Deputy Airport Director, Innovation & Technology

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Deputy Airport Director, Innovation & Technology

County of Orange Costa Mesa, California, United States

Job Description:

Deputy Airport Director, Innovation & Technology

Description

CAREER DESCRIPTION

Deputy Airport Director, Innovation & Technology

(Technology Services Deputy Director)

This recruitment is open to the public. The open eligible list established through this recruitment will be used to fill a current vacancy within John Wayne Airport and may be used to fill any future vacancies in other agencies throughout the County of Orange. This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and or lower classifications.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the recruitment will close on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 11:59 pm (PST).

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and the successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

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.



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

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

As technology continues to rapidly change in airports, JWA is looking to develop the Innovation & Technology Division to ensure JWA is seen as a leader when it comes to an end user’s experience, cyber security, service reliability, and strategic upgrade. This Division plays a unique and critical role in the Airport’s operations.

The Innovation and Technology Division of John Wayne Airport includes Technical Services, IT Project Management, Operations, Service Desk/CUPPS, and Security Teams. This Division provides 24/7 support for airport operations, including building automation, access control, security cameras, baggage handling systems, servers, applications, hardware infrastructure, network infrastructure, end-user support for JWA administrative staff and systems, IT security, compliance efforts, consulting services, and vendor contract management.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Orange County’s John Wayne Airport is seeking a Deputy Airport Director - Innovation & Technology (IT Director). If you have strong leadership/management skills, IT systems knowledge, and airport experience then you may be the ideal candidate for this exciting role! The position will report directly to the Assistant Airport Director while overseeing a team of 19. This is the perfect opportunity for someone who is well-versed in Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS), payment card systems (PCI), baggage handling systems, and building automation and wants to become part of a fast-paced, progressively innovative executive team, leading innovation and technology at a medium-hub airport.

This role requires strong relationship-building skills, as you will regularly collaborate, and sometimes negotiate, with airport business owners, security, airlines personnel, airport staff, and leadership and work often and effectively with other County centralized and decentralized information technology personnel. The ability to provide strategic leadership, change management oversight, and alignment between IT solutions and business needs is critical to the success of this role.

The successful candidate will understand how data can drive decision-making and will have the ability to utilize key performance metrics to measure the success of operations. The successful candidate will demonstrate experience in the following:


DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

In addition, the successful candidate will also have knowledge, skills, and abilities which will demonstrate the following competencies:

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PROBLEM SOLVING and ANALYSIS PLANNING and ORGANIZATION
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To learn about the minimum qualifications of the Technology Services Deputy Director classification, click here.

LICENSE REQUIRED

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

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).

PHYSICAL, MENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, and WORKING CONDITIONS

In addition to the standard requirements and conditions listed for all positions, some assignments may require additional physical and mental capabilities and/or the ability to work in the more diverse environmental conditions listed for some positions.

Physical and Mental Requirements

Possess vision sufficient to read standard text and a computer monitor and to drive a vehicle; speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly and understandably in person to individuals and groups and over the telephone; possess body mobility to stand, sit, walk, stoop and bend routinely to perform daily tasks and to access a standard office environment; possess manual dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard, utilize office equipment and to write and drive; use a County approved means of transportation.

Environmental and Working Conditions

Possess the ability to independently reason logically to analyze data, reach conclusions and make recommendations; possess the ability to remain calm and appropriately focused in rapidly changing and difficult situations involving conflict, complex issues, controversy, and diverse stakeholder groups and interests; possess the ability to deal calmly and effectively with emotional interactions. Function effectively in a standard office environment.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Human Resource Services screens all application materials for minimum and desirable qualifications. After screening, candidates who meet the minimum and desirable qualifications will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All candidates will be notified via email of their status in the process.

Application Screening | (Refer/Non-Refer): Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those candidates that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Structured Oral Interview (Oral Exam) | (Weighted 100%): Candidates will be interviewed and rated by job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list.

Eligible List | Score Groups: Once all assessments have been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Completion of a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County may be required for some assignments.

Veterans Employment Preference: The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

Based on the Department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. Candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please see below for important information regarding COVID-19-related requirements.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and laws, regulations, and policies regarding COVID-19 are subject to change. The County of Orange is required to comply with all applicable State or County Public Health Orders, some of which require vaccination or testing as follows:

The position for which you are applying may be required to adhere to any applicable State or County Public Health Orders. You will receive notification of any requirement as it applies to a position.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jennifer Ramirez at (714) 347-8385 or at [email protected].

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer,
encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Administrative Management *
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits -- such as a variety of health plan options, sick and vacation time and paid holidays -- we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as:


*Effective 07/01/20, management employees who are sworn Public Safety Managers receive health insurance benefits through the AOCDS Medical Benefit Plans.

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.

Closing Date/Time: 3/10/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$170,227.20 - $235,747.20 Annually
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