Chief of Airworthiness

Chief of Airworthiness | Dubai, UAE | Early-stage, Blank Design start-up

A rapidly expanding advanced aerospace organisation is establishing a major operational and manufacturing presence in Dubai. We are seeking a highly experienced Chief of Airworthiness to lead and oversee the airworthiness and certification of both manned and unmanned rotorcraft across design, manufacturing, and operational phases.

With major partnerships and an ambitious multi-year operational roadmap, this is a rare opportunity to join at "day zero" owning responsibility for ensuring all aircraft meet national and international regulatory standards, safety requirements, and mission readiness criteria. The role will interface with engineering, operations, government and regulatory partners to deliver safe, compliant, and reliable aerial systems.

Chief of Airworthiness Responsibilities

Airworthiness Leadership

• Define and implement the company-wide airworthiness strategy for manned rotorcraft and UAVs.
• Ensure compliance with national and international airworthiness regulations, standards, and certification requirements.
• Lead the development of airworthiness policies, processes, and documentation across all aircraft programmes.
• Provide authoritative guidance on certification, design assurance, and safety management.

Design & Operational Oversight

• Review and approve design and engineering changes with respect to airworthiness impact.
• Oversee risk assessments, failure analysis, and safety case development.
• Ensure compliance with aviation standards for manned (EASA, FAA, CAAC, or equivalent) and unmanned aircraft systems.
• Champion best practices in safety, reliability, and maintainability across engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations.

Certification & Regulatory Engagement

• Serve as the primary liaison with national civil aviation authorities, defence regulators, and certifying bodies.
• Lead certification planning and execution for both manned and unmanned rotorcraft programmes.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging regulatory frameworks, standards, and airworthiness requirements.
• Manage external audits and inspections related to airworthiness compliance.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing airworthiness and safety engineering team.
• Promote a safety-first culture across engineering, flight test, operations, and manufacturing functions.
• Provide guidance and oversight to technical leads, flight test engineers, and quality assurance personnel.

Safety & Risk Management

• Establish and maintain a Safety Management System (SMS) across manned and unmanned aviation programmes.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational and technical risks to aircraft airworthiness.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in safety, reliability, and certification practices.

Chief of Airworthiness Requirements

• Extensive experience in airworthiness leadership for rotorcraft (helicopters) and unmanned aerial vehicles.
• In-depth knowledge of manned and unmanned aircraft certification standards (EASA, FAA, CAAC, UAE GCAA, or equivalent).
• Strong expertise in aviation safety management, risk assessment, and design assurance.
• Experience leading airworthiness teams and mentoring engineers across design, manufacturing, and flight operations.
• Familiarity with flight test programmes, technical audits, and regulatory engagement.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, particularly with regulators, defence partners, and senior leadership.
• Engineering degree in aerospace, mechanical, or related discipline. Postgraduate qualifications or professional certifications in aviation safety or airworthiness are advantageous.
• Experience working in high-security or defence-aligned environments is highly desirable.

If interested, please apply with your most up-to-date resume & I'll be in touch.