Airports Program Specialist

Serves as a recognized subject matter expert in a specialized area and provides leadership for highly complex and challenging activities such as updating the AIP Handbook, under the minimal direction of a manager or executive. Serves as APP's principal analyst for evaluating legislative proposals or enactments affecting airport programs; and provides technical advice and assistance to executive leaders, APP management, other high level FAA officials, Congressional staff, and aviation stakeholders. Develops and applies practical and functional solutions to achieve compliance with statutory provisions affecting airport programs. Applies expert level knowledge and experience in the interpretation of complex federal laws, rules regulations, and policies related to airport programs to (1) amend, develop, and provide policy guidance, procedures, and requirements to ensure compliance with the applicable obligations; and incorporate them in strategic planning efforts that cross organizational lines, as needed; (2) develop consistent national policy and guidance; and (3) provide expert technical advice on Airports program issues affecting the full range of ARP programs to include coordination with all ARP functional areas and other LOB/SOs. Develops, revises and determines the adequacy of existing, or if necessary, new airport program requirements, policies, guidance, and procedures. In coordination with the Office of Government & Industry Affairs and the Office of General Counsel (OGC), provides technical assistance on airport issues in new legislation or FAA reauthorizations; and provides advice and assistance to management and staff regarding the legislative impacts on ARP, over 3,300 airport sponsors, state aeronautical agencies, and industry and user stakeholders. Researches topics, trends, lessons learned; and analyzes data to pro-actively develop high-level briefings, presentations, proposals, and guidance for a variety of audiences. Guidance takes the form of orders, program guidance, letters or other guidance documents and generally requires national coordination within the ARP and other FAA LOBs/SOs. Applies methodologies that include problem exploration and definition, planning of the approach and sequence of steps for reaching a solution, substantiation by studies, interpretations of findings, the documentation or reporting of findings, and the exercise and application of critical judgment to explain an understanding of the possible variations and implications therefrom. Provides input on key issues related to airport use, aeronautical activity and airport operational requirements. Identifies and analyzes alternatives and recommends authoritative, conclusive, and technically sufficient policies and procedures based on data-driven analyses, analytical methods and conclusions, as necessary to be major determinants in FAA's decisions on those issues. Provides comprehensive multi-faceted aviation technical expertise (e.g., all GA activities, Airline, Military, Air Traffic, applicable CFRs) and well-informed recommendations, and coordinates and facilitates resolution of Airports program issues that affect the purview of other FAA LOBs, such as Aviation Safety (AVS), FAA Flight Standards (AFS), the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), and Commercial Space Transportation (AST). Establishes a framework and responsibility for monitoring international airport regulatory requirements and business trends/practices around the globe (e.g., ICAO Annexes and Policy Documents, Civil Aviation Authorities airport requirements, privatization, IATA guidance, European Commission (EC) Aviation Regulations, other standards development organizations, airport governance, etc.) to help evaluate airport practices in the U.S., implications on bilateral agreements, impacts on U.S. service providers (e.g., airlines) and U.S. aviation interests at large.