Director of Engineering

About the role

PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, offers unparalleled opportunities for growth and professional development. We value teamwork and inclusivity and strive to create a safe, respectful, and happy work environment for our more than 5,500 team members. At PSA we are defining the standard in regional aviation by focusing on The PSA Standard - our foundation for operation.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and technical oversight for all engineering functions supporting PSA Airlines’ fleet.
• Ensures the highest levels of safety, regulatory compliance, and operational reliability through effective management of reliability programs, engineering standards, and airworthiness processes.
• Serves as the airline’s technical authority, leading cross-functional efforts to resolve complex engineering challenges, optimize fleet performance, and support safe and efficient operations.
• PARTNER CLOSELY WITH INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS, OEMS, AND REGULATORY AGENCIES TO DRIVE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH FAA REQUIREMENTS, AND IMPLEMENT ENGINEERING STRATEGIES THAT ENHANCE RELIABILITY, PERFORMANCE, AND COST EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS THE OPERATION.

Job Responsibilities

• Provides overall direction and administration of Engineering Support Services.
• Leads and oversees GCC functions, including offshore/shared service teams, ensuring delivery of high-quality engineering data, technical documentation, and analytical support.
• Ensures integrity and control of aircraft configuration data, including oversight of configuration management processes, effectivity, and system accuracy across engineering and maintenance systems.
• Oversees development, approval, and continuous improvement of engineering technical documentation, including maintenance manuals, engineering orders, work cards, and technical communications.
• DIRECTS THE COMPANY’S RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING PROGRAM, INCLUDING ANALYSIS OF FLEET TRENDS, ROOT CAUSE IDENTIFICATION, AND DEVELOPMENT OF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND DISPATCH RELIABILITY.
• OVERSEES COMPLIANCE WITH CASS (CONTINUING ANALYSIS AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM) REQUIREMENTS AND ENSURES ALIGNMENT WITH FAA STANDARDS.
• OVERSEES COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPANY’S CONTINUOUS AIRWORTHINESS MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (CAMP) IN COORDINATION WITH MAINTENANCE AND QUALITY ORGANIZATION.
• ENSURES THE ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS COMPLIANCE WITH THE ENGINEERING PROCEDURES MANUAL (EPM), GENERAL MAINTENANCE MANUAL (GMM), AND ALL APPLICABLE CFR REQUIREMENTS, AND DRIVES UPDATES AS NECESSARY.
• DEVELOPS AND EXECUTES ENGINEERING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE FLEET PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, AND COST EFFICIENCY ACROSS ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
• IDENTIFIES AND PRIORITIZES ENGINEERING INITIATIVES THAT BALANCE SAFETY, OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY, AND COST EFFECTIVENESS.
• PROVIDES ENGINEERING OVERSIGHT FOR AIRCRAFT MODIFICATIONS, REPAIRS, AND CONFIGURATION CONTROL, SURENING TECHNICAL INTEGRITY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
• LEADS EVALUATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICE BULLETINS, AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES, AND ENGINEERING CHANGES IMPACTING THE FLEET.
• SERVES AS THE COMPANY’S TECHNICAL AUTHORITY FOR ENGINEERING STANDARDS, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES.
• REVIEW, APPROVE, AND ENSURES ACCURACY OF ALL ENGINEERING DOCUMENTS, REPAIRS, AND MODIFICATIONS, SURENING PROPER APPROVAL BASIS AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
• PREPARE INFORMATIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR DEPARTMENTS OF THE AIRLINE FOR ENTRY INTO SERVICE OF NEW AIRCRAFT TYPES AND AID IN THE ENTRY INTO SERVICE OF NEW AIRCRAFT TYPES.
• SERVES AS THE PRIMARY ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE WITH OEMS, INDUSTRY WORKING GROUPS, AND REGULATORY BODIES, INFLUENCING TECHNICAL DECISIONS AND DRIVING IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEET PERFORMANCE.
• CORRELATE BASIC OPERATING WEIGHT PROCEDURES WITH DIRECTORS OF INFLIGHT SERVICES, MAINTENANCE, OPERATIONS, OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER, AND QUALITY.
• MANAGE ASSIGNED BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITY.
• RESponsible FOR THE COMPANY'S SECURITY AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SMS) AND ASSOCIATED SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY ASSURANCE OUTPUTS.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited university.
• 8+ years of experience in Part 121 Technical Operations or Engineering, including at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Knowledge of applicable FAA regulations (14 CFR Parts 21, 25, 43, 91, 121) and airline maintenance and engineering programs.
• Extensive experience working across organizational boundaries.
• Extensive experience operating in an organized labor environment.
• Proficient computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to make complex technical decisions impacting safety, compliance, and operational performance.
• Ability to speak/read/write in English.

Preferred Experience

• With commercial airline operations.
• Experience with Bombardier CRJ aircraft or similar.

Additional Information

• Supervisory Responsibility: This is a supervisory position.
• Delegation: In absence, responsibilities delegated to Vice President of Technical Services.
• Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.