Airworthiness Manager

Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc.; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Professional development

Employee ownership

Job summary

Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc. seeks an experienced Airworthiness Manager to lead airworthiness certification activities for advanced avionics and aerospace systems.

The role requires deep MIL-HDBK-516C expertise and collaboration across engineering, program management, and regulatory teams. You will develop plans, manage certification strategies, and coordinate with DoD authorities to achieve required approvals and flight releases.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field is required.
• 15–20 years of airworthiness, certification, or safety engineering in defense programs.
• Hands-on MIL-HDBK-516C knowledge and derivative criteria.
• Experience with DoD acquisition programs or military cert offices.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the program’s primary airworthiness authority and SME.
• Interpret and validate MIL-HDBK-516C compliance across design, integration, test, and sustainment.
• Develop airworthiness plans, matrices, and certification strategies.
• Coordinate with military authorities for approvals and flight releases.
• Lead risk identification, mitigation, and technical reviews.
• Support system safety analyses, hazard assessments, and configuration control.
• Prepare and deliver technical documentation and evidence.
• Ensure alignment between engineering decisions and airworthiness criteria.
• Mentor teams on certification processes and documentation expectations.

Skills

Airworthiness expertise

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical documentation

DoD program experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MIL-HDBK-516C

Job description

Job Title: Airworthiness Manager Location: Dayton, OH, Huntsville, AL, Niceville, FL (On-Site)Employment Type: Full-TimeIndustry: Aerospace / DefenseAbout

the RoleWe are seeking an experienced Airworthiness Manager to lead and execute airworthiness certification activities for advanced avionics and aerospace systems. The ideal candidate will have deep technical knowledge of MIL-HDBK-516C airworthiness criteria and a proven ability to work across engineering, program management, and regulatory organizations to ensure compliance throughout the system lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the program’s primary airworthiness authority and subject-matter expert.
• Interpret, apply, and validate compliance to MIL-HDBK-516C requirements across system design, integration, test, and sustainment.
• Develop and manage airworthiness plans, compliance matrices, and certification strategies.
• Coordinate with military airworthiness authorities to achieve necessary approvals and flight releases.
• Lead airworthiness risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical reviews.
• Support system safety analyses, hazard assessments, and configuration control activities.
• Prepare and deliver technical documentation, briefings, and compliance evidence.
• Ensure continuous alignment between engineering design decisions and airworthiness criteria.
• Mentor engineering teams on certification processes and documentation expectations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 15-20 years of experience in airworthiness, certification, or safety engineering for military or defense aerospace programs.
• Hands-on, applied experience with MIL-HDBK-516C and familiarity with relevant derivative criteria.
• Strong understanding of system development lifecycles, configuration management, and risk management.
• Experience working with DoD acquisition programs or military certification offices.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to interface with customers, regulators, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with aircraft modification, flight test programs, or developmental platforms.
• Experience with development standards such as DO-178c and DO-254.
• Experience with obtaining Military Standard Orders (MSO) and Technical Standard Orders (TSO).
• Background in USAF Military Flight Release (MFR) or Airworthiness Qualification (AWQ) processes.
• Knowledge of system safety standards such as MIL-STD-882E.
• Security clearance (active or able to obtain).

Benefits:

Competitive salary with comprehensive health and wellness benefits401(k) retirement planEducational and professional development opportunitiesDynamic and collaborative work environmentEmployee ownership