Chief Pilot

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

The Chief Pilot is responsible for the leadership, standardization, regulatory compliance, training coordination, and operational performance of the company’s pilot group across a mixed fleet of Hawker 800XP and Citation aircraft operating under Part 135 regulations. This role ensures safe, compliant, and efficient flight operations while maintaining high standards of professionalism, training, schedule reliability, customer service, and pilot retention.

The Chief Pilot serves as the primary operational leader and liaison between pilots, safety, training, maintenance, scheduling, and executive leadership, while fostering a culture of accountability, safety, operational excellence, and pilot development.

Requirements:

Flight Crew Management

· Provide leadership, oversight, and daily support to all company pilots.

· Manage pilot performance, professionalism, accountability, and conduct.

· Mentor and develop flight crew members to support operational growth.

Regulatory Compliance & Oversight

· Ensure compliance with all FAA, Part 135, company, and operational regulations.

· Maintain pilot records, qualifications, and operational documentation.

· Support audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews as required.

Pilot Standardization & Operational Excellence

· Maintain standardized operating procedures across the pilot group.

· Promote consistency, professionalism, and high operational standards.

· Monitor operational performance and implement process improvements.

Standards Captain & Check Pilot Mentorship

· Mentor, develop, and provide direct oversight of Standards Captains and company Check Pilots.

· Fly with Standards Captains and Check Pilots during line operations, operating experience (OE), and evaluation events to observe performance, calibrate evaluation standards, and reinforce standardization.

· Conduct periodic observations of line checks, competency checks, and OE events to ensure consistency, inter-rater reliability, and compliance with company and regulatory standards.

· Lead recurring standardization meetings and post-evaluation debriefs with Standards Captains and Check Pilots to align evaluation criteria, share trends, and resolve discrepancies.

· Review completed evaluation forms, OE records, and check event documentation for quality, completeness, and consistency.

· Identify, recommend, and develop candidates for Standards Captain and Check Pilot roles, supporting their qualification and FAA approval processes.

Training Oversight

· Coordinate initial, recurrent, and upgrade pilot training.

· Ensure pilots maintain required certifications, qualifications, and proficiency.

· Work with training providers to support scheduling and compliance needs.

Scheduling & Staffing Coordination

· Partner with scheduling to maintain adequate pilot coverage and operational reliability.

· Assist with staffing forecasts, pilot utilization, and schedule support.

· Support operational continuity during irregular operations or staffing shortages.

Safety Management

· Promote a strong safety culture throughout flight operations.

· Support safety reporting, risk management, and corrective action processes.

· Work closely with the Safety Department to ensure operational compliance and risk mitigation.

Recruiting & Retention

· Assist with pilot recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and retention initiatives.

· Support career development and positive pilot engagement.

· Help maintain a professional and team-oriented pilot culture.

Cross Department Coordination

· Serve as the primary liaison between pilots, maintenance, scheduling, training, safety, and leadership.

· Support communication and operational alignment across departments.

· Assist with company initiatives, operational planning, and strategic growth efforts.

Administrative & Clerical Responsibilities

· Maintain accurate and current pilot training records, qualification files, certificates, medicals, and currency tracking in accordance with Part 135 recordkeeping requirements.

· Prepare, review, and process check paperwork, evaluations, training enrollments, and qualification docs.

· Draft, revise, and maintain flight operations manuals, standard operating procedures, bulletins, memos, and read-and-comply notices.

· Manage correspondence with the FAA, training providers, and other external agencies, including responses to inquiries and submission of required documentation.

· Review and reconcile flight, duty, and rest records to verify compliance with applicable regulations.

· Prepare reports, meeting agendas, performance summaries, and operational metrics for the Director of Operations and executive leadership.

· Process administrative items including pilot expense reports, uniform requests, travel arrangements, and onboarding paperwork as required.