Lead Mechanic, 7th Shift - Citation

Yingling Aviation; Wichita (KS); On-site; USD 62,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

7th shift differential

On-site location

Job summary

Yingling Aviation in Wichita, KS is seeking a Lead Mechanic to head a 7th-shift maintenance crew. You’ll lead daily maintenance, provide hands-on repairs, and mentor technicians while ensuring FAA compliance and on-time delivery.

You will coordinate workflows, manage scheduling, and serve as the senior on-shift contact. A&P certification and leadership experience are required; Wichita-based on-site role with competitive pay and a $2,500 sign-on bonus.

Qualifications

• Valid FAA A&P certificate.
• 5+ years of relevant aircraft maintenance experience (Citation or business jet preferred).
• 3+ years in a lead or similar position (crew lead, shift lead, lead mechanic).
• Able to assign daily work, improve workflow and keep a crew productive.
• Strong knowledge of FAA regulations and repair station requirements.
• Track record of meeting labor, quality and on-time delivery targets; minimize rework.
• Experience developing less experienced mechanics.
• Clear communication with Supervisor, Project Managers, customers, QA, Planning, Parts and Sales.
• Can work without supervision and make day-to-day decisions as lead.
• Able to work 7th shift on a regular basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily maintenance activities and perform hands-on maintenance, inspection, troubleshooting and repair.
• Assign tasks to technicians based on schedules and manpower.
• Provide training and mentorship to less experienced technicians.
• Ensure work meets FAA regulations and company procedures; verify documentation.
• Estimate labor hours and parts costs for quoting.
• Ensure correct work orders and paperwork are completed daily.
• Monitor progress and report status to Supervisor/PM; manage workflow.
• Coordinate with QA, Planning, Engineering and Parts to resolve issues.
• Own manpower and scheduling for the crew; manage aircraft flow.
• Lead root cause investigations and drive first-time quality.
• Lead safety meetings and continuous improvement; manage department budget.
• Develop mechanics and contribute to performance evaluations.
• Serve as senior point of contact on shift and make day-to-day decisions.

Skills

English communication

Basic math

Problem solving

Computer skills

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Corridor

ATP

Textron One View

Job description

$2,500 SIGN-ON BONUS for A&P mechanics and A&P leads — paid on top of the published rate below.

Pay:

$45.00–$57.00* per hour — your A&P grade rate plus $2.00 lead pay, plus the $3.00 7th-shift differential is paid on all 40 paid hours — you work 36 hours and are paid for 40; the grade is based on relevant experience; overtime at time and a half

Location:

Wichita, KS — on-site

Schedule:

Full-time, 7th shift — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. You work 36 hours and are paid for 40

Department:

Citation Maintenance

About Yingling Aviation

Yingling Aviation is a full-service aviation company in Wichita, Kansas — the Air Capital of the World. Our Citation Department maintains, inspects and repairs the Cessna Citation series of business jets for owners and operators across the country. We are a boutique-style MRO built on customer focus, employee empowerment and hands‑on excitement with every delivery, and we are investing significantly in training to expand your skills and fast‑track your career.

About The Role

This is a 7th-shift position. With little or no management on site, our 7th-shift crews are trusted to run the hangar: to make sound decisions, solve problems as they come up, keep the paperwork right, and hand the aircraft over further along than they found them. If you do your best work without someone looking over your shoulder, this shift is built for you. Lead a maintenance crew while staying hands‑on. As Lead Mechanic you’ll be the primary point of contact for the technicians and mechanics on your project — a subject‑matter expert who makes sure the work gets done safely, efficiently, on schedule and in compliance with FAA regulations, company procedures and customer expectations. Reports to the Supervisor.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and coordinate daily maintenance activities on assigned aircraft, while actively performing maintenance, inspection, troubleshooting and repair work yourself.
• Assign tasks and priorities to the technicians and mechanics on your crew based on project schedules and manpower.
• Provide technical guidance, training and mentorship to less experienced technicians and mechanics.
• Ensure all work meets FAA regulations, manufacturer data and company procedures, and verify documentation is complete before it goes to Quality Assurance for inspection.
• Review the discrepancies your crew writes up, and estimate labor hours and parts costs for quoting.
• Make sure technicians are clocked to the correct work order item in Corridor, monitor flat rates, and see that paperwork — CAMP cards and Corridor entries — is completed correctly every day.
• Monitor progress and report status to the Supervisor and Project Manager, assist with labor utilization planning, and clear workflow interruptions to hold schedule commitments.
• Coordinate with Quality Assurance, Planning, Engineering and Parts to resolve maintenance issues, and assist during customer visits and project reviews.
• Own manpower and daily scheduling for the crew, and help manage aircraft flow across crews.
• Lead root cause and corrective action investigations on quality escapes, and drive first‑time quality.
• Lead safety meetings and continuous‑improvement efforts, and help the department hold to its budget.
• Develop the mechanics on your crew and contribute to their performance evaluations.
• Serve as the senior point of contact in the hangar on your shift: make the day‑to‑day decisions, keep the crew productive and safe, and elevate only what truly needs the Supervisor or Department Manager.
• Write a clear end‑of‑shift turnover for the next crew and the Supervisor — status, open discrepancies, parts and anything that needs a decision.

