Lead Pilot & Flight Operations Manager | Citation CJ1+ | Part 91

CSI Recruiting • Fort Worth, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

CSI Recruiting is seeking a Lead Pilot to manage a company’s corporate aviation department from Fort Worth, Texas, flying a Citation CJ1+ under Part 91. This is a solo pilot role responsible for safety, dispatch reliability, aircraft readiness, compliance (FAA, company, insurance), maintenance coordination, scheduling, travel logistics, vendor relationships, budget management, crew development, and passenger experience. The Lead Pilot must make independent, safety-first decisions while ensuring aircraft availability and cost-effective, reliable travel, without compromising safety due to schedule, cost, or passenger pressure. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring aviation expertise, financial acumen, and the ability to serve as a trusted advisor to company leadership. The role involves working with and transporting the ownership group and their family members.

Requirements

• Airline Transport Pilot Certificate
• FAA First Class Medical Certificate
• Citation CJ1+ series type rating
• At least 5,000 hours of total flight time
• At least 2,000 hours of Pilot in Command time
• At least 1,000 hours of turbine Pilot in Command time
• At least 1,000 hours of multi-engine flight time
• Significant Part 91 corporate aviation experience
• Strong understanding of FAA regulations, aircraft performance, and operational risk management
• Experience coordinating aircraft maintenance and working with maintenance providers
• Ability to pass required background and drug testing
• Ability to work a variable schedule while responding to changing travel needs

Nice To Haves

• Prior responsibility for leading a corporate flight department
• Experience managing maintenance events and reviewing maintenance work scopes
• Experience preparing and managing an aviation operating budget
• A track record of reducing operating costs without sacrificing safety or reliability
• Experience negotiating with maintenance providers, FBOs, fuel vendors, and training providers
• Background working directly with a CEO, ownership group, or senior executive team

Responsibilities

• Establish and protect a safety-first culture, making independent judgments on weather, aircraft condition, crew readiness, airport suitability, and operational risk.
• Ensure all flights comply with FAA Part 91 regulations, company procedures, aircraft limitations, and accepted industry practices.
• Maintain current SOPs, checklists, risk-assessment tools, emergency-response plans, and safety documentation.
• Lead safety discussions and operational reviews.
• Incorporate appropriate Safety Management System principles.
• Report safety concerns, significant maintenance issues, and operational risks directly to company leadership.
• Keep the Citation CJ1+ flight-ready by coordinating inspections, scheduled maintenance, discrepancies, parts availability, vendor capacity, and maintenance timing, including software updates and renewals.
• Maintain all insurance compliance requirements for the aircraft and communicate renewals, policy changes, and updates to senior management.
• Prepare contingency plans for weather, maintenance, crew availability, and other interruptions.
• Coordinate directly with executive leadership on company travel, arranging fuel, ground handling, customs and permits, catering, rental vehicles, ground transportation, and contract-crew support.
• Anticipate problems, develop backup plans, and promptly communicate schedule changes, aircraft availability, risks, and disruptions to passengers, crew, leadership, and service providers.
• Manage cost-conscious flight-department operations by evaluating fuel pricing and stops, handling and airport fees, repositioning, crew expenses, passenger transportation, and maintenance consequences.
• Track operating expenses and meaningful cost trends.
• Assist with the creation of the annual aviation operating budget.
• Review fuel, maintenance, training, subscription, FBO, hangar, contract-pilot, and trip-related costs.
• Analyze potential parts replacements/upgrades for operational improvements and efficiencies, and present suggestions to senior management.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Vision coverage
• Dental coverage
• Supplemental coverage
• Discretionary 401(k) matching
• Company-paid life insurance
• Base salary appropriate and commensurate with experience and the current Fort Worth market
• Annual cash bonus determined by mutually established KPIs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed