Director, Commercial Parking & Ground Transportation

  • Full-time

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

  • Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
  • Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
  • Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
  • Benefits - We care about your well-being.


Agency Description

The Philadelphia airport is a dynamic place to work. It is the only major airport serving the 8th largest metropolitan area in the United States and is one of the busiest airports in the country. The City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation oversees both Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Airport (PNE), the city’s general aviation reliever airport. The airport system operates through the Aviation Fund, which is an enterprise fund of the City of Philadelphia and is completely self-sustaining using no local taxpayer dollars to operate. Learn more about the airport at www.phl.org.

Our Mission: Proudly connecting Philadelphia with the world

Our Vision: World-class global gateway of choice

Our Values:  

    •    People First - Our employees, stakeholders and passengers

    •    Respect - To ourselves, our customers and our environment

    •    Integrity - We hold ourselves responsible for what we do, say, and think

    •    Diversity – Purposefully Inclusive and accepting of all

    •    Excellence - We hold ourselves to the highest standards of service, innovation, and efficiency

Philadelphia Airport has won numerous awards for quality, diversity, and innovation:

  • 2021 Civil Rights Advocate and Partner Award – FAA
  • 2021 Leon C Watkins Guardian Award – ACI-NA
  • 2021 Diverse Business Leader of 2021 – Kathy Padilla – Philadelphia Business Journal
  • 2021 Advocate of the Year Award – City of Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity MEDWeek
  • 2021 Philadelphia Aviation Project Award - March of Dimes Annual Transportation, Building and Construction awards
  • 2021 Honorable Mention Balchen-Post Award for Excellence in the Performance of Airport Snow and Ice Control - NEC-AAAE
  • 2019 Best Overall Program Award at Airport Experience Awards

Job Description

The Director, Commercial Parking and Ground Transportation oversees the commercial strategy for Philadelphia Airport System’s parking portfolio across all product categories . In this role, the Director will ensure that the ways in which passengers and guests access Philadelphia International Airport, whether arriving via car, rideshare, taxi or shuttle, is a driver of customer satisfaction while driving revenue and profit for the airport.

The Director manages the commercial strategy and operations of a portfolio of airport access products. This includes PHL’s onsite parking products (a 12,000-space garage and an almost-2,000-space uncovered parking lot). In addition to ensuring successful day-to-day parking operations, the Director will also lead, in coordination with the Chief Revenue Officer or designee, the high-level strategy and roadmap for the parking program and pricing models. 

The Director will be the conductor who brings together all stakeholders critical to the parking program’s success. This includes supervising critical parking contracts, such as the parking and shuttle bus operators, as well as coordinating parking support from cross-functional teams including Landside Operations, Technology, Marketing/Product, Finance, Capital Development, Facilities, and Properties.

In this role, you’ll be relentlessly focused on delivering the best possible Parking & Ground Transportation program for our passengers and business partners. You will manage and evolve a parking program that satisfies passenger demand, evolves with changing passenger behavior, and operates efficiently.

Daily, you may be:

  • Spot checking parking operations, ensuring that passengers are easily and quickly able to enter, find parking and exit the facilities.
  • Reviewing an audit of parking fees and claims with the Finance team.
  • Reviewing the previous month’s customer service performance, and providing feedback to, PHL’s parking operator.
  • Giving feedback to a technology partner on new solutions designed to improve the guest parking experience.
  • Reviewing upcoming pre-bookings and communicating upcoming demand; making decisions about allowing onsite parking.
  • Partnering with a Business Analyst to create a forecast for demand and analyzing the previous month’s sales data to uncover potential future impacts or needs.
  • Sharing capacity updates with the Communications team that ensure that passengers have the ability to easily navigate parking options.

Essential Functions

Vision + Roadmap

  • Leads parking goal setting and planning sessions, to ensure that parking capacity and operations align with airport mission, vision, values and goals.
  • Prepare and manage department budget; Partner with finance to prepare and present financial reports for department; Directs cost control activities.
  • Partner with Marketing/Product and Properties teams to ensure that parking footprint, facilities and products are optimized based on passenger need/demand.

Vendor Success

  • Manage RFP processes and contracts for all parking operator, revenue control, and parking-related bus shuttle systems.
  • Evaluate performance of contracted partners
    • Reviews, measures success of, and provides feedback to key operators while guiding performance.
    • Ensure that exceptional customer service is delivered through partners.
  • Provide input to all planning and construction related to the airport’s public garage and surface parking lots.

Product Development

  • Partner with Marketing/Product team in parking-related sales revenue, implement and leverage new tools for pricing optimization (including cost controls), seek out innovation, and improve customer loyalty by delivering exceptional parking experiences.
  • Analyze and provide feedback to partners on measurement voice of customer feedback, including onsite customer assists and communications, leaving passengers with the best possible experience.
  • Works cross-functionally with representatives from other airport departments to develop commercial parking options that offer enhanced customer services and drive parking revenue.
  • Develops relationships with the aviation industry, the local community and current/potential business partners.
  • Develops, manages, and standardizes parking policy across facilities. Works collaboratively to ensure compliance with parking revenue control and audit processes.
  • Delivers executive-level briefings on parking strategy recommendations as well as revenue/contractual performance.
  • Provides input for all parking-related capital and operating budget decisions to include facility enhancements and construction planning.
  • In partnership with the Office of Technology, advises on the capabilities and functions of the Parking Access Revenue Control System and other parking related software.  Stays current with emerging technology trends while driving selection and implementation of solutions and innovations critical to the customer experience.
  • Keeps abreast of conditions, trends, innovations, and practices that may have implications for on-site parking demand.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Developing and managing a budget, including making cost control decisions.
  • Skill in developing pricing models and projections for parking operations.
  • Track record of success managing vendors in delivering exceptional service to customers.
  • Strong organizational and project-management skills.
  • Excellent stakeholder management experience, working both internally and externally.
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Experience with contract negotiation.
  • Sound analytical and financial capabilities.
  • Commercial aptitude, experience working to sales and cost targets.
  • Ability to understand necessary trade-offs between cost, service standards, and revenue generation.

Work-Life

Working hours are generally 40 hours per week.  Our team is currently hybrid with both 3 days virtual and 2 days in-office, however the position can opt to come in the office each day if desired.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field from an accredited university required; MBA or other relevant advanced degree and certifications preferred.
  • Minimum of 5-7 years of management or supervisory experience in a mid or large-hub airport system, or a large-scale parking program consisting of multiple sites, ideally in a travel- related business with both physical and digital elements.
  • Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to appointment and during tenure of employment.

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a resume.

Did you know?

  • We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
  • 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
  • We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
  • Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
  • Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
  • Generous retirement savings options are available

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. 

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx