Managing Director, Integrated Operations (0943 Manager VIII) – SFO

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

The Integrated Operations Division is the operational core of SFO, responsible for ensuring the Airport moves safely, securely, and with unwavering consistency every hour of every day. It is where real-time decisions are made, where crises are managed, and where the safety and security of the traveling public is protected. Leading this division requires executive depth, operational command, and the judgment to act decisively under pressure. SFO is seeking an exceptional senior executive to serve as its Managing Director, Integrated Operations, one of the most consequential operational leadership roles at the Airport. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, this leader holds strategic and operational accountability for SFO’s safety, security, airfield operations, and emergency management functions, while providing senior executive oversight of the Airport Integrated Operations Center. This is a role for a proven leader who brings both strategic vision and deep operational credibility: someone who thrives in complexity, builds enduring partnerships with federal agencies and industry stakeholders, and elevates the performance of every team they lead. With a $65 million annual portfolio and more than 250 dedicated professionals across the division, the Managing Director, Integrated Operations defines what it means for SFO to operate at the highest standard of safety, security, and business continuity for every passenger, every flight, every day.

Requirements

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
Six (6) years of managerial experience at a commercial service airport involving airport operations, maintenance, safety and security, and customer service.
All experience must include supervisory functions
Possession of a valid Class C Driver’s License. A California license must be obtained prior to appointment.
Employees are required to maintain a satisfactory driving record.
Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Nice To Haves

Progressively responsible senior leadership experience at a large-hub commercial service airport
A track record of managing complex multi-disciplinary teams
A demonstrated ability to lead with authority across safety, security, and operational functions simultaneously
Leads with conviction, earns trust across every level of the organization, and brings a genuine sense of mission to the work of keeping an airport safe and moving
A compelling record of leading safety-critical, high-complexity operational programs with the authority, judgment, and steadiness that this scale of responsibility demands
Deep expertise across one or more of the division’s core domains, from airport operations and safety and security to airfield management and emergency management, paired with the intellectual range to lead effectively across all of them
The ability to build trust quickly and credibly with a wide range of stakeholders, from federal regulators and airline executives to frontline workforce leaders and elected officials
A communication style that is clear, confident, and authoritative, as effective in an emergency command center as it is in an Airport Commission hearing or a one-on-one conversation with a team member
A genuine commitment to developing people, shaping organizational culture, and leaving every team stronger, more capable, and more confident than they found it
The strategic patience and composure to lead through crisis, sustained pressure, and organizational complexity without losing sight of the long-term mission

