Airport Emergency Operations Specialist - Denver International Airport

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits , and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join DEN's diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 37,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The starting target hourly range for this position is $39.56 to $50.00 per hour. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

Competitive medical, dental and vision plan effective within 1 month of start date

Pension Plan (DERP) and Retirement Plan

Accrue 140 hours of PTO within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

CARE Bank, Family Leave Benefits

Employee Assistance Program, Employee Volunteer Program

EcoPass (unlimited free RTD bus/train rides)

Learning and Development Opportunities; Courses and Career Development Resources

And so much more!!!

Location and Schedule

In this position, you can expect to work on site at Denver International Airport AOB Office, Lvl 10. Free employee parking provided.

The schedule will follow a 4/10 format (4 days a week with 10-hour shifts), covering the hours of 6am-10pm, and is subject to extended on-call coverage for irregular, snow and emergency situations.

Employees can be scheduled to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

All scheduling is subject to adjustment and is based on operational needs.

Who We Are and What You’ll Do

Denver International Airport (DEN) is looking for a strong leader to join our Operations Division as an Airport Emergency Operations Specialist. In this role you will develop critical plans and programs ensuring the preparedness of DEN and monitor day-to-day incidents at Denver International Airport to ensure the efficient movement of aircraft and the safety of those using the airport. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with previous leadership experience. This position requires a person to be skilled at building and maintaining relationships throughout the airport, developing complex strategic and tactical plans, as well as having a strong grasp of the emergency management concepts. We are looking for someone who can think strategically and support upper management by being willing and available 24/7/365. This is a great opportunity for someone to take their career to the next level.

Responsibilities and duties of the position may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Coordinates and leads development of special projects and initiatives such as the Airport Emergency Plan in accordance with FAR Part 139 requirements, the Family Assistance Program, security emergency response protocols, tactical Standard Operating Guidelines, department trainings, etc.

Develops project timelines and coordinates completion of identified improvement items from industry best practices, after action reports, and real-world incidents. Provides work instruction and assists other workgroups with difficult and/or unusual assignments; encourages innovation

Reviews and analyzes airport emergency management plans, makes recommendations to revise, update, and improve emergency plans to effectively handle disasters or major emergencies, develops new plans as needed, and ensures that plans are current and adequately address specific emergencies or disasters and that plans conform with federal and state requirements

Coordinates with all DEN divisions and private/public organizations that have operational roles in airport emergency situations for the purpose of developing multi-organizational approaches to emergency management planning, gathers, analyzes, and distributes information concerning natural and man-made emergencies/disasters, and coordinates with multiple entities during emergencies and/or exercises

Encourage and inspire preparedness by working with the airport community to increase and enhance preparedness participation and engagement

Serves in the duty Emergency Operations Center (EOC) position to manage airport operations and ensure efficient flow, safety, and adherence to applicable federal and local rules and regulations.

Acts as Incident Commander or EOC Manager for all airport emergencies such as aircraft alerts, snow emergencies, severe weather, irregular operations, security breaches, train system shutdown, power failures, hazardous materials incidents, and bomb threats or any other terminal/concourse emergencies as well as landside roadway incidents that may impact passenger flow through the facility.

Responsible for the tactical supervision of employees from other airport divisions during emergency and non-routine events within the EOC

Anticipates and resolves problems encountered during daily operations and determines appropriate solutions; promotes teamwork. Encourages regular communication, informs staff of relevant emergent issues and their impact on the airport

Coordinates and executes the airport-wide snow plan for each snow event. Initiates, updates, and cancels all levels of Airport Snow Alerts through coordination with key snow decision makers. Serves as a primary point of contact for the airport community during Snow Alerts

Performs other duties as assigned or requested

What You'll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

A critical thinker who values team collaboration

3-5 years of airport or emergency operations experience to join our DEN operations team.

Experience and previous leadership responsibilities working in an Office of Emergency Management (Airport, Gov’t, Higher Education, Hospital, etc.)

Experience working in or supporting an Emergency Operations Center or on-scene Incident Command

Progressive roles and responsibilities

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Aviation Management, Business Administration, Management or a related field

Experience: Three (3) years of professional-level experience in airport operations or emergency management.

Licensure and Certification: This job requires driving. Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements

FBI Background Check

FBI criminal background checks are required for all positions at Denver International Airport (DEN). Employees are also required to report any felony convictions and/or moving violations to maintain this clearance and be eligible for continued employment. By position, a pre-employment physical/drug test may be required.

Shift Work/Emergency Duties

Denver International Airport is a 24/7/365 team operation. If staffing challenges arise, weather conditions warrant, or an emergency crisis occurs, all DEN employees will be required to work extended hours and/or alternative shifts (including nights, weekends, and holidays).

About DEN

Since opening on Feb. 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world’s busiest airports. In 2025, 82,427,962 passengers passed through DEN, making DEN 4th busiest airport in the U.S. and t