Sr Director of Aircraft Services at Aviation Specialties Unlimited – Boise, Idaho

This leadership role oversees ASU’s Certification and Repair Station functions, including NVIS Aircraft Modification and NVG Service and Repair. As a key participant in the company’s Leadership Team, this individual represents the Aircraft Services department in strategic discussions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals while maintaining operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. This role may include a structured, milestone-based path to promotion to Vice President of Aircraft Services.

This position is responsible for supporting and developing high-performing teams, managing departmental budgets, and executing initiatives that align with ASU’s overall strategy. The role requires a hands-on, results-driven leader with a strong foundation in civil aviation services and experience guiding diverse technical teams. While responsible for team structure and performance within Aircraft Services, changes to organizational design or staffing must be coordinated with executive leadership.

Responsibilities:

Department Leadership:

• Represent the Aircraft Services department in companywide leadership meetings and strategic planning efforts.
• Communicate company goals, performance expectations, and initiatives to Aircraft Services teams.
• Lead efforts to build, develop, and retain a technically skilled and mission-driven team.
• Manage budgets and resources for the Aircraft Services department, reporting on performance as required.
• Partner with other department leaders to promote cross-functional collaboration.
• Support and lead process improvement initiatives within the department and contribute to companywide efforts.
• Stay informed on industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging best practices.

Operational Oversight:

• Develop and execute project-specific certification strategies, including Project-Specific Certification Plans (PSCP), with on-time FAA submission and approval.
• Participate in bids and proposals to scope required airworthiness reviews and estimate certification effort.
• Work with engineering early in program planning to embed certification requirements in System Requirements Specifications and the overall program schedule.
• Assist in creating and maintaining the master Compliance Checklist and Requirements Database to track all certification artifacts.
• Serve as the primary certification liaison with the FAA and foreign civil-aviation authorities—coordinating plan approvals, design evaluations, compliance demonstrations, and validation activities.
• Process FAA and other regulatory certification applications; verify and accept aircraft airworthiness certifications and approvals.
• Maintain strong working relationships with regulators, ensuring timely approvals and up-to-date knowledge of rule changes.
• Oversee the validation, review, and submission of all compliance documents and test reports—e.g., Electrical Load Analysis (ELA), Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) reports, Flammability Reports (FLM), Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), Flight Manual Supplements (FMS), etc.
• Review, audit, and approve submittal packages for FAA certification, ensuring technical accuracy, completeness, and audit readiness.
• Coordinate cross-functional input for documentation updates and findings resolution.
• Identify and implement best practices, standard procedures, and continuous-improvement initiatives that shorten certification timelines while maintaining safety and compliance.
• Collaborate with systems engineering and maintenance teams to refine processes for requirements traceability and artifact control.
• Act as a subject-matter expert (structures, electrical systems, flight test, etc.) throughout the project lifecycle to resolve certification issues quickly.
• Mentor and develop team members, prioritizing training that lifts each person to at least Level 2 proficiency (independent execution, occasional troubleshooting support).
• Participate in department-level strategic planning to align certification activities with overall business goals, resource forecasts, and budget constraints.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent demonstrated business acumen.

Experience: Minimum 5 years in aviation, aircraft maintenance, or modification environments, with leadership experience in civil aircraft services.

Travel: Willingness to travel up to 30% domestically or internationally as needed.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Certifications:

Aircraft Services Development:

• Strong leadership, team-building, and mentoring abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of FAA regulations, aircraft modification practices, and repair station management.

Leadership & Strategic Execution

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including aviation and NVIS/NVG terminology.
• Advanced organizational and multitasking capabilities to manage simultaneous priorities and projects.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook); Microsoft Dynamics experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational budgets and aligning spending with strategic goals.
• Proven ability to identify inefficiencies and drive meaningful process improvements.