Senior Operational Readiness, Activation & Transition (ORAT) Specialist

We are seeking a Senior Operational Readiness, Activation & Transition (ORAT) Specialist to lead multidisciplinary teams and deliver operational readiness programs for complex aviation and infrastructure projects. This role serves as a senior day-to-day advisor to clients, including executive and C-suite leaders, and translates strategic objectives into practical governance, plans, schedules, trials, transition activities, and readiness evidence. The position leads project delivery in coordination with the ORAT Principal-in-Charge and Quality Assurance lead, while mentoring staff and supporting portfolio growth. Location will be tailored to portfolio needs. Projects are located throughout the United States, and frequent travel is required.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the planning, mobilization, and execution of ORAT programs across the full lifecycle, from early operational planning through opening, transition, execution, and closeout.
• Serve as the senior day-to-day client advisor and delivery lead for assigned engagements, working with the ORAT Principal-in-Charge and Quality Assurance lead maintaining strategic alignment and delivery quality.
• Build trusted relationships with executive and C-suite leaders, airport and facility operators, airlines and tenants, authorities, regulators, designers, contractors, vendors, and community partners.
• Establish ORAT governance, decision-making, escalation, reporting, and stakeholder engagement structures appropriate to each program.
• Lead the development and integration of operational requirements, Concepts of Operations, operational interface plans, transitionplansandDay-1strategies.
• Direct stakeholder engagement and organizational readiness activities, ensuring accountable owners, timely decisions, and clear readiness evidence.
• Lead or oversee Familiarization, Induction and Training programs, including needs assessments, delivery planning, completion tracking, and operational acceptance.
• Assess and oversee the strategic plans for Task Leads including tabletop exercises, operational trials, simulations, and readiness evaluations; with findings converted into prioritized actions and verified closure.
• Integrate ORAT activities with program schedules, integrated master schedules, including operational milestones.
• Direct readiness controls, including risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, actions, decisions, dashboards, and auditable evidence of completion.
• Lead client and project meetings and deliver concise, evidence-based reports, recommendations, and Go/No-Go information to working groups, steering committees, and executive audiences.
• Manage assigned scope, schedule, budget, resources, workflow, and deliverable quality; mentor team members and develop emerging ORAT leaders.
• Support pursuits, staffing and resource planning, lessons learned, project closeout, and the transition of completed facilities and systems into sustained service.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management, Engineering, Construction Management, Operations Management, Planning, Business, or a related discipline, OR have equivalent professional experience; typically, 10+ years of relevant experience in aviation, transportation, complex facilities, operational readiness, program delivery, or a closely related field.
• We recognize that operational readiness skills can be developed in many environments. We encourage applications from candidates with experience in military operations, large-scale events, transportation, public safety, infrastructure delivery, change management, and other complex operational settings where teams, stakeholders, and organizations must be prepared for successful transitions and go-live.
• Demonstrated success leading a multidisciplinary ORAT, activation, operational readiness, or facility transition team through at least one major opening or operational transition.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in:
• Advising executive and C-suite clients, framing decisions, and communicating readiness status, options, risks, and recommendations.
• Leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating multiple ORAT workstreams, partners, and stakeholder organizations.
• Airport or complex facility operations, operational planning, and the development of Concepts of Operations, procedures, and operational requirements.
• Integrating ORAT with design, construction, testing and commissioning, systems integration, turnover and opening milestones.
• Establishing governance, stakeholder engagement, organizational readiness, and executive reporting processes.
• Directing familiarization, training, tabletop exercises, operational trials, simulations, and readiness evaluations.
• Managing integrated schedules, critical dependencies, risk, issues, actions, decisions, and readiness evidence.
• Applying quality assurance, lessons learned, closeout, and transition-to-service practices.
• Executive-level written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and actionable.
• Strong project and commercial management capability, including scope, schedule, budget, resource, change, and delivery-quality management.
• Ability to lead through influence in a matrixed environment and build alignment across clients, operators, designers, contractors, regulators, and vendors.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and project controls or reporting platforms such as Primavera P6, Power BI, Alluvial, or equivalent tools.
• Ability to mentor staff, support pursuits and interviews, and contribute to the continued development of ORAT methods, tools, and market capability.
• Travel up to 80% subject to project needs.

Ideally, you’ll also have:

• Recognized aviation, airport management, project management, change management or credentials such as IAP, A.A.E./C.M., PMP, or an equivalent certification.