Corporate Aviation Director - G700 - Bay Area, CA

Mente Group•Bay Area, CA, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Mente Group is seeking an experienced Corporate Aviation Director to lead a brand-new Flight Department based in the Southern Bay Area, CA, operating a large-cabin Gulfstream (G700). This role will be employed directly by the client and will serve as a liaison between Mente Group and the client. The Director will provide strategic aviation guidance, build the team, set standards, and oversee all aspects of a world-class private flight operation. The Corporate Aviation Director is responsible for the company's aviation program end-to-end, including aircraft fleet management, fractional aviation usage, flight scheduling, maintenance planning, vendor oversight, performance reporting, and financial management, ensuring operations are safe, reliable, cost-effective, and aligned with executive travel needs and business priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, ideally in aviation, business, or a related discipline — or comparable hands-on experience in lieu of a degree.
Significant aviation leadership experience — 7+ years managing various aspects of a flight department and 5+ years of general aviation experience.
Working command of FAA Part 91 requirements and the safety practices that keep a flight department audit-ready.
Solid grounding in aircraft fleet operations, maintenance planning, flight scheduling, and vendor management.
Comfortable owning a multi-million-dollar aviation budget — building forecasts, negotiating vendor contracts, and reporting out on performance.
Comfortable operating as a trusted advisor across many audiences, from company executives to outside vendors and aircraft operators.
Track record of building and leading teams that consistently perform at a high level.
Strong analytical, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
A discreet, service-oriented approach suited to supporting a private client's travel needs at the highest level.

Responsibilities

Act as the client’s on-site representative, translating the client's travel needs and business priorities into an operating plan the flight department runs on.
Own the client's aircraft fleet strategy, including utilization, readiness, lifecycle planning, aircraft basing, and periodic assessments of replacement needs and cost-effectiveness.
Manage fractional aviation hours, including forecasting, usage tracking, scheduling coordination, and cost oversight.
Coordinate asset utilization between multiple operating platforms.
Develop and maintain vendor routines, including service reviews, performance discussions, issue resolution, and accountability to agreed service levels.
Ensure pilots, maintenance staff, and cabin crew are current on required licensing and recurrent training.
Partner with the client's corporate security function to align ground transportation, itinerary handling, and related travel-security protocols with flight department operations.
Establish, monitor, and report on key performance indicators — safety, reliability, utilization, cost, service quality, and vendor performance — and prepare aviation reporting and executive updates summarizing performance, trends, risks, and recommended actions.
Own the aviation program's day-to-day financial administration — approving invoices, tracking operating costs, keeping budgets and forecasts current and collecting and maintaining documentation to support tax and regulatory reporting.
Cultivate relationships with the client's leadership team, aircraft operators, and industry contacts that keep the program running smoothly.
Coordinate seamlessly with additional administrative, financial, and security leads to ensure maximum safety and efficiency for client’s travelers.