Airworthiness Manager - Defense Certification Lead

Job Title: Airworthiness Manager

Location: Dayton, OH, Huntsville, AL, Niceville, FL (On-Site)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Aerospace / Defense

Aboutthe Role

We are seeking an experienced Airworthiness Manager to leadand execute airworthiness certification activities for advanced avionics and aerospacesystems. The ideal candidate will have deep technical knowledge ofMIL-HDBK-516C airworthiness criteria and a proven ability to work acrossengineering, program management, and regulatory organizations to ensurecompliance throughout the system lifecycle.

KeyResponsibilities

Serve as the program’sprimary airworthiness authority and subject-matter expert.

Interpret, apply, andvalidate compliance to MIL-HDBK-516C requirements across system design,integration, test, and sustainment.

Develop and manageairworthiness plans, compliance matrices, and certification strategies.

Coordinate with militaryairworthiness authorities to achieve necessary approvals and flight releases.

Lead airworthiness riskidentification, mitigation planning, and technical reviews.

Support system safetyanalyses, hazard assessments, and configuration control activities.

Prepare and delivertechnical documentation, briefings, and compliance evidence.

Ensure continuousalignment between engineering design decisions and airworthiness criteria.

Mentor engineering teamson certification processes and documentation expectations.

RequiredQualifications

Bachelor’s degree in ElectricalEngineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field(Master’s preferred).

15-20 years ofexperience in airworthiness, certification, or safety engineering for militaryor defense aerospace programs.

Hands-on, appliedexperience with MIL-HDBK-516C and familiarity with relevant derivativecriteria.

Strong understanding ofsystem development lifecycles, configuration management, and risk management.

Experience working withDoD acquisition programs or military certification offices.

Excellent communicationskills with the ability to interface with customers, regulators, andcross-functional engineering teams.

PreferredQualifications

Experience with aircraftmodification, flight test programs, or developmental platforms.

Experience withdevelopment standards such as DO-178c and DO-254.

Experience withobtaining Military Standard Orders (MSO) and Technical Standard Orders (TSO).

Background in USAFMilitary Flight Release (MFR) or Airworthiness Qualification (AWQ) processes.

Knowledge of systemsafety standards such as MIL-STD-882E.

Security clearance(active or able to obtain).

Benefits:

Competitive salary withcomprehensive health and wellness benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Educational andprofessional development opportunities

Dynamic andcollaborative work environment

Employee ownership