Director, Airport Optimization – Terminals

Reports To: Vice President, Safety, Security and Operations

Location: Montreal, Canada

Centres of Excellence: Operations, Safety and Security (Primary)

Position Purpose

The Director, Airport Optimization – Terminals leads programs and initiatives that improve operational performance, passenger flow, and terminal resilience. The role applies deep technical expertise across terminal operations, facilitation processes, service performance, and operational readiness to identify constraints, develop improvement strategies, and enhance capacity in a constrained aviation system.

The Director contributes to ACI's work in the Operations, Safety and Security Centre of Excellence and supports capacity enhancement initiatives in collaboration with the Airport Capacity Enhancement (ACE) team. The role provides practical, technically grounded guidance to airports and works with members, Regions, and partners to advance best practices in terminal operations and Optimization .

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Optimization and Technical Leadership

2. Lead Optimization initiatives related to passenger flow, terminal operations, checkpoint performance, baggage systems, and service quality.

3. Analyze operational bottlenecks and develop practical, data-informed solutions to improve throughput, resilience, and overall terminal performance.
4. Support ACE efforts by identifying terminal constraints and developing guidance on capacity and resource Optimization.

5. Apply technical expertise to operational readiness and transfer (ORAT), resource allocation, resilience planning, baggage handling systems, and airport operations centres (APOC).

6. Programme and Project Leadership

7. Lead cross-functional projects from concept to implementation, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and member needs.

8. Balance diverse stakeholder perspectives, building alignment and resolving operational conflicts constructively.
9. Use data, operational insights, and industry research to design programs and tools that support global airports.

10. Manage workplans, risks, and deliverables with high levels of accountability and coordination.

11. Industry Engagement and Advocacy Support

12. Provide technical expertise to ACI's facilitation, seamless travel, and passenger experience initiatives.

13. Represent ACI World in terminal operations-related forums, sharing insights, promoting global best practices, and facilitating peer learning.
14. Collaborate with ACI Regions to identify member needs and ensure guidance reflects operational realities.

15. Engage with border agencies (with Regions), service providers, and technology partners as required.

16. Development of Operational Guidance and Best Practices

17. Lead the development of guidance, manuals, training materials, and toolkits focused on terminal Optimization and performance improvement.

18. Ensure outputs are practical, scalable, and applicable to airports of varying sizes and levels of maturity.

19. Support APEX in Security, Facilitation, and Operations by contributing subject-matter expertise.

20. Cross-Organisational Collaboration

21. Partner with colleagues across OSS, ACE, planning, cybersecurity, seamless travel, and data analytics to deliver integrated operational solutions.

22. Contribute to ACI's broader advocacy and member-service priorities by providing operational insight.

23. Ensure terminal Optimization efforts connect to organisational initiatives related to safety, security, facilitation, and resilience.

24. Member and Region Engagement

25. Engage airport operators to understand terminal operational challenges and integrate these insights into global guidance.

26. Support workshops, training sessions, and events that build terminal operations capability across the airport community.
27. Work closely with ACI Regions to support regional priorities and deliver value to diverse airport operators.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in aviation, engineering, operations management, business, or a related discipline, or sufficient equivalent experience.
• Minimum seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in terminal operations, passenger processing, or operational Optimization .
• Experience with facilitation processes, operational readiness, or capacity planning.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex programmes and collaborate across diverse stakeholder groups.

Competencies and Values (C1 – Director Level)

• Strong operational and Optimization expertise in terminal operations and passenger flow.
• Excellent communication skills, able to write persuasively and present clearly.
• Skilled facilitator able to lead discussions, manage difficult conversations, and build alignment across stakeholders.
• Strong planning, critical thinking, and risk-based decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive operational improvements.
• Commitment to integrity, inclusivity, stewardship, and excellence.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills with global stakeholders.

Working Relationships

Internal:

• Vice President, Safety, Security and Operations
• Directors and Senior Managers across OSS, ACE, Seamless Travel, and other Centres of Excellence
• APEX, Training, Communications, Data/Intelligence teams

External:

• ACI Regions and airport members
• Industry partners involved in facilitation, terminal operations, and passenger experience
• Border agencies, service providers, and technology partners
• Consultants and subject-matter experts

Supervisory Responsibilities

• May supervise Senior Managers, Managers, secondees, or project-based contributors.
• Provides coaching, feedback, and professional development support.
• Promotes a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture.

ACI World Values

• Stewardship
• Member-focused
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Collaboration
• Innovation
• Inclusivity

What We offer

• A challenging and exciting position in an international and multicultural environment.
• Hybrid work environment
• 4 weeks of vacation/year.
• 5 sick days/ year.
• 5 mental wellness days/year.
• Employee cell phone (iPhone) with TELUS Health virtual care included.
• Health insurance coverage from your first day of employment.
• Opus/EXO Transit discount on monthly pass.
• Employee recognition points earned to convert into redeemable gift cards
• Very flexible employee monthly wellness account to use to achieve a greater work life balance

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