Aviation Regulatory Affairs Manager

Blackwing; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant with meaningful upside

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Unlimited PTO

Daily lunch provided at El Segundo HQ

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking an Aviation Regulatory Manager in El Segundo to own federal aviation and spectrum regulatory work for both operator and manufacturer sides. You will lead the drafting and submission of FAA authorizations, COAs, LOAs, and exemptions, while shaping CONOPs, SRM, and risk assessments in collaboration with engineering and operations.

You will also manage FCC licenses and spectrum coordination, ensure airworthiness and DoC readiness under Part 108, and monitor rulemaking with

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience preparing and shepherding FAA submissions for UAS operations through to issuance — flight authorizations, COAs, LOAs, regulatory exemptions, or equivalent.
• Strong aviation background: former FAA personnel, military aviation officer, Part 121/135/137 chief pilot or director of operations, UAS program manager at a regulated operator, or aviation safety/SMS specialist.
• Strong technical writing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate technical and operational realities into clear, persuasive regulatory submissions.
• Working knowledge of CONOPs development, Safety Risk Management frameworks, and operational risk assessment methodologies aligned to FAA acceptance criteria.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to credibly engage FAA inspectors, FCC examiners, and external counsel.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end drafting and shepherding of UAS flight authorizations, COAs, LOAs, and FAA regulatory exemptions
• Develop CONOPs, SRM documentation, and operational risk assessments aligned with FAA acceptance criteria
• Engage with FAA Flight Standards Service, UAS Integration Office, ATO, and applicable FSDOs, including pre-submission consultation and post-issuance compliance
• Prepare and submit FCC aircraft radio licenses, experimental licenses, and spectrum authorizations
• Manage license renewals, modifications, and frequency coordination across regions
• Coordinate with Engineering to ensure spectrum architecture decisions align with licensing pathways
• Own manufacturer-side regulatory posture, including airworthiness documentation and DoC preparation under Part 108 frameworks
• Advise leadership on regulatory implications of design decisions, certification pathways, and AS9100 readiness
• Track FAA rulemaking (BVLOS, airworthiness frameworks, contracting prerequisites) and participate in industry groups
• Brief leadership on regulatory developments and translate into actionable business implications

Skills

FAA submissions

Aviation background

Regulatory writing

Regulatory strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in aviation/aerospace

Job description

About Rainmaker

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern cloud seeding system to address water scarcity and inclement weather challenges worldwide. We develop and integrate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, numerical weather modeling, and sustainable seeding agents into an effective precipitation enhancement solution.

Rainmaker is building something that hasn't existed before. If you're the kind of person who gets energized by hard problems, new territory, and the opportunity to lead programs that have real impact on water resources, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

The Department of Regulatory & Compliance is hiring an Aviation Regulatory Manager to own Rainmaker's federal aviation and spectrum regulatory portfolio across both the operator and manufacturer sides of the business.

The Aviation Regulatory Manager plays a critical role at Rainmaker, leading the strategy, drafting, and shepherding of every FAA and FCC authorization the company depends on to fly, transmit, and manufacture. This person owns BVLOS authorizations, regulatory exemptions, FCC licenses, and the airworthiness and Declaration of Compliance work that comes with being a producer of uncrewed aircraft. This is a role for someone fluent in the language of Flight Standards, comfortable engaging directly with FAA inspectors and FCC examiners, and skilled at translating Rainmaker's technical and operational reality into submissions that win on the first round.

Mission

The Aviation Regulatory Manager exists to ensure Rainmaker holds every federal aviation and spectrum authority required to operate as an operator and produce as a manufacturer, today and in the regulatory environment ahead. Sitting at the intersection of Engineering, Flight Operations, and Manufacturing, this person translates engineering and operational decisions into the language federal regulators expect, and translates federal regulatory expectations into requirements the rest of the company can build against. In doing so, they are expected to continuously challenge and improve how Rainmaker designs operating concepts, builds safety cases, and positions itself with the FAA — building durable institutional credibility that compounds across waivers, certifications, and rulemaking cycles.

