Aircraft Certification Design Engineer

DAHER•Sandpoint, ID

23h•$115,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

Kodiak Aircraft Company is seeking a Certification Engineer to act as a primary certification coordinator, serving as a focal for the Kodiaks relationship with the FAA. This role provides technical and regulatory guidance on type design changes, manages major and minor change classifications, and ensures compliance with 14 CFR Part 23 and Part 21 requirements. The position involves close coordination with the FAA West Certification Branch (WCB), support for foreign validations, and strategic navigation of evolving regulatory policies. Additional responsibilities include preparing certification plans and compliance documentation, maintaining conformity oversight, and supporting continued operational safety activities such as Service Bulletin and Airworthiness Directive management, 21.3 reporting, and root cause analysis to uphold airworthiness and fleet safety standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
Minimum 10 years of aerospace experience (3 years with direct involvement in certification activities, including certification plans, FAA coordination, DER collaboration).
Well-versed in 14 CFR Part 23, Amdt 23-63 and prior.
Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 21D certification and FAA Order 8110.4.
Knowledge of relationship between regulations, Orders, and Advisory Circulars.
Understands minor change requirements, experience working with a Minor Change Agreement.
Able to cultivate excellent working relationship with the FAA.
Experience and/or familiarity with foreign validation processes and concepts.
Able to learn the Kodiak airplane models’ structures and systems in support of minor change agreement.
Able to manage certification plans, compliance checklists, compliance documents, conformity inspections, etc. for a certification project.
Familiarity with system safety concepts and processes including FHA, SSA, and FMEA as used in general aviation.

Nice To Haves

Pilot’s license or operational knowledge of general aviation aircraft.
Broad-level knowledge of aircraft systems architecture.
Understanding of aerodynamics, aircraft performance, stability and control, and flight systems.
Familiarity with DO-160 environmental requirements and testing.
Experience managing continued operational safety for fielded aircraft, including: Development, issuance, and compliance tracking of Service Bulletins (SBs), Mandatory SBs, and Airworthiness Directives (ADs).
Execution of 21.3 reporting and regulatory notifications in accordance with FAA/EASA requirements.
Coordination with regulatory authorities and operators to ensure timely resolution of safety issues.
Root cause analysis and corrective action planning for in-service events.
Familiarity with Safety Management Systems (SMS) and risk assessment methodologies.
Ability to interpret and apply Part 21, Part 39, and other applicable airworthiness regulations.
Proficiency in continued airworthiness data analysis, trend monitoring, and reliability programs.
Strong understanding of configuration management and technical publication processes related to fielded aircraft.

Responsibilities

Review of all type design changes to provide technical and regulatory input to cross-functional teams.
Classify each change as either a minor or major change in accordance with the approved Minor Change Agreement (MCA).
Confirm all relevant regulations are addressed in the change substantiation.
Ensure that changes are submitted to each applicable DER in accordance with MCA requirements.
Maintain a strong, constructive relationship with the FAA WCB program manager.
Facilitate routine discussions with the FAA to secure timely support for certification programs and design changes that require coordination with the FAA.
Actively monitor and develop strategic plans to navigate the ever-changing FAA policies, and personnel changes.
Support development and completeness of compliance checklists (CCL) as needed in support of Major Change programs and help maintain CCLs throughout the course of major certification programs.
Support certification activities, including preparation of compliance documentation and test plans.
Support foreign validation efforts and navigate various complex sovereign authority agreements.
Support fleet continued operational safety (COS) activities.