executive leadership, interagency coordination, and unified response activities as appropriate.

Requirements

Experienced – You have eight (8) years of experience in airport security/emergency preparedness, three (3) years of experience supervising staff and managing a function.
Committed to Equity – You will apply equity and exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices in all aspects of the work. At the Port of Seattle, equity is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all Port employees.
Demonstrated Leader – You can lead through change, and you improve adversarial situations, and provide coaching, teaching, and mentorship to others.
Strategic Thinker – You can develop and implement strategies that align with overall Port goals and objectives while influencing and leading change throughout the department.
Problem Solver – You can see the big picture and come to a resolution, including crisis management. You take into consideration and balance multiple, sometimes competing, stakeholders’ interests, and can facilitate conversations discussing solutions.
Effective Communicator – You have highly developed communication skills, including written, negotiations, presentation, facilitation, and listening skills.

Nice To Haves

Desired – We hope you have a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Public Safety or Aviation Management and/or Certified Member (CM) or Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Certified Safety Professional, or International Airport Professional (IAP).

Responsibilities

Provide senior leadership and strategic oversight of the Airport’s aviation security functions
Ensure emergency preparedness programs are effectively coordinated to support operational resilience and continuity during incidents and major disruptions
Communicate strategies and methods for ensuring the security of the Airport
Align security programs and initiatives with Aviation business plans, operational needs, and regulatory requirements
Represent Seattle-Tacoma International Airport within the Port, community, region, and nation on aviation security and related emergency preparedness issues impacting airports
Provide senior leadership, direction, and performance oversight of Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness staff
Oversee the development and maintenance of the Airport Security Plan
Provide strategic oversight and coordination of the Airport’s Emergency Preparedness program
Ensure effective coordination across Aviation departments, the Port, and external stakeholders
Ensure emergency preparedness plans, procedures, and protocols are operationally sound, regularly exercised, and aligned with federal, state, regional, and Port requirements and best practices
Ensure the planning and execution of exercises, after-action reviews, and corrective action processes related to security incidents and emergency events
Provide strategic counsel to Aviation leadership on issues spanning aviation security, emergency preparedness, and public policy
Leverage relationships with federal agencies, peer airports, and industry organizations to inform decision-making, shape policy outcomes, and strengthen aviation security and preparedness practices
Strategize, develop, and manage budgets for Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness
Present aviation security and emergency preparedness topics to Aviation and Port leadership, tenants, stakeholders, industry associations, and the broader community
Serve as a senior Aviation leader during security incidents and emergency events