Description
Plan and design airport facilities—including runways, taxiways, aprons, and landside infrastructure—in accordance with FAA standards and state or federal construction policy. Prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates for airfield and terminal projects. Plan upgrades or rehabilitations to improve safety, capacity, and operational efficiency.
- • Present plans, drawings, and exhibits at airport public meetings or stakeholder briefings.
- • Review tenant or regional development proposals to assess impacts on airport access and operations.
- • Prepare technical reports on airfield operations, safety, pavement condition, or capacity.
- • Evaluate airfield lighting, signage, and electrical systems to determine needs for upgrade or expansion.
- • Assess navigational aids, markings, and geometry for compliance and performance.
- • Develop or customize CAD/GIS tools or analytic processes to support airport planning and design.
- • Prepare project budgets, schedules, and material and labor specifications.
- • Produce final design drawings and calculations for pavements, grading, and geometry.
- • Plan rehabilitation or reconfiguration of runways, taxiways, or aprons to improve safety and efficiency.
- • Manage bidding, negotiation, and contract administration for airport projects.
- • Model aircraft operations, gate demand, or airfield capacity to evaluate impacts of new development.
- • Investigate operational bottlenecks or safety issues and recommend improvements.
- • Test or verify construction materials and electrical components for compliance with specifications.
- • Inspect airfield and landside construction to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.
- • Direct surveying, staking, and layout of airfield and landside works.
- • Prepare and update project cost estimates.
- • Coordinate with FAA, airport authorities, airlines, utilities, and local agencies on plans and schedules.
- • Perform QA/QC reviews of design drawings, calculations, and estimates for conformance with standards.
- • Analyze environmental documents for airport projects, including noise and air quality impacts.
- • Oversee maintenance or rehabilitation programs for pavements, lighting, and drainage systems.
- • Design or prepare plans for runways, taxiways, aprons, terminals, parking, roadways, and drainage.
- • Design drainage, erosion control, and stormwater management systems for airfield and terminal areas.
- • Incorporate sustainable materials and practices, such as LED lighting or low-impact development.
- • Plan decommissioning or demolition of obsolete airport facilities with environmentally sound methods.
- • Evaluate materials and processes for compliance with environmental and stormwater requirements.
- • Inspect completed projects for compliance with FAA, state, and environmental regulations.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Public Service & Safety
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
