Airport Program Management Officer II- Fire Safety and Risk Compliance, Emergency Management

Salary range: $97,519-$135,000

Posting expires: November 6, 2026

General Description and Classification Standards:

Under the direction of the Assistant General Manager of Emergency Management, the Management Officer of Fire Safety and Risk Compliance directs, manages, supervises, and coordinates the Department of Aviation’s enterprise Fire Safety Program and fire risk compliance function. The Management Officer has broad responsibility for fire risk governance, regulatory compliance, inspection and enforcement, fire protection impairment management, high-risk operations, construction and management-of-change review, hazard identification, risk analytics, and corrective-action oversight across Department of Aviation assets and operations. This authority extends to Department of Aviation divisions, the Atlanta Airport Technical Center, tenants, contractors, subcontractors, and other airport stakeholders. This is a high-level strategic, risk-management, and regulatory leadership position responsible for establishing an enforcement-capable fire safety program aligned with organizational priorities, applicable codes and standards, and insurance carrier expectations. The position manages a primary function of the department and recommends operating policy, procedures, standards, and enforcement actions subject to department executive approval. This is NOT a routine promotional level and the specific justification for classification at this level must be documented.

• Reports to the Assistant General Manager, Emergency Management and leads Fire Safety and Training Program and Risk Compliance Program
• Establishes and implements operational processes, procedures, and policies; contributes significantly to airport policy development and strategic planning
• Provides executive-level operational, financial, and performance analysis to support informed decision-making
• Reviews insurance carrier inspections and assessments reports and leads the development of response to findings, mitigations, and prevention.
• Exercises broad decision-making authority requiring sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to manage complex operational challenges

Fully seasoned senior leadership role with broad decision-making authority, significant regulatory responsibility, and accountability for high-risk, mission-critical airport operations. Positions at this level typically lead units with unique or highly technical responsibilities, multiple teams or crews, and safety- or regulatory-sensitive functions.

Supervision may be over a group of similarly skilled employees or a group with varied skills. Positions at this level would typically lead a unit that has a unique or distinctive function; has a large work group with multiple crews or teams; or leads a group with highly technical or sensitive responsibilities.

Supervision Received:

This position works independently under broad executive direction and attends regular meetings with senior management. Routinely collaborates with executives, Management Officers, legal counsel, facilities and construction leadership, emergency management, public safety, risk management, insurance representatives, and airport stakeholders to accomplish common goals. Direction received is very general and focuses primarily on long-term and short-term strategic objectives, risk reduction, regulatory compliance, and organizational performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

These are typical responsibilities for this position and should not be construed as exclusive or all inclusive.

Plans, organizes, and directs the enterprise Fire Safety Program through subordinate managers, supervisors, inspectors, compliance officers, coordinators, and professional staff; reviews recommendations and actions of subordinates; and resolves complex fire safety, compliance, and risk issues.

Provides executive oversight of all fire safety and fire risk programs and establishes enterprise fire risk governance, performance objectives, inspection priorities, enforcement standards, and corrective-action requirements.

Exercises authority to compel corrective action for identified fire and life-safety deficiencies across Department of Aviation organizations and external stakeholders, consistent with applicable law, policy, contractual requirements, and executive authority.

Approves or recommends enforcement actions that may have legal, operational, contractual, or financial implications and coordinates such actions with executive leadership, the City Law Department, procurement, risk management, and other appropriate offices.

Directly engages insurance carriers, brokers, risk engineers, regulatory agencies, fire code officials, and senior leadership regarding fire risk assessments, loss-prevention recommendations, corrective-action plans, and risk mitigation priorities.

Leads the organizational response to fire-related findings identified through insurance risk assessments, audits, inspections, incidents, and internal reviews, including Human Element deficiencies, physical fire protection gaps, fire protection impairment management failures, hot work inconsistencies, construction and management-of-change weaknesses, hazard identification lapses, and emerging fire risks such as photovoltaic power systems.

Establishes and enforces standardized processes for fire protection system impairments, including authorization, notification, compensatory measures, restoration, documentation, escalation, and closure.

Establishes and oversees high-risk operations controls, including hot work, temporary fire protection arrangements, combustible loading, hazardous operations, and other activities presenting elevated fire or life-safety risk.

Provides fire safety and risk compliance review of construction, renovation, maintenance, and capital projects; ensures fire protection considerations are incorporated into design review, commissioning, occupancy, and management-of-change processes.

Develops and maintains enterprise processes for fire hazard identification, risk ranking, corrective-action tracking, trend analysis, risk analytics, and executive reporting; establishes key performance indicators and measures program effectiveness.

