Certification Manager

Metrea•Denver, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. The Aerospace Engineering Group (AERO) provides an integrated, end-to-end capability for the rapid modification and fielding of mission-specific aircraft. The Airborne Asset Adaptation (A3) Cell acts as the central command and coordination hub, managing requirements and external interfaces from inception to operational delivery. Specialized technical execution is delivered by the Aircraft Integration Centre (AIC), a Part 145 facility focused on airframe modification, and Aerospace Design (ASD), which provides organic design engineering and FAA-authorized certification. Collectively, these elements bridge the gap between initial requirements and the deployment of flight-certified, mission-ready assets. The Certification Manager manages FAA certification projects through all phases of project activity, leading a multi-disciplinary certification engineering organization responsible for design, substantiation, and FAA compliance. This individual demonstrates expertise in addressing FAA regulatory concerns regarding aircraft modifications and owns certification strategy across programs, including means of compliance selection, regulatory interpretation, and FAA/ODA negotiation on novel or contentious topics. They oversee continuous coordination with customer, FAA, and ODA personnel, including project status reports, discussion and resolution of open issues, and reviewing and approving engineering analysis, substantiation and test documents.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related technical discipline
10+ years of experience in aircraft certification, regulatory compliance, or ODA-related functions.
Demonstrated experience in FAA Part 23 and Part 25 regulations, policy, and guidance.
Demonstrated ability to mentor Senior/Lead Engineers, resolve high-risk certification issues, and provide systems-level engineering judgment.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
Demonstrate success working in a highly collaborative multi-function environment.
Must be results-oriented and demonstrate flexibility in dealing with changing and ambiguous situations.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff.
Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Highly developed sense of judgment and maturity.
Strong organizational skills and discipline, with strong attention to detail.
Demonstrated intellectual humility, high levels of emotional intelligence, and an innate ability to challenge own thinking and adjust to others.
Must be able to accomplish all duties with little or no assistance.
Must have good command of the English language, oral and written.
Microsoft Office Suite.

Nice To Haves

Experience coordinating with FAA personnel, DERs/UMs, or ODA organizations preferred.
Eligible to serve as an ODA Unit Member; experience acting as a UM or DER is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Assume primary responsibility for the development, review and submittal of Project Specific Certification Plans, addressing all aspects of the certification plan and how it will meet regulatory requirements.
Oversee execution of the plan, including development of the necessary drawings, documents and reports necessary, and coordination with the FAA and customers to manage program schedules, complex certification challenges, and change requests, and manage overall certification team communication and performance.
Provides direct leadership, performance management, and career development for section leads and certification engineers.
Defines and maintains certification documentation standards, engineering substantiation methodologies, and integration processes used across MASD.
Ensures all certification activities comply with ODA procedures, FAA Orders, and ASD internal processes.
Identifies certification risks early and develops mitigation strategies across engineering, manufacturing, and program teams.
Balances workload across certification teams, prioritizes tasks across multiple programs, and ensures resources align with program needs.
Continuously improves certification processes, substantiation methodologies, and compliance workflows to increase efficiency and reduce FAA rework cycles.
Owns certification schedules, deliverables, and resource planning across multiple concurrent aircraft modification programs.
Drives cross-functional alignment across A3, AIC, ASD, Quality, and Manufacturing to ensure integrated certification and design execution.
Represents Metrea in FAA/ODA technical discussions, industry working groups, and customer certification strategy engagements.
Coordinating inspection and test activities.
Providing review and input for new business proposals.
Represent the organization at trade shows and industry events.
Provide subject matter expertise to customers with unique certification challenges.
Recruit, train and coach new certification engineers.
Issuance PMA assistance letters.
Management of STC foreign validation applications.
Assisting the ODA Lead Administrator in FAA OMT audits.
Manage various engineering, manufacturing, and product support teams to complete designs.
Manage design reviews.
Prepare engineering reports and presentations.
Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department and the AERO Group Capability Units.
Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
Perform other duties as necessary.