What we’re looking for

• Valid FAA A&P certificate.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant aircraft maintenance experience, ideally on Citation or other business jet aircraft.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a lead or similar position — crew lead, shift lead, lead mechanic, military NCO or equivalent.
• Able to assign daily work, improve workflow and keep a crew productive.
• Strong knowledge of FAA regulations and repair station requirements.
• Track record of meeting labor, quality and on‑time delivery targets, and of minimizing rework and quality escapes.
• Record of developing less experienced mechanics.
• Clear communication with the Supervisor, Project Managers, customers, and QA, Planning, Parts and Sales.
• Can be trusted to work without management supervision: you make sound decisions on your own, manage your own time, and get the work done right and on time. As a lead you also make the day‑time calls for your crew.
• Able to work 7th shift on a regular basis and to work independently with little or no management on site.

Skills and abilities

• Communication: Must be able to read and speak English, and communicate effectively with other personnel.
• Mathematics: Basic math skills.
• Reasoning: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Computer: Basic computer aptitude. Experience with Corridor, ATP or Textron One View is a plus.

Physical requirements

• Must be able to stand, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl.
• Occasional periods of walking, sitting, rotation, bending, pushing, pulling and reaching.
• Occasionally lifting up to 25 lbs, and frequently lifting up to 10 lbs.

Work environment

• Frequent exposure to general shop conditions and engine noise.
• Frequent exposure to aircraft exhaust, moving mechanical parts, lubricants, metals and solvents.
• Frequent exposure to seasonal weather.

Other requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must possess and maintain a current and valid driver’s license.
• Must own and maintain your own basic hand tools.
• Must meet the requirements of the Airport Authority to receive a badge, with no ramp restrictions.

Where this role leads

Lead Mechanic pay is your A&P grade rate plus $2.00 an hour lead pay — $42.00 to $50.00 an hour. Your A&P grade, from Grade 2 (Journeyman, $40.00) to Grade 1 (Senior A&P Mechanic, $48.00), is set by your verified aircraft maintenance experience. Leads keep advancing through the A&P grades on the same 48-month minimum and written objectives as every A&P mechanic, and lead pay is paid while you are assigned to lead a crew. Lead assignments are made by the Department Manager and the Director of Operations.

Our pay is published, and so is the path. Every position on our maintenance pay scale has a set hourly rate, a minimum time at each grade and written objectives for moving up. Advancement is reviewed every January on a written recommendation from your lead, and strong performers can advance before the minimum time. Between reviews, your Department Manager can award in‑grade merit increases for standout work. The entire pay scale is reassessed every year based on company performance, cost‑of‑living increases and market competition, and merit awards remain available at the top grade of every category.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off.
• Investment in your training, including courses such as FlightSafety (FSI).
• Opportunities for professional growth and development, on a published pay ladder.
• A dynamic, supportive team culture that values innovation and collaboration.
• Shift differential where the department runs the shift: +$2.00/hr on 2nd shift, and +$3.00/hr on 7th shift, which works 36 hours and is paid for 40 — with the $3.00 on all 40 paid hours.
• A $2,500 sign‑on bonus for A&P mechanics and A&P leads.

Yingling Aviation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test.

Yingling Aviation uses E-Verify.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. You work 36 hours and are paid for 40