Vice President of Aviation

Our client is seeking an experienced and driven leader to join their team as Vice President, Aviation. In this role, the Vice President of Aviation provides technical leadership while planning, organizing, and implementing the development of all projects and initiatives within the aviation group. This leader will bring strategic vision, technical expertise, and strong leadership skills to drive the success of their team's projects and ensure our client consistently meets and exceeds customer expectations.

The Vice President, Aviation leads the growth and profit goals of the aviation team by managing a multidisciplinary group specializing in the planning, design, and construction services of diverse engineering projects. This is an opportunity to guide a team of talented engineers while shaping the future of aviation infrastructure.

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Aviation division, aligning with the company's overall mission and vision
• Grow business volume with existing and new clients
• Oversee the planning, design, and execution of aviation projects, ensuring they meet quality standards, budgets, and timelines
• Administrative responsibilities include oversight of quality for all work, maintaining 15% overall group profitability, ensuring the Project Management Plan is followed, recovery plan reviews for projects over budget or schedule, invoicing oversight, staffing requirement reviews, and goals and performance reviews of direct reports
• Collaborate across the organization to ensure team utilization goals are met or exceeded
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies, particularly the FAA
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of multi-disciplined engineers and project managers
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in the aviation industry including major carrier airlines, airside and landside design, and construction management, including proposal development and presentations
• Participate in the RFP/RFQ process including site visits, client meetings, scope development, preparation of project approach, technical execution plans, schedules, and interviews
• Ensure all projects comply with federal, state, and local regulations as well as industry standards and best practices

• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Illinois required
• Minimum 15 years of experience in design engineering with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Minimum 5 years of experience in the aviation industry
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
• Strong understanding of aviation engineering principles, project management, and regulatory requirements
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with clients, stakeholders, and team members