About

Vice President, Civil Aviation

Job Title: Vice President, Civil Aviation Job No. 22 

Division: Civil Aviation   

Date Revised:   January 8, 2013

Purpose:  The VP for Civil Aviation reports directly to the President and CEO of AIA and supervises and manages the Civil Aviation Division which is responsible for addressing common, noncompetitive domestic and international civil aviation issues.  Strategic direction for the division is provided by the CEO-level Civil Aviation Leadership Council (CALC).  The CALC determines the Civil Aviation Council (CAC) AIA’s top civil aviation policy priorities.  The CAC then overseas and engages in the tactical activities of AIA’s committees and working groups on issues such as aircraft noise and emissions, certification, rulemaking and safety, air traffic systems, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and NextGen. The CAC also serves as a link to other aviation associations and to safety agencies around the world.  The Civil Aviation Division’s activities are organized around three primary objectives: promote global competitive trade, support transformational aviation initiatives and technology that advances our industry, and support policies and research that enable sustainable growth of our industry.  Activities on global competitive trade involve the advocacy for a fair and unbiased international regulatory framework and fair market access internationally.  Activities on transformational initiatives and technology include promoting the development and implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), the integration of UAS in the national airspace system, highly efficient regulatory approaches to product certification and risk-based decision making for aviation safety and security.  Activities on the polices and research that enable sustainable growth include support for alternative aviation fuels initiatives, the development of a global CO2 certification standard for civil aircraft. promoting enhanced federal research funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, and pursuing tax policies that encourage private research and development expenditures. 

Nature and Scope of Work: 

• Responsible for addressing all issues that impact the design, manufacture, and operation of transport category airplanes, rotorcraft, engines, and parts and appliances, and for coordinating the association's activities in these areas.  The position provides a focus for all aspects of civil aviation products, which may overlap other functional departments within the association.

• Coordinates the activities of the Civil Aviation Leadership Council (“CALC” – strategic guidance body comprised of member company CEOs with civil aviation interests), the Civil Aviation Council (CAC) and the committees, subcommittees and working groups established to address U.S. and international policies and regulatory issues.  These councils, committees and working groups formulate industry positions to be presented to U.S., foreign, and international agencies, bureaus and commissions, or respond to government inquiries dealing with special areas of concern that require industry input.

• Works closely with the CALC, CAC, AIA CEO, senior staff and AIA Executive Committee to identify and clarify issues and develop strategies to address them. 

• Provides substantive advice as well as technical assistance. 

• Participates in seeking industry consensus; drafting and refining AIA's positions on the various issues and topics under consideration and in making these viewpoints known to appropriate agency officials and relevant private sector organizations. 

• Represents AIA at various official gatherings, organizing and chairing sessions, speaking or serving as a panelist. Works with other organizations to inform them of the AIA position on various issues and topics and occasionally provides congressional testimony.

• Oversees AIA’s participation in the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Association and its activities at ICAO

• Selects agenda topics and speakers for group meetings, and approves expenses; supervises site selection, meeting arrangements, generation of background materials and minutes of the proceedings.

• Analyzes various trends, issues, areas of concern and emerging patterns pertaining to domestic and international manufacture and operation of transport category airplanes, rotorcraft engines, parts and appliances in order to provide insight into future developments and to anticipate the need for association positions and actions.  These areas include economic and technical trends, flight safety and regulation, aircraft environmental performance, legislative initiatives, and R&D policy. 

• Maintains liaison with senior policy level counterparts in member companies, U.S. and foreign governments, international organizations, other associations, and academia covering technical and legislative matters to define issues and focal points. 

• Works closely with other AIA senior staff.

• Responsible for the successful completion of the Civil Aviation Division’s contribution to AIA’s annual strategic plan.

• Formulates preliminary association policies and participates in seeking consensus among member companies.

• Develops innovative approaches to lasting or politically sensitive problems.

• Reviews and critiques available data including proprietary information, academic background and relevant studies, policies and recommendations from other domestic and foreign industry sources.

• May initiate actions to develop other data or material needed to substantiate positions. 

• Ensures that policies are consistent between industry sectors and AIA departments.

• Serves as a key resource person to the president, other departments, member companies, government and congressional officials, the media and the public.

• Presents AIA positions through a variety of formal and informal mechanisms.

• Serves as representative on major government advisory boards and committees, and advises the FAA on matters related to safety of flight, aviation system capacity and aircraft environmental performance.

• Contributes articles and news items to the AIA newsletters, highlighting issues and developments within own areas of expertise and responsibility.

Staff of 4:  Assistant Vice President of Civil Aviation, Director of Civil Aviation Infrastructure, Director of Environment Policy, and Administrative Assistant.  The Civil Aviation Division is also assisted by the Assistant VP of Legislative Affairs who handles civil aviation legislative activity.