Airworthiness & Safety Engineer, Lead

avav; Simi Valley (CA); On-site; USD 123,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Lead Airworthiness & Safety Engineer to guide certification strategies for complex unmanned aircraft systems across the product lifecycle.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams to resolve safety and certification requirements and support flight releases and continued airworthiness. This role involves engaging with customers, regulators, and senior leadership on certification, audits, RFIs, and RFPs, and developing comprehensive strategies and plans for

Qualifications

• BS degree in Engineering or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 8+ years of directly related experience in airworthiness or product safety roles.
• Strong understanding of Military, FAA, EU, NATO, and EASA airworthiness processes and standards.
• Experience communicating with executive level management and regulators.

Responsibilities

• Develops and performs airworthiness and product safety planning for complex UAS.
• Supports product safety requirements based on market, customer, and regulatory needs.
• Verification support including plans, means of compliance, and certification activities for complex systems.
• Ensures airworthiness and safety requirements are integrated into UAS solutions to meet program objectives.
• Reviews and coordinates with engineering disciplines across the total system lifecycle.
• Works with military and civil airworthiness authorities for certification of UAS.
• Facilitates changes to designs, testing, and documentation to satisfy certification requirements.
• Supports field service bulletin and problem report activities related to airworthiness and safety.
• Tracks and reports product improvements that enhance airworthiness or safety.
• Participates with senior leadership to establish strategic objectives and lead airworthiness efforts.
• Facilitates customer safety and airworthiness accreditation audits.

Skills

Airworthiness engineering

Product safety

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder communication

Global regulations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

The Lead Airworthiness (AW) & Safety Engineer Leads airworthiness and product safety activities for complex Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) throughout the product lifecycle. Develops certification strategies, plans, requirements, and compliance approaches supporting military and civil authorities. Coordinates cross-functional engineering teams to resolve safety and certification requirements and support flight releases and continued airworthiness. Engages with customers, regulatory agencies, and senior leadership on certification, audits, RFIs, and RFPs.

Position Responsibilities

• Develops and performs technical airworthiness and product safety planning, internally driven, customer contract and regulatory driven
• Product requirements development support based on expected market, customer, and regulatory requirements
• Verification support including development of airworthiness and product safety approach, plans, basis of certifications, means of compliance, and certification activities for complex total systems
• Ensures the logical and systematic realization of customer airworthiness and product safety compliance into UAS solutions to meet program and business objectives (e.g. flight releases, military certification, type certification and supplemental type certifications, continued airworthiness, and operational or airspace Integration)
• Reviews and coordinates with engineering disciplines at all levels of total system including concept development, requirements, design, test, manufacturing, operation, maintenance and disposal
• Works with both military and civil airworthiness authorities for certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
• Facilitates changes to product designs, testing, analyses, maintenance, operations and documentation in order to satisfy certification and product safety requirements
• Supports Field Service Bulletin and Problem Report support related to Airworthiness and product safety
• Tracks and reports product improvements that provide airworthiness certification value, resolve airworthiness or product safety deficiencies or improve airworthiness or safety of products
• Participates with other senior managers to establish strategic plans and objectives
• Leads Airworthiness efforts with the support of broad cross-functional teams
• Facilitates customer Safety and AW Accreditation audits supporting company processes
• Supports Requests for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposals (RFP) in the Airworthiness and Product Safety capacity
• Communicates AV’s AW and Product Safety position to Customer and Regulatory bodies
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• BS degree in Engineering required is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 8+ years of directly related experience
• A minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in Airworthiness related work
• Experienced in and has demonstrated strong systems engineering background
• Experienced working in a highly technical, fast-paced environment with both Domestic and International customers
• Has a detailed understanding of Military, FAA, EU, NATO, and EASA airworthiness and certification processes and standards
• Understanding of US Government and international safety requirements (UL, CE, REACH, RoHS, etc)
• Has a proven track record of performance on successful programs
• Experience communicating with executive level management, Customers, and Customer AW authorities
• Takes initiative to own tasks and can perform with little/no daily management or oversight

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• A minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in Product Safety related work desired
• Prior experience with Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Unmanned Systems in general desired
• Interactions frequently involve special skills, such as negotiating with customers or management or attempting to influence senior level leaders regarding matters of significance to the organization
• Demonstrates strong computer skills and proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Outstanding Leadership skills and experience in a highly technical environment is desire
• Demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances
• Inspires, motivates and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)
• Willing to travel both domestically and internationally as required (<10% of the time)

Clearance Level

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$122,500 - $187,000

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• 401K with company matching
• a 9/80 work schedule
• paid holiday shutdown

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants.

Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data,sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or a person approved for an export license from the appropriate governing agency.