General Manager - Aviation Maintenance

Sitreps•Santa Monica, CA

3h•Onsite

About The Position

The company is a veteran-owned general aviation maintenance business that launched in 2025 with a greenfield hangar in Southern California and made its first acquisition in early 2026. The company has an active acquisition pipeline and expects to add at least one additional location by the end of 2026. The core business is piston and turboprop aircraft maintenance, repair, and upgrades. The Colorado Springs location has a unique special-mission systems integration capability, installing advanced sensor payloads and integrating holistic aircraft systems. The company also operates a special-operations aircraft fleet composed of piston and turboprop aircraft, doing contracted work for both government and civilian entities. They are bootstrapped, growing fast, and building a business they intend to operate for a long time. The acquired Colorado Springs shop brings a strong local reputation and a real customer base. The task is to take full P&L ownership of the location, grow it materially through both civilian GA and government/subcontracting special-mission integration work, and become the operator around whom the rest of the roll-up is built. This is a Location GM seat with a clear path to Regional and Corporate leadership as the business scales. They are actively pursuing additional acquisitions, and the right person here will be positioned to take on more.

Requirements

Recently transitioned military officer with aviation exposure (maintenance experience preferred; pilot-with-maintenance-adjacency works). Comfortable stepping into a P&L for the first time and hungry to earn scope.
Recent graduate of a top-50 MBA program looking for real P&L ownership. Likely with pre-MBA operations, consulting, or banking reps. Aviation background is a strong plus; deep passion for aviation is a must.
Comfortable with a significant performance-based incentive structure. Bonus is uncapped and tied directly to what you deliver
An operator, not a consultant. You'll be on the shop floor, in the customer conversation, and in the financials the same week
Bootstrapped-company-appropriate: builder mindset, comfortable making decisions with imperfect information, allergic to bureaucracy
Willing to live in or relocate to Colorado Springs (we're helpful on relo, this seat is on-site)
Someone whose work ethic and character we and our customers will be proud of

Nice To Haves

Prior FBO, MRO, or aviation-services P&L experience
A&P certification, FAA experience, or a pilot certificate
Prior government contracting exposure (FAR/DFARS, prime-sub relationships)
Experience with post-acquisition integration or turnaround work (the company is on a roll-up path)

Responsibilities

Full accountability for revenue, gross margin, and operating profit at the Colorado Springs location
Weekly and monthly financial management: cash, receivables, working capital, vendor terms
Pricing discipline across GA maintenance, avionics upgrades, and government subcontract work
Day-to-day management of the shop: technicians, avionics engineers, scheduling, quality control, and customer intake
FAA compliance and accountable-manager-adjacent program administration
Safety and airworthiness culture; the standard for how the shop works on customer aircraft
Customer service: being the face of the business to drive reputation, retention, and growth
Grow the civilian GA customer base: direct customers, partner referrals, and repeat business
Pursue government and prime-contractor subcontracting opportunities for the company's special-mission integration capabilities
Identify and vet local partnerships, sub-tier vendors, and expansion opportunities
Hire and develop middle management under the accountable manager
Recruit and retain A&P mechanics, avionics technicians, and apprentices in a competitive labor market
Set standards, run performance conversations, and make the hard calls when needed