Deputy Director - Unmanned Aerial Systems

Position Information

Position Information (Default Section)


Job Title
Deputy Director - Unmanned Aerial Systems


Location
Main Campus - Dayton, OH


Job Number
05494


Department
Unmanned Aerial Systems


Job Category
Professional


Job Type
Full-Time


Status
Regular


Job Open Date
06/15/2026


Resume Review Date
06/30/2026


Closing Date
06/29/2026


Open Until Filled
No


Position Summary


At Sinclair Community College, aviation innovation is part of our legacy. Located in Dayton, Ohio, Sinclair is a leader in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) education, offering Ohio's unique Bachelor of Applied Science in UAS along with state-of-the-art facilities, including the National UAS Training and Certification Center, an indoor flying pavilion, advanced flight simulators, and a diverse UAS fleet.

The Deputy Director of Unmanned Aerial Systems provides senior leadership for Sinclair's UAS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) initiatives, supporting the Chief Research Officer. This role builds partnerships with industry, academia, and government; pursues funding opportunities; ensures compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements; and advances Sinclair's research, thought leadership, and global reputation through publications and speaking engagements. The Deputy Director also helps lead cross-functional teams to expand UAS and AAM programs while maintaining the highest standards of quality and innovation.

The potential minimum compensation for this position begins at $84,109.00 and is commensurate with education and experience.

Why work for Sinclair College?

The following are some of the benefits that professional staff with Sinclair College receive:

• Tuition waiver for employee and dependents for all Sinclair courses and programs
• Support for continued training and education, including tuition reimbursement for other universities and colleges.
• OPERS pension participation, with 14% employer contribution
• 4+ weeks of personal and vacation leave, 3+ weeks of sick leave annually
• 14 days of annually observed company holidays
• Expansive and competitive insurance programs, including an HSA with annual employer contribution available
• High quality programs and events for work-life balance

*SCC has the right to revise this position description at any time. This position description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

Principal Accountabilities

• Assist in identification of UAS and AAM market leaders to explore the viability of partnership opportunities with benefits to both the potential partner and the college
• Facilitate partnerships in support of external funding opportunities and pursue funding from multiple sources that will advance UAS goals
• Monitor the UAS higher education market landscape to identify potential partners and competitors that will help shape Sinclair's offerings and activities
• Support research activities for UAS, AAM, and related technologies that advance Sinclair's position as a leader in the field
• Assist in research of accreditation, standards, and national certifications to shape collaborative work with the Federal Aviation Administration and within the broader industry
• Support advocacy for the college's positions on social and legal issues related to UAS. Identify partners to position Sinclair for the development and management of educational journals and conferences to further advance the college as a thought leader
• Support and/or coordinate with internal and external stakeholders for activities related to UAS and AAM at Sinclair to ensure academic content, equipment, and research activities support the strategic goals of the college
• Assist in coordination of tracking and reporting of progress against internal UAS and AAM metrics and other applicable measures
• Perform other duties assigned by the Chief Research Officer of Unmanned Aerial Systems

Requirements

• Eligible applicants must meet one of the following combined education and experience requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree in a related field with a minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience
  • Master's degree in a related field with a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience
  • Doctoral degree in a related topic with 5 or more years of applicable work experience in a related field preferred
• Proven prior exceptional strategic planning and project management experience required
• Background in UAS, AAM, and related fields is required with traditional aviation experience preferred
• Flight experience and/or ratings in traditional aircraft and UAS preferred
• Experience in modeling and simulation related to airspace visualization and mission planning preferred
• Strong people management, team building, team interaction and conflict resolution skills required
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external customers and partners required
• Background in applied research and development and project management preferred
• Ability to create and use appropriate tools to manage people and tasks required
• Experience building an internal/external team to execute strategic and business strategies required
• Excellent oral and written communication and listening skills, including experience in preparing and delivering proposals, reports and presentations required
• Familiarity with and successful funding of awards and agreements from a variety of sources including, but not limited to the following is preferred:
  • Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
  • Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
  • Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
  • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
  • Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA)
  • Space Act Agreement (SAA)
  • Education Partnership Agreement (EPA)
  • Teaming Agreement (TA)
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
  • and general contracts, grants, and other mechanisms
• Familiarity with and successful funding of awards from civil and commercial, academic, and government organizations at local, state, national, and international levels preferred
• Experience with intellectual property (IP) development, commercialization, and transfer, including issues related to licensure, royalties, and protection preferred
• Current and ability to maintain a current Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required
• Current or ability to obtain a traditional pilot's certificate or advanced rating issued by FAA preferred
• Current or ability to obtain an FAA Second Class Medical preferred
• U.S. Citizenship preferred
• U.S. Passport preferred