Director of Operations, Part 135

Metrea Management LLC•Tampa, FL

11d•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 Special Air Missions Group (SAM) is responsible for developing and delivering Metrea’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Special Mobility, and Aerial Firefighting (AFF) capabilities. SAM oversees the integration of new mission systems, ensuring operational readiness across specialized aviation operations. It manages fleet maintenance, regulatory compliance, and strategic partnerships to enhance mission effectiveness. By consolidating expertise and infrastructure, SAM ensures Metrea’s airborne capabilities remain adaptable and mission-ready across dynamic operational environments. In this role, you will lead the safe, compliant, and efficient execution of Metrea’s Part 135 flight operations. You will exercise operational control over charter operations, oversee regulatory compliance, and guide the operational strategy of the certificate in coordination with company leadership and FAA oversight personnel. You will be successful if you can balance safety, compliance, client execution, crew leadership, and operational decision-making in a dynamic environment. This role requires strong judgment, credibility with regulators and crews, and the ability to lead a growing operation while maintaining high operational standards. Experience operating in complex, high-tempo environments such as military special operations aviation, tactical airlift, or advanced multi-engine turbine operations is highly valued.

Requirements

FAA qualifications to serve as Director of Operations under 14 CFR 119.71.
Previous operational leadership experience within a Part 121 or Part 135 environment.
Strong working knowledge of Part 91 and Part 135 operational requirements and operational control responsibilities.
Experience leading flight operations, crew management, and regulatory compliance programs.
Demonstrated ability to make operational decisions in time-sensitive, high-pressure, and mission-critical environments.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments and with regulatory agencies.
Experience developing or managing training, standardization, or safety programs.
Current FAA ATP Certificate with multi-engine privileges.
Ability to qualify as PIC under company operations and insurance requirements.
Must possess a valid passport and be able to travel domestically and internationally as required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid U.S. driver’s license.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret Clearance if required by the company.
Must be able to complete required drug and alcohol testing and background screening in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
Must be able to meet company operational and insurance qualification standards.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Must be a US Citizen
Eligible clearance required: This position requires eligibility to obtain a Secret clearance. U.S. citizenship is required. Candidates will be subject to a background investigation in accordance with federal requirements.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience as a military special operations, tactical airlift, or multi-engine turbine pilot.
Experience operating complex aircraft in dynamic, austere, or high-consequence operational environments.
Prior transition from military aviation into civilian Part 135 charter or commercial flight operations.
Experience leading crews and operational execution in distributed or mission-driven aviation environments.
Background operating aircraft such as the C-130, King Air, or similar multi-engine turbine platforms.
Experience with multi-aircraft or multi-base Part 135 operations.
International flight operations experience.
Experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS) implementation and operational risk management.
Previous experience supporting certificate expansion, aircraft additions, or OpSpecs changes.
Bachelor’s degree in Aviation, Business, Management, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Exercise operational control over all Part 135 flight operations in accordance with FAA regulations and company procedures.
Lead the operational execution and regulatory compliance of the Part 135 certificate.
Oversee flight crew qualification, training compliance, currency tracking, and operational readiness.
Maintain compliance with applicable FARs, ICAO requirements, company manuals, and OpSpecs.
Coordinate with the FAA, internal departments, and external stakeholders on operational matters, inspections, approvals, and audits.
Develop and maintain operational policies, procedures, and standardization programs that support safe and scalable operations.
Support operational risk management, SMS initiatives, and safety investigations as required.
Supervise operational leadership personnel, including the Chief Pilot and other assigned operational staff.
Support fleet growth, aircraft onboarding, route expansion, and operational capability development.
Serve as a senior operational representative to aircraft owners, charter clients, vendors, and regulatory agencies.