Source Approval Engineer (SAR/DLA)

Amca•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

Amca is building airplanes for the 21st century by rebuilding the industrial base that makes them possible. We acquire and modernize legacy aerospace and defense manufacturers, integrating them into a single platform capable of designing, building, testing, and scaling flight-critical hardware with speed and precision. A core part of this strategy is expanding competition within the defense aftermarket. Many critical components remain single-source, driving cost, limiting resilience, and slowing readiness. We are building the internal capability to qualify new sources at scale and bring high-reliability manufacturing back into a faster, more competitive environment. Overview Amca is seeking a Source Approval Engineer to lead the preparation and submission of Source Approval Request (SAR) packages to the Defense Logistics Agency. This role owns the end-to-end approval process: assessing technical data, defining qualification strategies, coordinating testing, compiling documentation, and working directly with government engineers to secure approvals. You are not supporting the business from the sidelines. You are enabling it. Every approval expands Amca’s addressable market and strengthens the supply chain behind mission-critical aircraft. The right person understands what makes a SAR successful because they have done it before.

Requirements

Direct experience preparing and submitting SAR packages to the Defense Logistics Agency
Demonstrated record of successful source approvals
Deep familiarity with DLA technical expectations, documentation standards, and review workflows
Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and qualification requirements
Working knowledge of first article inspection, testing protocols, and aerospace quality systems
Comfortable operating across engineering, manufacturing, and regulatory environments
Highly organized with exceptional technical writing ability
Operates with urgency and ownership in environments where approval timelines directly impact revenue

Nice To Haves

Background in aerospace or defense manufacturing
Experience qualifying hydraulic, pneumatic, avionics, electromechanical, or power electronic components
Familiarity with FAA PMA, DER interaction, or other approval frameworks
Experience inside a manufacturer, approval consultancy, or government engineering organization

Responsibilities

Lead the development and submission of SAR packages to the Defense Logistics Agency
Evaluate technical data packages to determine approval pathways and risk
Define qualification strategies including test plans, inspection methods, and equivalency approaches
Partner with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to generate required technical documentation
Coordinate first article inspections, lab testing, and third-party validation as required
Serve as the primary interface with DLA engineers and contracting personnel throughout the approval cycle
Respond to technical feedback and deficiency requests with speed and precision
Build repeatable internal processes that allow Amca to pursue approvals across multiple product lines simultaneously
Advise leadership on approval probability, timeline, and investment required for target parts
Help shape Amca’s broader defense aftermarket strategy through insight into approval dynamics and competitive positioning