Director of Safety/Flight Instructor

Liberty University; Lynchburg (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university seeks a Director of Safety for its School of Aeronautics. This role manages safety policies, risk management, and promotes a positive safety culture while ensuring compliance with FAA, NTSB, and OSHA regulations. Ideal candidates have a Bachelor's degree, flight instructor certification, and leadership skills in an aviation context.

Qualifications

• Required Bachelor's degree and Flight instructor certificate.
• Preferred Airframe and Powerplant certificate.
• At least one year of teaching experience in an aviation context.

Responsibilities

• Manage safety program and implement safety policies.
• Facilitate safety culture promotion within the School of Aeronautics.
• Coordinate safety audits and investigate accidents.

Skills

Supervisory skills

Organizational skills

Training skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Problem-solving skills

Computer skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Flight instructor certificate

Airframe and Powerplant certificate

Job description

The Director of Safety manages the Liberty University School of Aeronautics (LUSOA) safety program. The Director of Safety is responsible for ensuring that the School of Aeronautics properly implements safety policy, risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion. The Director of Safety facilitates and leads the promotion of a positive safety culture within LUSOA.
The Director of Safety works with other LUSOA directors to manage operational safety within the increasingly complex and demanding Flight Operations, Aviation Maintenance Technician Program (AMTP), and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operations.
The Director of Safety maintains flight currency in assigned aircraft in order to assess the operational safety environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensures that policies and procedures are consistent with safety guidance and regulations from the FAA, NTSB, and OSHA.
• Manages the online Safety Reporting System, ensuring that safety concerns of staff and students are addressed confidentially and promptly.
• Manages the Emergency Response Plan, ensuring that LUSOA is prepared to respond properly to an aviation accident.
• Analyzes aviation safety risk using inputs from the Safety Reporting System, operational reports, the AMTP Toolbox Talks, and safety surveys.
• Coordinates internal and external safety audits.
• Investigates aviation accidents, serious incidents and safety occurrences.
• Assists with the revision of LUSOA flight operations documentation, such as the Safety Procedures and Practices, Aircraft Training Guides, Checklists, etc.
• Coordinates with department directors to ensure that operational risk is properly managed.
• Promotes safety within the LUSOA staff and student body.
• Leads the safety promotion at events such as the All Aviators Meeting, Safety Committee meetings, and safety/ops/training meetings.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises the Associate Director of Safety and any assigned student workers.

May supervise/manage other LUSOA staff members who have been assigned additional safety duties.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALSEducation and ExperienceRequired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Flight instructor certificate.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Airframe and Powerplant certificate.
• Aviation safety training at the graduate and/or undergraduate level.
• At least one year experience teaching in a Part 141, 147 and/or Part 107 training context.

Skills and Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Excellent supervisory, organizational, and training skills
• Excellent verbal/written communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work with people from a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds
• Skill in development, implementation, and execution of programs
• Excellent computer skills, especially with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOBCommunication and Comprehension

• Ability to understand, speak, and write in order to effectively convey messages and correspond in an articulate and professional manner.
• Possess public communication skills that allow professional representation of Liberty University to a variety of business and community customers and associates.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent computer literacy to include an in-depth working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite as well as the ability to adapt to and utilize proprietary software systems used in flight simulation devices.

Problem Solving

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature.
• Will be required to analyze complex problems and come up with solutions in an expeditious manner.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• Required to travel to local and campus locations.
• Frequently required to sit for extended periods to perform desk work or type on a keyboard. Regularly required to hear and speak in order to effectively communicate verbally.
• Required to stand, walk, and climb stairs to move about the building.
• Handle materials, reach overhead, kneel, or stoop in order to conduct business.
• Regularly lift 50 or fewer pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONSWork Environment

The working environment in which one will typically perform the essential functions of this position is a climate-controlled setting. It is well-lighted, and the noise level is moderate. The working environment also includes time on an aviation ramp environment, as well as time in a maintenance training context and aircraft simulators.

Driving Requirements

Use of one’s personal vehicle (or LU vehicles) may be required for travel in the performance of the essential functions of this position. Proof of a valid Virginia driver’s license, an acceptable DMV record, and liability insurance is required.

Target Hire Date2025-07-01Time TypeFull timeLocationLynchburg - In OfficeThe University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job. All personnel related activities such as compensation, benefits, transfers, job classification, assignments, working conditions, educational assistance, terminations, layoffs, and return from layoffs, and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including all applicable state of employment protected classes. The University is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. The University’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations (including educational institutions), and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.