Responsibilities

FAA Authorizations & Operating Approvals

• Lead the end-to-end drafting and shepherding of UAS flight authorizations, Certificates of Authorization (COAs), Letters of Agreement (LOAs), and FAA regulatory exemptions

• Develop Concept of Operations (CONOPs), Safety Risk Management (SRM) documentation, and operational risk assessments aligned with FAA acceptance criteria

• Engage directly with the FAA Flight Standards Service, UAS Integration Office, ATO, and applicable FSDOs, including pre-submission consultation, response to RFIs, and post-issuance compliance

FCC Licensing & Spectrum Coordination

• Prepare and submit FCC aircraft radio station licenses, experimental licenses, and any spectrum authorizations required by Rainmaker's command-and-control (C2) link architecture, payload telemetry, and ground-based systems

• Manage license renewals, modifications, and frequency coordination across all operating regions

• Partner with Engineering to ensure spectrum architecture decisions are compatible with available licensing pathways

Airworthiness, Declaration of Compliance & Manufacturer Regulatory Affairs

• Own Rainmaker's manufacturer-side regulatory posture, including airworthiness documentation, Declaration of Compliance (DoC) preparation under the emerging Part 108 framework, and engagement with applicable ASTM and RTCA standards (F3442, F3705, DO-365, DO-381, and successors)

• Coordinate with Engineering and Quality on design data, test plans, and conformity documentation required to substantiate compliance claims

• Advise leadership on the regulatory implications of design decisions, certification pathways, and AS9100 readiness

Regulatory Intelligence & Strategic Advisory

• Track and analyze FAA rulemaking with material impact on Rainmaker, including Part 108 BVLOS, evolving airworthiness frameworks, and federal contracting prerequisites (American Security Drone Act, FAR 52.240-1, DoD Blue UAS Cleared List)

• Submit comments and participate in standards bodies, test site engagements , and industry working groups where Rainmaker's interests are at stake

• Brief leadership on regulatory developments and translate them into actionable implications for the business

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated experience preparing and shepherding FAA submissions for UAS operations through to issuance — flight authorizations, COAs, LOAs, regulatory exemptions, or equivalent

• Strong aviation background: former FAA personnel, military aviation officer, Part 121/135/137 chief pilot or director of operations, UAS program manager at a regulated operator, or aviation safety/SMS specialist

• Strong technical writing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate technical and operational realities into clear, persuasive regulatory submissions

• Working knowledge of Concept of Operations (CONOPs) development, Safety Risk Management (SRM) frameworks, and operational risk assessment methodologies aligned to FAA acceptance criteria

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to credibly engage FAA inspectors, FCC examiners, and external counsel

• Self-directed and comfortable operating with minimal guidance in a novel regulatory environment

• Willingness to travel for agency meetings, test site events, and on-site operational coordination as required

Preferred

• Former FAA Aviation Safety Inspector, UAS Integration Office staff, or other direct FAA service

• Direct experience drafting and winning BVLOS authorizations, including operating concepts that incorporate ground-based detect-and-avoid (DAA)

• Manufacturer-side regulatory experience: airworthiness documentation, type design, ASTM/RTCA standards engagement (F3442, F3705, DO-365, DO-381), or Declaration of Compliance work

• Familiarity with the Part 108 NPRM and emerging airworthiness frameworks for UAS production

• Familiarity with AS9100 and federal contracting prerequisites for UAS (American Security Drone Act, FAR 52.240-1, DoD Blue UAS Cleared List)

• Engineering or aviation safety background sufficient to engage technically with Engineering and Flight Operations on operating concept design and spectrum architecture

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (aviation, aerospace engineering, aviation management, atmospheric science, or related discipline); advanced degree or aviation law background a plus

• Existing relationships within the FAA UAS Integration Office, Flight Standards Service, or applicable FSDOs

Compensation & Benefits

• Equity grant with meaningful upside as an early employee.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401(k) with employer matching.

• Unlimited PTO.

• Daily lunch provided when working from our El Segundo headquarters.