Airworthiness Program Lead | MIL-HDBK-516C Expert

Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc.; Florida; On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

401(k) retirement plan

Educational and professional develop.

Employee ownership

Job summary

Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc. seeks an experienced Airworthiness Manager to lead certification activities for advanced avionics and aerospace systems across multiple programs in a DoD context.

You will interpret MIL-HDBK-516C requirements, develop airworthiness plans, and coordinate with aviation authorities to secure approvals and flight releases.

The role emphasizes mentoring engineering teams and ensuring alignment between design decisions and airworthiness criteria.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant engineering field.
• 15–20 years of airworthiness, certification, or safety engineering for defense programs.
• Hands-on MIL-HDBK-516C experience.
• Knowledge of DoD acquisition programs and regulatory interfaces.
• Strong communication with regulators and cross-functional teams.

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.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

MIL-HDBK-516C expertise

Risk management

Lifecycle processes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Systems Engineering (Master's preferred)

15-20 years airworthiness/certification experience

Job description

Job Title: Airworthiness Manager

Location: Dayton, OH, Huntsville, AL, Niceville, FL (On-Site)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Aerospace / Defense

Aboutthe Role

We are seeking an experienced Airworthiness Manager to leadand execute airworthiness certification activities for advanced avionics and aerospacesystems. The ideal candidate will have deep technical knowledge ofMIL-HDBK-516C airworthiness criteria and a proven ability to work acrossengineering, program management, and regulatory organizations to ensurecompliance throughout the system lifecycle.

KeyResponsibilities

Serve as the program’sprimary airworthiness authority and subject-matter expert.

Interpret, apply, andvalidate compliance to MIL-HDBK-516C requirements across system design,integration, test, and sustainment.

Develop and manageairworthiness plans, compliance matrices, and certification strategies.

Coordinate with militaryairworthiness authorities to achieve necessary approvals and flight releases.

Lead airworthiness riskidentification, mitigation planning, and technical reviews.

Support system safetyanalyses, hazard assessments, and configuration control activities.

Prepare and delivertechnical documentation, briefings, and compliance evidence.

Ensure continuousalignment between engineering design decisions and airworthiness criteria.

Mentor engineering teamson certification processes and documentation expectations.

RequiredQualifications

Bachelor’s degree in ElectricalEngineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field(Master’s preferred).

15-20 years ofexperience in airworthiness, certification, or safety engineering for militaryor defense aerospace programs.

Hands-on, appliedexperience with MIL-HDBK-516C and familiarity with relevant derivativecriteria.

Strong understanding ofsystem development lifecycles, configuration management, and risk management.

Experience working withDoD acquisition programs or military certification offices.

Excellent communicationskills with the ability to interface with customers, regulators, andcross-functional engineering teams.

PreferredQualifications

Experience with aircraftmodification, flight test programs, or developmental platforms.

Experience withdevelopment standards such as DO-178c and DO-254.

Experience withobtaining Military Standard Orders (MSO) and Technical Standard Orders (TSO).

Background in USAFMilitary Flight Release (MFR) or Airworthiness Qualification (AWQ) processes.

Knowledge of systemsafety standards such as MIL-STD-882E.

Security clearance(active or able to obtain).

Benefits:

Competitive salary withcomprehensive health and wellness benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Educational andprofessional development opportunities

Dynamic andcollaborative work environment

Employee ownership