Director – Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation; CEEA)

About Our Job With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer The City and County of Denver offers competitive pay commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $125,000 - $155,000/year. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
457B Retirement Plan
140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day, and 1 volunteer day per year Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date Location & Schedule The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed.

Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site  this position you can expect to work on site at least 3 days per week at our CEEA Office Space at Denver International Airport (8500 Pena Boulevard, Denver, CO 80249).Who We Are & What You’ll DoSince opening on Feb. 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world’s busiest airports.

In 2025, 82,427,962 passengers passed through DEN, making DEN 4th busiest airport in the U.S. and the world’s 10th busiest airport. DEN is Colorado’s primary economic engine, generating $47.2 billion in annual economic impact for the state. At DEN, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We celebrate individuality and strive to keep Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) at the center of all that we do.

The Director for the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA) provides strategic, operational, and people leadership for CEEA’s Career Pathways and Research & Innovation portfolios, overseeing the two Managers who run each team. Bringing an enterprise mindset, the Director connects both portfolios to DEN’s broader priorities, represents DEN both internally and externally, and advances CEEA’s mission and DEN’s strategic plan through strong fiscal stewardship, data-informed decisions, and executive-level engagement.

Specifically, as the CEEA Director, you will:

Lead and Develop Teams:
Directly lead the Career Pathways Manager and the Research & Innovation Manager, unifying goals, culture, and performance management across both teams.

Foster Enterprise

Collaboration:

Bring an enterprise mindset to every decision by proactively collaborating with CEEA and DEN leaders, and aligning portfolio work with DEN’s strategic plan and enterprise-wide priorities.

Build Leadership Capacity:
Strengthen team capabilities and support succession planning across both portfolios.

Oversee Complex Program & Portfolio Operations:
Provide strategic oversight for a broad portfolio including youth engagement, internships, employee development, leadership programs, research, and innovation — including the Research & Innovation Lab/makerspace.

Serve as Escalation Point:
Address program risks, stakeholder concerns, compliance issues, and continuous improvement across both portfolios.

Use Data to Drive Decisions:
Leverage dashboards, reports, and research — including the annual CEEA Impact Report and Foresight report — to inform planning, resource allocation, and executive‑level insights.

Drive Portfolio Performance & Accountability:
Establish performance goals, success…