Have you ever had that green-light feeling? When you hit every green light and the day just feels like magic. CLEAR's mission is to create frictionless experiences where every day has that feeling. With more than 30+ million passionate members and hundreds of partners around the world, CLEAR’s identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. Whether it’s at the airport, stadium, or right on your phone, CLEAR connects you to the things that make you, you - unlocking easier, more secure, and more seamless experiences - making them all feel like magic.
The VP, Airport Affairs & Business Development leads CLEAR’s airport growth strategy and serves as the company’s senior ambassador across the aviation ecosystem. This role defines market priorities, builds and converts a high-value airport pipeline, and owns the full partnership lifecycle from outreach and relationship development through RFPs, commercial modeling, negotiation, and operational handoff. The VP elevates CLEAR’s presence with airport, aviation, and regulatory leaders and monitors industry trends to anticipate risks and drive long-range growth.
What you'll do:
- Define and lead CLEAR’s airport commercial strategy including market prioritization, assessment of partnership models, competitive landscape analysis, and long-range planning to expand CLEAR’s footprint and deepen existing relationships.
- Build, drive, and convert CLEAR’s airport growth pipeline by identifying high-value opportunities and proactively engaging, educating, and influencing senior airport, aviation, and regulatory stakeholders.
- Serve as CLEAR’s executive representative across the aviation ecosystem, including industry events, regulatory forums, airport leadership meetings, and partner engagements, to elevate the brand, shape policy discussions, and advance strategic priorities.
- Own the full airport partnership lifecycle from initial outreach and relationship development through RFP management, commercial modeling, deal negotiation, contract execution, and handoff into operations.
- Establish best-in-class partnership infrastructure and governance, ensuring consistent communication, data sharing, performance management, and joint planning frameworks that strengthen ongoing airport relationships.
- Collaborate closely with CLEAR’s operations leadership to support stakeholder conversations, champion airport partner needs, and ensure CLEAR delivers exceptional and reliable member experiences as airport environments evolve.
- Monitor trends, risks, and shifts in aviation and airports, identifying potential impacts to CLEAR’s business and developing proactive mitigation and adaptation strategies.
How you'll measure success:
- New Airport Wins: Number of new airport partnerships executed (e.g., X per year), weighted by strategic value.
- Market Coverage Growth: % increase in CLEAR’s domestic airport market penetration.
- Renewals: 100% Renewal of existing airport agreements.
- Industry Engagement: CLEAR is seen as a thought leader shaping the future of airport passenger experience and secure identity.
What you're great at:
- 10+ years of progressively senior experience in airport affairs, corporate real estate, aviation business development, or related fields with deep familiarity navigating airport authorities, airline stakeholders, and government entities.
- Extensive experience negotiating complex commercial agreements, including airport leases, operating agreements, and multi-party partnership structures.
- Recognized thought leader and trusted advisor with a track record of representing your organization in front of government agencies, regulatory bodies, and senior aviation stakeholders.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to assert a point of view while maintaining diplomacy, political acumen, and strong long-term relationships.
- Highly proficient in executive-ready communication tools, including PowerPoint, advanced Excel, and Google Workspace; able to develop clear, data-backed narratives and decision materials.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities, with aptitude for influencing at the executive level and collaborating effectively across functions and geographies.
- Proven ability to manage and prioritize a diverse portfolio of initiatives, operating with urgency, sound judgment, and adaptability in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 75%, including to airports, regulatory meetings, and industry events.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred (e.g., MBA, MPA, JD).
How You'll be Rewarded:
At CLEAR, we help YOU move forward - because when you’re at your best, we’re at our best. You’ll work with talented team members motivated by our mission of making experiences safer and easier. Our offices are bright and energetic with an open concept and plenty of conference rooms and casual co-working spaces. We also offer catered lunches every day and have fully stocked kitchens. Outside of the office, we invest in your well-being and learning & development with stipends and reimbursement programs.
We offer holistic total rewards, including comprehensive healthcare plans, family-building benefits (fertility and adoption/surrogacy support), flexible time off, annual wellness stipend, free OneMedical memberships for you and your dependents, a CLEAR Plus membership, and a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match. The base salary range for this role is $200,000.00-$230,000.00, depending on levels of skills and experience.
The base salary range represents the low and high end of CLEAR’s salary range for this position. Salaries will vary depending on various factors which include, but are not limited to location, education, skills, experience and performance. The range listed is just one component of CLEAR’s total compensation package for employees and other rewards may include annual bonuses, commission, Restricted Stock Units
CLEAR provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or protected needs. Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include, but are not limited to, time off, extra breaks, making a change to the application process or work procedures, policy exceptions, providing documents in an alternative format, live captioning or using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.
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