Manager of Quality Assurance - Aircraft Maintenance

Manager of Quality Assurance – Aircraft Maintenance

Wilson Utility Helicopters

Location: Lodi, CA (travel to field bases and job sites as required)

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About the Role

Wilson Utility Helicopters is seeking a detail-driven aviation maintenance professional to lead the quality assurance and airworthiness oversight for our rotor-wing fleet. This role ensures that every WUH aircraft, maintenance process, and technical record meets the highest standards of regulatory compliance, safety, and documentation accuracy. The ideal candidate brings deep technical knowledge, strong auditing skills, and a proactive mindset for identifying issues before they become problems.

This position reports directly to the Director of Maintenance and is responsible for executing and administering Quality Assurance functions in support of the maintenance organization.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance

• Coordinate closely with the Director of Maintenance on audit findings, corrective actions, and regulatory compliance matters.
• Execute, maintain, and support continuous improvement of the company's aircraft maintenance Quality Assurance program under the direction of the Director of Maintenance.
• Audit maintenance records, logbooks, work orders, MEL usage, parts traceability, and technical data.
• Ensure compliance with 14 CFR Parts 43, 91, 133, and applicable 135/145 interfaces.
• Track Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), ICA revisions, and compliance documentation.
• Verify return-to-service actions meet manufacturer and FAA requirements.

Safety & SMS Integration

• Partner with the SMS program for maintenance-related hazard identification and reporting.
• Participate in investigations, corrective actions, and trend analysis.
• Ensure QA findings are documented, communicated, and tracked to closure.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify systemic issues in maintenance processes and develop corrective action plans.
• Support the standardization of inspection and documentation practices across hangar and field maintenance teams.
• Lead root-cause analysis for maintenance discrepancies and events.

Training & Technical Oversight

• Ensure maintenance personnel maintain required certifications and recurrent training.
• Support technician onboarding, documentation practices, and procedural understanding.
• Communicate regulatory updates and OEM changes to all maintenance staff.

Field & Operational Support

• Conduct QA audits at field job sites, including remote HEC and construction projects.
• Verify field maintenance setups, tooling, and documentation meet WUH standards.
• Support mobilizations and demobilizations of aircraft as required.

Qualifications

• FAA A&P certificate required.
• 7+ years aircraft maintenance experience; rotor-wing strongly preferred.
• Experience with Bell 205, 407, and/or MD530F platforms.
• Strong knowledge of FAA regulations, OEM manuals, and maintenance documentation.
• Demonstrated experience in auditing, QA programs, or inspection roles.

Preferred Experience

• IA (Inspection Authorization).
• Utility helicopter or field-support operations (PG&E, SCE, construction/HEC).
• Experience with digital maintenance tracking platforms.
• Participation in SMS or quality management systems.

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate, audit-ready maintenance documentation at all times.
• Aircraft records and airworthiness compliance maintained with zero discrepancies.
• Proactive identification and correction of quality issues before operational impact.
• Strong collaboration with DOM, mechanics, pilots, and safety personnel.
• Field and hangar maintenance consistently meeting WUH quality standards.