Aircraft Certification Engineer

Job Description

### Aircraft Certification Engineer

**Location:** Newport News, VA

**Job Type:** Contract

**Starting Pay:** $60.00/hour; higher pay available based on experience

### Position Overview

We are seeking an **Aircraft Certification Engineer** to support certification and airworthiness activities for aircraft modifications, repairs, and related aerospace programs. This role develops certification strategies, coordinates compliance activities, and prepares the technical documentation needed for regulatory and customer approval.

The engineer will work across engineering, production, quality, testing, and program management while coordinating with **FAA representatives, DERs, ODA organizations, military authorities, customers, and suppliers**.
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**Responsibilities**

* Establish certification strategies, plans, and means of compliance for aircraft modifications and repairs.
* Identify applicable FAA, military, customer, and airworthiness requirements and track compliance throughout each project.
* Prepare and maintain **compliance matrices, certification plans, engineering reports, Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA),** and other certification documentation.
* Coordinate certification activities with Mechanical, Electrical, Design, Stress, Production, Quality, and Program Management teams.
* Support technical reviews, conformity inspections, regulatory approvals, and customer requirements.
* Review drawings, analyses, reports, test plans, specifications, and other technical data for certification compliance.
* Plan and coordinate **ground testing, flight testing, conformity inspections, and compliance demonstrations**.
* Support aircraft fabrication, installation, troubleshooting, modification, and testing activities.
* Participate in design reviews and advise on certification strategy, regulatory compliance, continued airworthiness, and project risks.
* Maintain certification records under configuration control and follow applicable engineering, quality, and regulatory procedures.
* Support continued operational safety, post-certification engineering activities, certification scheduling, process improvements, and lessons learned.
* Perform other duties as assigned by the Engineering Manager.

**Required Qualifications**
* Bachelor's degree in **Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering**, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
* Experience supporting **aircraft certification, modifications, repairs, or aerospace product development**.
* Working knowledge of **FAA regulations, STC processes, FAA Form 337 major alteration processes, and Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA)**.
* Experience creating or reviewing compliance matrices, engineering reports, test plans, conformity documentation, and certification artifacts.
* Ability to interpret engineering drawings, analyses, specifications, technical documentation, regulatory guidance, military airworthiness requirements, and industry standards.
* Strong analytical, organizational, written, verbal, and technical communication skills.
* Ability to coordinate effectively with Engineering, Production, Quality, Program Management, customers, suppliers, FAA representatives, DERs, ODA organizations, and military authorities.
* Ability to work in both office and aircraft hangar environments.
* **U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status.**

**Preferred Qualifications**

* **5 years** supporting aircraft certification, STC programs, military airworthiness, or other regulated aerospace certification programs.
* Experience developing certification plans, means of compliance, and certification strategies.
* Familiarity with **MIL-HDBK-516C** and military aircraft modification programs.
* Experience coordinating FAA, DER, ODA, military, customer, and supplier activities involving conformity, ground testing, flight testing, and compliance demonstrations.
* Experience with engineering reports, compliance documentation, **ICA**, and certification support packages.
* Familiarity with aircraft systems, structures, avionics integration, and aircraft modification practices.
* Experience with configuration management, engineering release processes, and **AS9100** quality systems.
* Background in continued operational safety, post-certification engineering, certification scheduling, and project risk management.

**Success in This Role**

Success will be measured by the accuracy and completeness of certification documentation, timely completion of assigned deliverables, effective coordination of certification activities, successful regulatory reviews and compliance demonstrations, adherence to applicable requirements, and the ability to identify and resolve certification risks.

The role also contributes to improving certification processes, engineering standards, and lessons-learned practices.

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