Responsibilities

Establishes and advances a cohesive division-wide strategy aligned with SFO’s enterprise goals, translating the COO’s vision into clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and accountable leadership at every level
Cultivates a performance culture grounded in safety, mission-readiness, continuous improvement, and a shared sense of purpose across a 24/7/365 operational enterprise
Drives enterprise-wide advances in operational systems, technology integration, and interdivisional coordination, raising the ceiling on what integrated airport operations can achieve
Serves as a trusted advisor to the COO and Airport Director, offering clear-eyed analysis of emerging risks, strategic opportunities, and the operational realities that shape SFO’s future
Provides senior executive oversight of the AIOC, ensuring the Center operates as SFO’s primary hub for situational awareness, operational coordination, and incident management across all Airport functions and partner agencies
Sets the strategic framework for AIOC performance, including inter-agency coordination protocols, escalation authorities, and standards for information sharing and operational decision-making
Champions sustained investment in AIOC technology, data infrastructure, and operational systems, ensuring the Center remains at the leading edge of aviation operations management
Ensures the AIOC functions as the connective tissue between SFO’s operational divisions, airline and concessionaire partners, federal agencies, and the City’s emergency management architecture
Oversees the design and execution of joint operational exercises and full-scale drills that rigorously test SFO’s coordinated response capabilities and sharpen the Airport’s collective readiness
Sets the strategic direction for SFO’s comprehensive safety, security, and emergency management enterprise, ensuring programs are forward-looking, threat-aware, and compliant with FAA, TSA, CBP, and OSHA requirements
Holds executive accountability for the Airport Security Program (ASP) and the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP), ensuring both are operationally current, regularly exercised, and reflective of the evolving threat landscape
Cultivates high-trust, high-performance partnerships with the San Francisco Police Department, TSA, FBI, CBP, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory stakeholders
Directs SFO’s enterprise approach to access control, perimeter integrity, surveillance systems, and physical security infrastructure, continuously raising the standard for campus-wide protection
Leads the organizational response to significant security incidents, providing command clarity, guiding inter-agency coordination, and ensuring rigorous after-action review drives lasting improvement
Integrates emergency preparedness into the fabric of daily operations, leading a program where planning is disciplined, exercises are realistic, and the organization responds to crisis with the composure of a team that has prepared for it
Serves in executive command authority within SFO’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) structure, coordinating with the City’s Department of Emergency Management, regional mutual aid partners, and federal emergency management agencies
Leads crisis communications strategy and public information coordination during emergency activations, partnering with the Airport Director and SFO Communications to ensure consistent, credible, and transparent public messaging
Builds and sustains a culture of safety excellence and commitment to business continuity, ensuring every member of the division understands their role in protecting the Airport and the people it serves
Provides executive oversight of SFO’s airfield operation, encompassing FAR Part 139 certification compliance, runway and taxiway safety management, and execution of the Wildlife Hazard Management Program
Ensures the airfield operations team maintains an unwavering standard of safety and regulatory compliance in coordination with the FAA, airline partners, and ground service providers
Directs management of airfield construction impacts, temporary operating procedures, and NOTAM coordination, protecting safety and minimizing operational disruption through periods of significant infrastructure activity
Provides executive direction for real-time response to weather events, airspace management challenges, and operational disruptions in close coordination with the AIOC and airline stakeholders
Holds executive accountability for the development, oversight, and stewardship of the division’s $65 million annual budget, ensuring resources are allocated strategically, expenditures are managed with rigor, and financial performance is reported with transparency to the COO and Airport Commission
Directs division-wide workforce planning and talent strategy, ensuring the Integrated Operations team has the depth, capability, and succession strength to meet SFO’s present and future operational demands
Oversees the design and execution of training programs across the division, ensuring every team is prepared, certified, and continuously developing the skills that operational excellence requires
Provides executive direction for the division’s contract portfolio, ensuring procurements are strategically aligned, vendor relationships are high-performing, and contract outcomes deliver measurable value to SFO’s operational mission
Anticipates financial risks and emerging resource needs, bringing the COO proactive analysis and actionable solutions rather than problems alone
Serves as SFO’s authoritative operational representative with the FAA, TSA, CBP, and other federal regulatory agencies, maintaining compliance relationships built on credibility, transparency, and demonstrated operational excellence
Represents the Integrated Operations Division before the Airport Commission, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, city departments, and the public on matters of safety, security, airfield operations, and organizational performance
Develops and stewards productive partnerships with airline executives, ground handlers, federal inspection agencies, and other Airport stakeholders on operational matters of shared consequence
Provides the COO and Airport Director with the executive counsel they need, offering clear analysis, sound judgment, and well-reasoned recommendations on matters of significant operational or public impact
Builds a leadership team culture defined by accountability, psychological safety, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to the division’s mission, modeling the values and behaviors expected at every level of the organization
Invests meaningfully in the growth and development of senior leaders across the division, building the depth and succession strength the organization needs to sustain high performance over time
Ensures performance is managed with clarity and consistency, recognizing excellence, addressing gaps with directness and support, and creating the conditions for every employee to contribute at their highest level
Champions a workplace where SFO’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging is reflected in how the division operates, how decisions are made, and how people are developed and advanced
Defines and tracks division-wide performance indicators that illuminate both operational outcomes and organizational health, reporting findings with candor and using data to drive meaningful, lasting improvement
Performs other duties as assigned