JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT 

Ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Large Airports in the J.D. Power 2024 and 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, John Wayne Airport (JWA) has been a major cornerstone of Orange County for more than 100 years. Located in beautiful Southern California, we currently serve approximately 11.8 million annual passengers. We strive to provide a superior guest experience to ensure travel is convenient and stress-free. The County of Orange owns and operates the airport and the service area includes more than three million people within 34 cities and unincorporated areas of Orange County and beyond.

As a medium hub airport, we have commercial flights to more than 40 nonstop destinations in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Eleven commercial airlines and two air cargo airlines fly out of the Airport. It is home to nearly 500 general aviation (private, non-commercial) aircraft, representing 60% of total operations, and includes two full-service fixed base operators and one limited use general aviation facility.

• Mission: Connecting People, Places and Opportunities.
• Vision: To be an airport of choice by creating exceptional experiences.
• Core Values: REACH 
  • Respect
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Accountability
  • Collaboration
  • Honesty

To learn more about working at John Wayne Airport, click here.
To learn more about the County of Orange, click here.

DIVISION
The newly reformed Planning and Development Division oversees and delivers the airport’s $700 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which includes airside, landside, and terminal renovations, as well as major utility projects and long-term infrastructure planning. The Division is also a key partner in implementing the General Aviation Improvement Program and the Terminal Tenant Concession Redevelopment Program. This team has 28 professionals in a variety of roles. This Division’s functional areas include engineering and A/E design, land use and airport planning, environmental compliance, capital project programming, project management, project controls, and project Coordination and Logistics Management (CALM).

THE OPPORTUNITY

John Wayne Airport has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Professional Engineer. The ideal candidate is a seasoned Senior Professional Engineer with experience designing, managing, and delivering non-capital, capital, and maintenance improvement projects of varying scale and technical complexity. The Senior Professional Engineer serves as the engineering lead for the Airport, providing technical direction on engineering design, development, and construction of complex airport infrastructure and building systems. This position supervises engineering staff, provides direction to contracted engineering consultants, may oversee additional technical personnel, and manages complex or specialized assignments across multiple engineering disciplines. Key responsibilities include:

• Reviewing, developing, and approving engineering components of construction documents;
• Ensuring compliance with airport, federal, state, and local engineering standards;
• Supporting long-range infrastructure planning;
• Providing mentorship and technical guidance to lower-level staff

The Senior Professional Engineer supports a wide range of projects within the Planning and Development Division, including airfield infrastructure, utilities, roadways, bridges, mechanical/electrical/structural systems, and other horizontal and vertical airport facilities. This role ensures that airport infrastructure is safe, reliable, code-compliant, resilient, and aligned with Airport operational needs and development goals.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of eight (8) years of qualified engineering experience, with at least five (5) years as a licensed Professional Engineer. This experience should include work in one or more engineering disciplines—civil, structural, mechanical, or electrical-supporting large-scale infrastructure such as airfield pavements, utilities, roadway and bridge systems, building systems, and other technically sophisticated facilities requiring advanced engineering analysis, design, and regulatory compliance. Candidates licensed in another state must obtain California licensure through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists by the start of employment.

Candidates should have demonstrated experience in government contracting, procurement, and contract administration, including selecting and overseeing engineering and specialty consulting services and preparing bidding and construction documents. Experience applying federal, state, and local laws and standards—such as FAA Advisory Circulars, engineering briefs, Caltrans standards, California Public Contract Code, and other applicable codes and regulations—is expected.

Experience in an airport or aviation environment is highly desirable; however, candidates with strong engineering backgrounds in similarly complex public infrastructure environments are also encouraged to apply.

Additional professional certifications—such as Certified Member (C.M.) through AAAE, Certified Construction Manager (CCM), or Project Management Professional (PMP)—are considered desirable but not required.

The ideal candidate must possess and/or demonstrate the core competencies outlined below:

