Director – eVTOL Planning&Implementation (Advanced Air Mobility)

<div><p>At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission‑critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting‑edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.</p><h3>Your impact</h3><p>At Jacobs, we'll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed – today and into tomorrow. Working at Jacobs offers an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive and diverse team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities.</p><p>People are Jacobs’ greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.</p><p>To lead the development, planning, programming, and delivery of an integrated eVTOL (electric vertical take‑off and landing) ecosystem within the transport business unit. This includes benchmarking global best‑practice, preparing business cases and transactions, integrating with other transport modes, ensuring regulatory/licensing frameworks, licensing/approval processes, safety oversight, control&monitoring frameworks, stakeholder and partner engagement, financing including procurement model evaluation and contracting and commercial strategy, training, and capability building. This role will ensure that the eVTOL programme is delivered promptly in a safe, efficient, scalable, and sustainable manner, contributing to the overall multi‑modal transport strategy of the authority.</p><h3>Key Responsibilities</h3><h3>Strategy&Planning</h3><ul><li>Develop the overall strategic roadmap for eVTOL deployment (short-, medium- and long‑term horizons) aligned with the broader city and business unit strategic transport planning.</li><li>Lead benchmarking of global eVTOL deployment models, regulatory frameworks, commercial operating models, and case‑study analysis to inform strategy and decision‑making.</li><li>Undertake market scans, competitor/peer reviews, scenario planning, and risk/opportunity analysis for eVTOL integration.</li><li>Develop and collaborate for multi‑modal integration planning; ensure eVTOL connects to other modes (bus, rail, metro, road, micro‑mobility) and is planned as part of a wider transport network.</li><li>Program development and management define the planning&programming (projects, pilots, scaling phases), set milestones, progress tracking, dependencies, budgets, and deliverables.</li></ul><h3>Transaction Preparation&Commerciality</h3><ul><li>Lead the preparation of business cases, cost‑benefit analyses, financial models, funding/financing models, procurement strategies, and partner models for eVTOL infrastructure/operators.</li><li>Define commercial frameworks pricing/leasing/licensing of eVTOL operations, vertiport development, service provider models, public‑private partnership structures, and risk allocation.</li><li>Interface with internal commercial/legal teams to structure transactions, contracts, and operator agreements.</li><li>Monitor market developments (technology, aviation certification, battery/propulsion, infrastructure) and ensure commercial propositions remain viable and competitive.</li></ul><h3>Regulation, Licensing&Approvals</h3><ul><li>Lead development and implementation of regulatory frameworks specific to eVTOL (including vertiport siting, airspace integration, operations, maintenance, safety, noise/emissions, certification).</li><li>Consult with civil aviation authorities, local municipal/regional authorities, airports/heliports authorities and other relevant agencies to define licensing, permit and approval pathways.</li><li>Oversee the approval process for eVTOL operators, vertiport developers, infrastructure planning consents, and ongoing compliance monitoring.</li><li>Ensure alignment with aviation safety, air‑traffic management, environment, land use planning, and transport policy/regulation.</li></ul><h3>Safety, Control&Monitoring</h3><ul><li>Establish and maintain safety frameworks, governance, and control functions for eVTOL operations (risk management, incident investigation, safety audits, performance monitoring).</li><li>Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for eVTOL pilot programmes and full operations (safety, reliability, availability, capacity, customer satisfaction).</li><li>Set up monitoring, reporting and control systems (data collection, dashboards, management reports) for the eVTOL programme and partner/operator performance.</li><li>Ensure integration of safety and security considerations in planning and operations (e.g., vertiport security, emergency response, airspace intrusion, cyber‑threats).</li></ul><h3>Stakeholder Engagement&Partnerships</h3><ul><li>Function as the interface with internal stakeholders (e.g., transport planning, infrastructure, regulatory, commercial, finance, legal, environment) and external stakeholders (operators, technology