Principal Airworthiness Engineer - Lead Flight Certification

PDS Tech Commercial, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

PDS Tech Commercial is seeking a Principal Airworthiness Engineer in San Diego to drive airworthiness planning, verification, and certification across advanced programs. You will translate complex requirements into compliant system solutions and coordinate with teams, customers, and authorities.

Responsibilities include developing Airworthiness Plans, Bases of Certification, and Means of Compliance, with a focus on lifecycle certification and regulatory adherence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or higher in a STEM field with airworthiness experience.
• Experience leading airworthiness plans and certification activities.
• Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516D and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical airworthiness planning and verification activities across complex aerospace programs.
• Develop and negotiate Airworthiness Plans, Bases of Certification, Means of Compliance, and related certification documentation.
• Support certification efforts for air vehicle platforms, including UAS/RPAS systems.
• Collaborate with IPTs, Responsible Engineers, customers, and certification authorities.
• Review and coordinate engineering activities spanning design, fabrication, testing, installation, operations, maintenance, and disposal.
• Perform requirements analysis, allocation, and definition studies to translate customer objectives into compliant system solutions.

Skills

Airworthiness planning

Certification strategies

Systems engineering

Technical documentation

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline

Master of Science degree

PhD

Tools

MIL-HDBK-516D

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

SharePoint

Job description

PDS Tech Commercial is seeking a Principal Airworthiness Engineer in San Diego to drive airworthiness planning, verification, and certification across advanced programs. You will translate complex requirements into compliant system solutions and coordinate with teams, customers, and authorities.

Responsibilities include developing Airworthiness Plans, Bases of Certification, and Means of Compliance, with a focus on lifecycle certification and regulatory adherence.