Civil Certification Leader

What we do: 

This role will serve as the leader of the Civil Certification team with the responsibility to manage and facilitate the Type Certification process between Supernal and the Regulatory Authorities throughout the project lifecycle. In addition to being a primary technical liaison with the FAA, you will coordinate the planning, strategy, and execution of all activities, deliverables, and artifacts related to Certification, including the Production Certification and foreign validation efforts with other international aviation authorities. The role will interact directly with Company leadership, the entire Engineering organization, the Test & Evaluation group, Program Management, the Quality team, and the Policy team to achieve program Certification objectives. The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of aircraft certification experience, with palpable enthusiasm for establishing an organizational culture around compliance and safety, and a passion for bringing new, innovative aircraft to market. 

This role requires presence in office 5 days a week. 

What you can do:

• Lead the planning and strategy for Certification by defining Certification program objectives and priorities, and disseminating that information to appropriate stakeholders  

• Coordinate with Regulatory Authorities by serving as the primary point of contact throughout the project lifecycle, including but not limited to: pre-application discussions, administration of the Partnership for Safety Plan and MOA, technical discussions around certification issues, TCBMs, as well as facilitating technical responses to address Issues papers  

• Ensure the Supernal organization and its products are compliant with FAA regulations, directives, policies, and guidance  

• Identify resources and staffing needs to build the required team needed to accomplish Civil Certification department goals  

• Manage the performance of Civil Certification Projects 

• Manage the generation and maintenance of various Certification artifacts such as the PSCP, the TC Application, Compliance checklists, SLCPs, Certification test plans, special conditions, conformity plan, compliance showing data, and others 

• Interpret FAA regulations and work closely with engineering to ensure they are translated into clear, verifiable requirements that are implemented into the design 

• Develop conformity processes and establish infrastructure to ensure compliance with data retention requirements 

• Identify and manage Certification issues, risks, and special conditions, including the establishment of a system for reporting issues to the appropriate regulatory entities  

• Coordinate and deploy DER resources to support the certification project needs  

• Manage the Civil Certification team to address company and program needs and objectives  

• Review and incorporate feedback for certification plans to gain concurrence between internal stakeholders and Regulatory authorities  

• Participate in design reviews (PDR, CDR), safety reviews, and Certification readiness reviews as required 

• Develop and deploy training materials across the Supernal organization to increase knowledge of the civil certification process and its key concepts 

• Drive company participation in relevant standards development groups and key industry organizations
• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally 

What you can contribute:

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field 

• 15+ years of experience in aircraft certification, airworthiness, or regulatory compliance. The candidate will have ideally worked a minimum of one entire end-to-end Certification program (TC/ATC/STC) from conceptual design through post-certification activities (Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered, especially with a demonstrated history of working with the FAA)  

• Practical experience with 14 CFR Part 23, Part 25, Part 27, or Part 29 Certification programs  

• Experience with implementation of certification guidance and industry standards such as FAA Orders (8110 series), relevant Advisory Circulars, ARP4754 & ARP4761, etc.  
• Experience with clean sheet design FAA Type Certification projects 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 

• Excellent listening and comprehension skills 

• Ability to effectively prioritize and proactively deliver communications and follow up 

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail 

• Excellent customer service skills 

• Must have the ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 

• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality 

• Self-motivated and growth-minded personality 

• Familiarity with product lifecycle management tools (i.e. Enovia, 3DX) 

• Proficiency with MS Office Suite 

• Must have the ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints 

• Understand the regulatory framework, procedures and responsibilities governing the certification of aeronautical products in the United States and other Foreign Countries 
• Detail oriented with strong planning and execution skills  

You may also be able to contribute:

• Experience working on eVTOL aircraft considered a plus

• DER designation from the FAA considered a plus