Director, Civil Certification

Colonial Group; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Supernal seeks a seasoned Civil Certification leader to head the Certification team, steering Type Certification efforts with the FAA and international authorities throughout the project lifecycle. You will collaborate with Executive, Engineering, Test & Evaluation, PM, Quality, and Policy teams to meet certification objectives, advancing a culture of safety and compliance for innovative aircraft.

Strong planning, communication, and strategic execution are essential, with travel up to 10% to

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in aircraft certification, airworthiness, or regulatory compliance.
• Experience with FAA guidance and orders such as FAA 8110 series and ARP4754/ARP4761.
• Experience with clean-sheet FAA Type Certification projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong planning and execution capabilities.
• Familiarity with product lifecycle management tools (Enovia, 3DX).
• Proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and strategy for Certification by defining program objectives and priorities.
• Coordinate with Regulatory Authorities as primary contact throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with FAA regulations, directives, policies, and guidance.
• Identify resources and staffing to build the Civil Certification team.
• Manage Civil Certification projects and related artifacts (PSCP, TC Application, checklists).
• Interpret FAA regulations and translate into verifiable design requirements.
• Develop conformity processes and data retention infrastructure.
• Identify and manage certification risks and issues with regulatory entities.
• Deploy DER resources to support certification needs.
• Lead and mentor the Civil Certification team and drive stakeholder alignment.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Analytical thinking

Time management

Education

B.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Enovia

3DX

Job description

What we do:

This role will serve as the leader of the Civil Certification team with the responsibility tomanage andfacilitatethe Type Certification process between Supernal and the Regulatory Authorities throughout the project lifecycle. In addition to being a primary technical liaison with the FAA,you will coordinate the planning, strategy, and execution of all activities, deliverables, and artifacts related to Certification, including the Production Certification andforeign validation efforts with other international aviation authorities.Therolewillinteractdirectly with Company leadership, the entire Engineering organization,theTest & Evaluation group, ProgramManagement, the Quality team, and the Policy team to achieve program Certificationobjectives.The ideal candidate should have a proventrack recordofaircraftcertification experience, with palpable enthusiasm forestablishingan organizational culture around compliance and safety, and a passion for bringing new, innovativeaircraftto market.

What you can do:

• Lead the planning and strategy for Certification by defining Certification programobjectivesand priorities, anddisseminatingthat information toappropriate stakeholders

• Coordinate with Regulatory Authorities by serving as the primary point of contact throughout the project lifecycle, including but not limitedto:pre-applicationdiscussions, administration of the Partnership for Safety Plan and MOA, technical discussions around certification issues, TCBMs, as well asfacilitatingtechnical responses to address Issues papers

• EnsuretheSupernal organizationand its productsare compliant with FAA regulations, directives, policies, and guidance

• Identifyresourcesand staffing needs to build therequiredteamneededtoaccomplishCivil Certification department goals

• Manage the performance of Civil Certification Projects

• Manage the generation and maintenance of various Certification artifacts such as the PSCP,theTC Application, Compliance checklists, SLCPs, Certification test plans, special conditions, conformity plan, compliance showing data, and others

• Interpret FAA regulations and work closely with engineering to ensure they are translated into clear, verifiable requirements that are implemented into the design

• Developconformityprocessesandestablishinfrastructuretoensure compliancewith data retention requirements

• Identifyand manage Certification issues, risks, and special conditions, including the establishment of a system for reporting issues to theappropriate regulatoryentities

• Coordinate and deploy DER resources to support the certification project needs

• Manage the Civil Certification team to address company and program needsandobjectives

• Review and incorporate feedback for certification plans to gain concurrence between internal stakeholders and Regulatory authorities

• Participate in design reviews (PDR, CDR), safety reviews, and Certification readiness reviews asrequired

• Develop and deploy training materials across the Supernal organization to increaseknowledge of the civil certification process anditskey concepts

• Drive company participation in relevant standards development groups and key industry organizations
• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally

What you can contribute:

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

• 15+ years of experience inaircraftcertification, airworthiness, or regulatory compliance. The candidate will have ideally workeda minimum ofone entireend-to-endCertification program (TC/ATC/STC) fromconceptual designthroughpost-certification activities(Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered, especially with a demonstrated history of workingwiththe FAA)

• Practical experience with 14 CFR Part 23, Part 25, Part 27, or Part 29 Certification programs

• Experience with implementation of certification guidanceand industry standardssuch as FAA Orders (8110 series),relevantAdvisory Circulars, ARP4754 & ARP4761,etc.
• Experience with clean sheet design FAA Type Certification projects

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent listening and comprehension skills

• Ability to effectively prioritize and proactively deliver communications and follow up

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

• Excellent customer service skills

• Must have the ability to independently prioritize andaccomplishwork within time constraints

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality

• Self-motivated and growth-minded personality

• Familiarity with product lifecycle management tools (i.e.Enovia, 3DX)

• Proficiencywith MS Office Suite

• Must have the ability to independently prioritize andaccomplishwork within time constraints

• Understand the regulatory framework, procedures and responsibilities governing the certification of aeronautical products in the United States andother Foreign Countries
• Detail oriented with strong planning and execution skills

You may also be able to contribute:

• Experience working on eVTOLaircraft considered a plus