Lead Airworthiness & Certification Architect

Mach Industries; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Certification & Airworthiness Engineer to serve as the independent authority ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and airworthiness of flight systems and munition payload integrations. You will own the certification strategy, safety case, and release-to-flight authority, advising on munitions safety and weapon system cybersecurity evaluation methods.

You will liaise with DoW and govern certification programs, lead hazard analyses, and oversee documentation

Qualifications

• 15+ years in aerospace/defense flight systems with airworthiness certification or system safety experience.
• Bachelor’s in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Deep knowledge of MIL-HDBK-516 / MIL-STD-516 airworthiness criteria and MIL-STD-882 system safety.
• Experience with DoD airworthiness authorities and Military Flight Release (MFR).
• Familiarity with munition/hazardous payload certification standards MIL-STD-2105 and MIL-STD-1316.
• Experience supporting integrated ground and flight testing of complex aerospace systems.
• Strong ability to communicate complex technical issues to executives and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as airworthiness authority for flight systems and payload integrations.
• Define certification strategies and compliance plans with MIL-HDBK-516 and MIL-STD-516.
• Lead development of airworthiness documentation including plans and safety assessments.
• Interface with government authorities to support MFR and certification approvals.
• Lead system safety activities per MIL-STD-882E, including hazard analyses.
• Oversee certification for aircraft systems, modifications, and repairs.
• Provide approval for safety-critical design changes and releases.
• Maintain continuing airworthiness through lifecycle of deployed systems.
• Establish and lead certification governance processes like Airworthiness/Safety Review Boards.

Skills

Airworthiness

DoD liaison

Regulatory compliance

Safety analysis

System safety

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Masters preferred

Tools

MIL-STD-516

MIL-STD-882

MFR processes

Flight test planning

Job description

Mach Industries seeks a Principal Certification & Airworthiness Engineer to serve as the independent authority ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and airworthiness of flight systems and munition payload integrations. You will own the certification strategy, safety case, and release-to-flight authority, advising on munitions safety and weapon system cybersecurity evaluation methods.

You will liaise with DoW and govern certification programs, lead hazard analyses, and oversee documentation