Ensures compliance with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, National Fire Protection Association codes and standards, the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, locally adopted fire and building codes, and other applicable regulatory requirements and standards.

Develops, recommends, and implements fire safety policies, standards, procedures, inspection protocols, training requirements, and enforcement mechanisms applicable to Department of Aviation employees and airport stakeholders.

Establishes and maintains fire safety education, qualification, and training requirements for employees, tenants, contractors, subcontractors, and other stakeholders based on risk and regulatory requirements.

Reviews fire incidents, system impairments, near misses, audit findings, inspection results, and trends; directs root-cause analysis and recommends corrective and preventive actions to reduce recurrence and organizational exposure.

Directs and participates in development and administration of the program budget; prepares reports and recommendations concerning staffing, operating expenditures, technology, consulting support, equipment, and capital risk-reduction needs.

Provides exemplary customer service while maintaining the independence and enforcement authority necessary to protect life safety, property, operational continuity, and organizational risk posture.

The above statements reflect the general duties, responsibilities and competencies considered necessary to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job and should not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements of the position. COA may change the specific job duties with or without prior notice based on the needs of the organization.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

This is a partial listing of necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job successfully, it is not an exhaustive list.

Thorough knowledge of airport and aviation operations and the principles and practices of fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, risk management, emergency management, regulatory compliance, and loss prevention.

Advanced working knowledge of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations; National Fire Protection Association codes and standards; International Building Code and International Fire Code requirements; and fire protection systems, inspection practices, impairment management, and code enforcement principles.

Comprehensive knowledge of fire risk governance, Human Element loss-prevention controls, hot work programs, construction fire safety, management-of-change practices, hazard identification, corrective-action management, and emerging fire risks associated with technologies such as photovoltaic power systems.

Skilled in solving complex problems; interpreting technical codes, standards, regulations, engineering recommendations, and insurance risk findings; preparing clear executive, administrative, compliance, and financial reports; and researching, analyzing, and evaluating new risk-control methods, procedures, technologies, and service-delivery approaches.

Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and executive presentation skills; ability to communicate technical risk issues clearly to line-level employees, technical professionals, contractors, regulators, insurers, attorneys, and senior executives.

Ability to lead a competent, professional, multidisciplinary team with a management style that promotes accountability, staff participation, continuous improvement, and consistent enforcement.

Ability to exercise sound independent judgment in high-risk and time-sensitive situations; establish and maintain effective working relationships; conduct detailed analytical evaluations and studies; prepare reports and recommendations; and develop, review, and administer contracts and professional services supporting fire safety and risk compliance.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Science, Occupational Safety, Emergency Management, Risk Management, Engineering, Airport Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, or a closely related discipline, including significant management or leadership responsibility.
• Experience must demonstrate responsibility for complex fire/life-safety programs, regulatory compliance, inspections or enforcement, and coordination with executive leadership or external regulatory/risk stakeholders.

Licenses and Certifications 

• Advanced professional fire protection or fire service leadership credential preferred, including Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), or Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (MIFireE) or comparable credential.
• Valid driver’s license may be required based on operational responsibilities.

Preferred Requirements 

• Master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Science, Occupational Safety, Emergency and Disaster Management, Risk Management, Engineering, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• Eight (8) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in fire protection, fire prevention, life safety, risk management, regulatory compliance, or related operations within a large, complex, highly regulated environment; airport, aviation, transportation, municipal, industrial, or large-campus experience preferred.
• Professional certifications in fire inspection, fire plans examination, fire code enforcement, occupational safety, risk management, or related disciplines are preferred.
• Experience interfacing directly with insurance carriers and risk engineers, regulatory agencies, legal counsel, construction and facilities organizations, and executive leadership is strongly preferred.

Work Environment:

Required physical, lifting, and sensory capabilities are requirements to perform the job successfully. Typical environmental conditions associated with the job.

Lifting Requirements:

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

It is the policy of the City of Atlanta (“COA”) that qualified individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against because of their disabilities regarding job application procedures, hiring, and other terms and conditions of employment. It is further the policy of the COA to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. The COA is prepared to modify or adjust the job application process or the job or work environment to make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of the applicant or employee to enable the applicant or employee to be considered for the position he or she desires, to perform the essential functions of the position in question, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other similarly situated employees without disabilities, unless the accommodation will impose an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the Human Resources Management Officer for your department.

The City of Atlanta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, ender identity, marital status, veteran’s status or national origin, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.  We value and encourage diversity in our workforce.