This role operates at the intersection of planning, program management, infrastructure development, and stakeholder coordination—ensuring that all planning initiatives support a cohesive, implementable, and future-ready airport environment.

The Aviation Chief Planner is responsible for advancing planning efforts from concept through implementation, bridging the gap between master planning, environmental clearance, project definition, and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Airport Planning & Program Integration

• Lead long-range airport planning initiatives, including master planning updates, facility planning, and capital development strategies.
• Translate planning efforts into implementable programs, including Project Definition Documents (PDDs), phasing strategies, and capital sequencing.
• Ensure alignment of all planning initiatives with the LEAP capital program, operational constraints, and long-term airport vision.
• Coordinate planning inputs into capital programming, budgeting, and funding strategies.

Capital Program Coordination (LEAP)

• Serve as the central planning liaison across program management, design teams, and City leadership.
• Integrate planning assumptions into design development, construction phasing, and operational continuity strategies.
• Support procurement and oversight of planning, environmental, and technical consulting services.
• Ensure consistency of planning standards, assumptions, and design intent across all LEAP projects.

Environmental & Regulatory Planning

• Oversee and coordinate compliance with Federal Aviation Administration environmental requirements, including NEPA (CATEX, EA, EIS).
• Coordinate with state and local agencies including Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
• Support airfield, landside, and facility planning in accordance with FAA design standards and guidance.
• Manage environmental planning strategies to minimize program risk, delays, and operational disruption.

Technical Planning & Analysis

• Lead complex planning studies including:
• Airfield capacity and geometry
• Terminal and landside development
• Utility and infrastructure planning
• Ground access and traffic analysis
• Oversee data-driven planning efforts including forecasting, simulation, and scenario modeling.
• Ensure integration of planning outputs into digital tools, GIS, and future BIM-based systems.

Stakeholder & Executive Engagement

• Serve as a primary advisor to executive leadership on planning strategy and development decisions.
• Coordinate with City leadership, City Council, regulatory agencies, airlines, tenants, and community stakeholders.
• Prepare and present high-level planning materials, briefings, and recommendations for executive decision-making.
• Lead cross-functional coordination to ensure situational awareness of all development activities across the airport campus.

Program Governance & Innovation

• Establish and maintain planning standards, processes, and governance frameworks across the airport.
• Support digital transformation initiatives, including campus-wide data integration and planning modernization.
• Identify innovative solutions to enhance passenger experience, operational efficiency, and infrastructure resilience.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes to support a fast-paced, high-impact capital program.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: (Civil Service Qualifications) 

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in Planning, airport/aviation management, engineering, or another related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Five (5) years’ experience in airport management and/or airport planning.

AND

• Three (3) years of project management, or supervisory experience. (This experience may be included in the required experience listed above.)

EQUIVALENCY:

• A master’s degree in a specified field plus three (3) years of the required experience and the stated project management/supervisory experience will meet the education and experience requirements.

LICENSE:

• Valid driver’s license and good driving record.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Must pass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management, Airport Planning, Engineering, Urban Planning, or a related field.
• Experience in airport planning, infrastructure development, or aviation-related program delivery.
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale capital programs or complex infrastructure environments.

OR

• Master’s degree in Airport Planning, Aviation Management, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience with major airport capital redevelopment programs.
• Strong knowledge of FAA airport planning and design standards.
• Experience with NEPA environmental processes and regulatory coordination.
• Familiarity with program management, capital improvement planning, and project delivery frameworks.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and long-range planning
• Program and project integration
• Stakeholder and executive communication
• Technical analysis and problem-solving
• Leadership in complex, high-visibility environments
• Ability to operate in a highly constrained, operationally sensitive airport environment

Why This Role Matters

Dallas Love Field is one of the most operationally constrained and highly utilized airports in the United States. The Aviation Chief Planner plays a critical role in ensuring that all development is thoughtfully planned, operationally feasible, and strategically aligned—minimizing disruption while maximizing long-term value to the City of Dallas and the traveling public.

Important Note

While this position aligns functionally with the City of Dallas Planner classification, the responsibilities outlined above reflect the actual scope and expectations of the Aviation Chief Planner role at Dallas Love Field. The official City of Dallas job description may vary and is maintained separately for classification and administrative purposes.

Salary Range

$77,272.00 – $96,574.40

The salary listed on this job posting is the starting salary range; amount offered will depend upon qualifications.

City of Dallas is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About Dallas Love Field

The City of Dallas owns and operates Dallas Love Field, one of the finest general-purpose airports in the world. The airfield is located seven miles northwest of the downtown central business district and is managed by the City's Department of Aviation.Dallas Love Field provides the best that can be offered in a convenient, efficient airport, serving both commercial airline and corporate user needs. Located in the heart of Dallas, Herb Kelleher Way (formerly Cedar Springs Road) at Mockingbird, the airfield is 20 minutes from the Downtown Convention Center, West End, Infomart, and the Dallas Market Center.Love Field is self-supported through reasonable user fees and charges, with no cost to the taxpayer. Activities at Love Field generate funds that contribute to the local tax base. The airport serves another important function in the community as an essential employer and service provider to the businesses and citizens of Dallas.Love Field is fully equipped with all of the necessary aeronautical lighting, airport marking and air navigation radio aids to ensure its accessibility to aircraft even under highly adverse weather conditions. Its long parallel runways are enhanced with stat...e of the art visual approach lighting aids and four instrument landing systems. Love Field also has a crosswind runway. Other features include surveillance radar services, a windshear warning system and an FAA air traffic control tower that provides services 24 hours a day.Seven full service fixed base operators (FBOs) at Love Field provide general aviation users with a wide variety of services including fuel, maintenance, hangar rentals, and charters. FBOs at Love Field are well equipped to handle executive needs providing first class amenities such as meeting rooms, car rentals, limousine service and restaurants. Love Field is served by Southwest Airlines, Virgin America Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.Love Field serves as the front door to Dallas for seven million passengers a year providing a vital link in the economy of the City of Dallas, the region and the nation.

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