AIRWORTHINESS/AEROSYSTEMS ENGINEER

Astrion; Oklahoma City (OK); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Astrion seeks an Airworthiness/Aerosystems Engineer to support the USAF AWACS program at Tinker AFB, OK, with Top Secret clearance requirements. The role emphasizes airworthiness certification, program office collaboration, and DoD regulatory compliance.

The engineer will apply deep knowledge of USAF airworthiness policies, lead certification activities, and coordinate with FAA and other authorities to ensure mission readiness and compliance across the acquisition lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Experience with airworthiness certification and military aircraft approval processes.
• Knowledge of USAF airworthiness policies, directives, and advisories.
• Ability to evaluate designs and assess compliance with airworthiness and safety requirements.
• Experience with Military Type Certification (MTC) activities and certification recommendations.
• Coordinate with FAA, program offices, and engineers to establish compliance strategies.

Responsibilities

• Define airworthiness certification requirements and assess contractor compliance.
• Provide aircraft engineering insights for airworthiness development and program office support.
• Assess system design viability to meet airworthiness and performance requirements.
• Define taskings, gather inputs, and report to the program office.
• Understand CFR Title 14, FAA processes, and DoD airworthiness policies.
• Support CDA-based capability procurement and certification planning.
• Provide expertise for acquisition lifecycle and certification methodologies.

Skills

Airworthiness

Certification

MTC

CDA

FAA coordination

Systems engineering

Documentation management

Education

Bachelor\'s degree

15 years DoD experience

Tools

MS Office

IDE

Job description

Overview

AIRWORTHINESS/AEROSYSTEMS ENGINEER

LOCATION: TINKER AFB, OK

JOB STATUS: Full-time, Hybrid

CLEARANCE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: 20% (Hanscom AFB; Seattle)

Astrion has an exciting opportunity for a AIRWORTHINESS/AEROSYSTEMS ENGINEER located at TINKER AFB in OK providing support to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/Airborne Warning and Control System (AFLCMC/HBS/WIW).

The Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Division, has the collective Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) mission responsibility to deliver airborne Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) capabilities that support joint, allied, coalition, humanitarian, and homeland defense operations. Modernization efforts enable continued involvement with worldwide operations by revitalizing legacy mission systems, replacing aging computer architectures, integrating multi‑sensor data fusion, and improving global expeditionary readiness and availability. Additionally, the Division assists in the planned divestiture of the E‑3 platform and in shaping development of follow‑on capabilities for future airborne C2 systems.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Citizenship: Must be a US citizen
• Clearance: Must have and be able to maintain an active Top Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and 12 years of experience in the respective technical/professional discipline being performed, five of which must be in the DoD OR
• 15 years of directly related experience, eight of which must be in the DoD.

Technical Skills

• Extensive experience supporting airworthiness certification and military aircraft approval processes, including development of technical data packages, certification artifacts, and flight authorization documentation.
• Deep knowledge of USAF Technical Airworthiness policies, directives, instructions, and advisories, with the ability to define certification requirements and assess contractor compliance.
• Proven ability to evaluate aircraft and aerospace system designs, analyze technical risks, and assess compliance with airworthiness, safety, and performance requirements.
• Experience supporting Military Type Certification (MTC) activities, including design reviews, conformity assessments, verification efforts, and certification recommendations.
• Skilled in conducting technical assessments and coordinating with Program Offices, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Force certification authorities, and engineering organizations to establish compliance strategies and certification methodologies.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, aircraft development processes, test and evaluation activities, and requirements verification throughout the acquisition lifecycle.
• Proficient in utilizing Integrated Digital Environments (IDE) and the Microsoft Office Suite to manage Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), technical documentation, certification records, engineering reports, and executive-level briefings.

Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex airworthiness and engineering issues to leadership, certification authorities, program offices, and stakeholders.
• Strong relationship-building capabilities with experience collaborating across government, FAA, contractor, engineering, test, and sustainment organizations to achieve program objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through technical influence, guiding multidisciplinary teams toward certification and airworthiness compliance without direct supervisory authority.
• Exceptional organizational and project coordination skills, capable of managing multiple certification efforts, technical reviews, and stakeholder inputs simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a proven track record of identifying airworthiness concerns, evaluating alternatives, and developing effective mitigation strategies.
• Self‑motivated and proactive professional who operates effectively in dynamic, high-visibility environments while maintaining attention to detail and mission focus.
• Adaptable team player with excellent situational awareness, professionalism, and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments while balancing technical, programmatic, and regulatory requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties include, but not limited to:

• Define airworthiness certification requirements and assessing contractor compliance with these requirements
• Providing aircraft engineering technical insight of airworthiness development effort and assist the program office in implementing aircraft system engineering responsibilities
• Assess the viability of the system design and its ability to meet airworthiness requirements, as well as, identify and resolve any issues on aircraft performance requirements.
• Define taskings, gathering and reviewing inputs, and reporting to the program office
• Familiar with aircraft certification, operation, and maintenance processes per Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as managed by the FAA
• Understanding of all aspects of airworthiness as outlined in AFPD 62-6 and AFI 62-601, the DoD Defense Acquisition System process and how it relates procurement of a Commercial Derivative Aircraft (CDA)-based capability to include planning, certification basis, compliance review, risk acceptance and airworthiness approvals for all USAFmanned/unmanned aircraft which are owned, leased, operated, used, designed, or modified by the USAF.
• Possess comprehensive expertise, experience, and understanding of CDA and subsystem requirements for the acquisition, integration, certification, and fielding of a new USAF Mission Design Series
• Possess knowledge and experience in one or more areas of airworthiness as outlined in MIL-HDBK-516
• Provide technical expertise in aircraft systems, subsystems, and engineering subject areas for the purpose of completing the tasks
• Expertise in the USAF airworthiness certification process and policy, and experience in defining and implementing an airworthiness strategy for an Acquisition Category (ACAT) program
• Experience in related work or certified as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative and have an expert understanding of the USAF airworthiness and USAF aircraft acquisition processes