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Extensive knowledge and experience in professional public works, engineering, construction, architecture, or project management, ideally in an airport/airfield environment, as well as in contract administration and administration of airport and/or public works projects
• Ability to provide technical explanations and recommendations in terms readily understood by executives
• Ability to provide sound management and leadership skills to lead, guide, evaluate, and supervise a team of internal and external staff of professional construction managers, architects/engineers, project managers, construction and building inspectors, etc.
• Working independently to provide planning, programming, administrative, and technical review/expertise for the development of and/or design and construction of non-capital, capital, and maintenance improvement projects
• Extensive knowledge and experience with California Public Contracting Code, California Building Codes, Caltrans Standard Plans and Specifications, Cal-OSHA building construction regulations, Federal (i.e., FAA Advisory Circulars (AC), Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), TSA requirements, etc.), State and local codes and regulations, and other pertinent safety rules and regulations, including regulatory clearance and compliance requirements (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, RWQCB, AQMD, etc.)
• Ability to apply Project Management industry standards and practices in the areas of project planning, coordinating, budget management, scheduling, and monitoring
• Knowledge and literacy in the use of project management application software
• Ability to read, understand, interpret, and develop design and construction plans, specifications, cost estimates, and schedules for a wide variety of project types
• Extensive working knowledge and application of engineering design and construction principles and practices in mechanical, electrical, structural, or civil (airport-related) as it relates to varying types of projects ranging from airfield infrastructure to building systems
• Extensive working knowledge of construction industry standards, materials, practices, testing/inspection requirements, and methods as they relate to mechanical, electrical, structural, or civil (airport-related) engineering fields (ideally in an airport/airfield environment)
• Ability to develop and assist in the preparation of complete and accurate engineering computations, estimates, technical reports, feasibility studies, and construction documents
• Working knowledge and experience with the latest technical engineering design software and computer-aided design and drafting software (CADD), among others, such as ENERCALC, FAARFIELD, AviPLAN or similar, Microstation, AutoCAD, Revit, MicroPAVER, and ArcGIS
• Proficiency in using MS Word, MS Excel, MS Project, Primavera P6, MS Outlook, Bluebeam Revu (Adobe Acrobat Professional), and other common office software, with the willingness and ability to learn and become proficient in using other software applications and tools

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Ability to manage project scope, schedule, and budget, and provide recommendations as needed
• Ability to lead the project team and coordinate with stakeholders from project concept to completion
• Assist executive management in developing departmental business objectives and specific project strategies
• Provide leadership, guidance, and supervision to internal and contracted staff to achieve project and developmental goals that are aligned with overall business objectives
• Understand and address customer/tenant needs within the guidelines of policy
• Ability to make well-informed and objective decisions by perceiving the impact and implications of the decisions in a professional ethical framework
• Makes sound business decisions based on limited, complex, or contradicting information while considering relevant public service ethical principles
• Monitor team members and enforce all safety guidelines to ensure safe work practices

ANALYSIS & PROBLEM-SOLVING

• Ability to understand, interpret, and enforce compliance with plans, specifications, schedules, and contract provisions
• Ability to recognize and anticipate problems of project scope, budget, schedule, plans, and specifications, and determine necessary changes
• Ability to perform calculations independently necessary to determine quantities and prepare engineering estimates
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external staff, architects/engineers, contractors, airport tenants, and representatives of other agencies and departments
• Ability to research, evaluate, estimate, and accurately interpret and apply technical data and policy information to solve problems and make recommendations to management
• Exercises effective problem-solving skills and displays independent, sound judgment and decision-making abilities
• Coherently analyzes and presents cases for and against given approaches for accomplishing business objectives and project needs based on available information and circumstances, while supporting such analysis with clear, concise, and accurate reasoning and justification
• Ability to think critically and to ask appropriate questions and discern when data is sufficient or sufficient to make appropriate decisions
• Analyzes and evaluates various project issues and scenarios to help weigh available options, and to develop rational engineering and professional strategies and approaches to optimize favorable outcomes while curtailing potential adverse consequences

PLANNING & ORGANIZATION

• Plan and organize work effectively to ensure that assignments are on schedule
• Complete assignments on time and within budget and policy
• Ability to manage multiple projects at one time
• Ability to manage changing and competing priorities

COMMUNICATION SKILLS | ORAL & WRITTEN

• Experience in presenting orally and in writing proposals, progress reports, and recommendations to the highest levels in the organization, including the Board of Supervisors, Airport Commissioners, county executive management, private sector executives, contractors, and airport tenants
• Demonstrate political savvy when dealing with both internal and external stakeholders, including other staff from other County agencies/departments, the public, community groups, city staff, Airport Commissioners, airport tenants, and the Board of Supervisors
• Effective oral and written communication, including the ability to provide technical information in a clear and concise manner
• Communicating effectively with individuals and groups with diverse interests, including architects/engineers, contractors, and departmental representatives
• Negotiate and manage scope/fee development for planning or design proposals/contracts, including competitive bidding processes for complex contracts
• Demonstrating perceptive awareness of subtle interpersonal communication and interaction nuances, and responding appropriately
• Composing written, business-style correspondence, reports, memos, and other documentary material in a direct, clear, concise, and grammatically and punctually correct manner

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Click here to learn more about the minimum qualifications and the physical & mental requirements, as well as the environmental & working conditions for the Senior Professional Engineer/Architect.

LICENSE REQUIRED
The successful candidate must obtain, possess, and maintain the following licenses:

• The successful candidate must possess and maintain a valid California Driver’s License, Class C or higher, by date of appointment
• Possession of a valid license as a Professional Engineer from the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (Board) issued in the State of California or equivalent recognized state-regulated authority. The selected candidate who is licensed by a recognized state-regulated authority other than the State of California must obtain licensure from the Board issued in the State of California upon their start of employment

AIRPORT ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
The successful candidate must clear a background check which includes a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Security Threat Assessment (STA). In addition, the successful candidate in this position must be able to obtain and maintain an airport access badge with driving privileges. Airport Access Badge must be maintained and renewed every two (2) years