Civil Certification Leader

About the role

Supernal is an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle and the ground-to-air ecosystem to support the emerging industry. This role will serve as the leader of the Civil Certification team, responsible for managing and facilitating the Type Certification process between Supernal and Regulatory Authorities throughout the project lifecycle. As the primary technical liaison with the FAA, you will coordinate the planning, strategy, and execution of all activities, deliverables, and artifacts related to Certification, including Production Certification and foreign validation efforts with other international aviation authorities.

The role interacts directly with Company leadership, the entire Engineering organization, the Test & Evaluation group, Program Management, the Quality team, and the Policy team to achieve program Certification objectives. This position requires presence in the office 5 days a week.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and strategy for Certification by defining Certification program objectives and priorities, and disseminating that information to appropriate stakeholders
• Coordinate with Regulatory Authorities by serving as the primary point of contact throughout the project lifecycle, including pre-application discussions, administration of the Partnership for Safety Plan and MOA, technical discussions around certification issues, TCBMs, and facilitating technical responses to address Issues papers
• Ensure the Supernal organization and its products are compliant with FAA regulations, directives, policies, and guidance
• Identify resources and staffing needs to build the required team to accomplish Civil Certification department goals
• Manage the performance of Civil Certification Projects
• Manage the generation and maintenance of various Certification artifacts such as the PSCP, the TC 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 implemented into the design
• Develop conformity processes and establish infrastructure to ensure compliance with data retention requirements
• Identify and manage Certification issues, risks, and special conditions, including establishing a system for reporting issues to the appropriate regulatory entities
• Coordinate and deploy DER resources to support certification project needs
• Manage the Civil Certification team to address company and program needs and objectives
• 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 as required
• Develop and deploy training materials across the Supernal organization to increase knowledge of the civil certification process and its key concepts
• Drive company participation in relevant standards development groups and key industry organizations
• Travel up to 10% domestically and internationally

Requirements

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 15+ years of experience in aircraft certification, airworthiness, or regulatory compliance, ideally including at least one entire end-to-end Certification program (TC/ATC/STC) from conceptual design through post-certification activities (Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered, especially with a demonstrated history of working with the FAA)
• Practical experience with 14 CFR Part 23, Part 25, Part 27, or Part 29 Certification programs
• Experience with implementation of certification guidance and industry standards such as FAA Orders (8110 series), relevant Advisory 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
• Ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work 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)
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite
• Understand the regulatory framework, procedures, and responsibilities governing the certification of aeronautical products in the United States and other Foreign Countries
• Detail-oriented with strong planning and execution skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on eVTOL aircraft considered a plus
• DER designation from the FAA considered a plus

Pay

The pay range for this position is $189,677—$269,822 USD. This position is also eligible for a bonus as part of total compensation.

Benefits

View our benefits here.