Chief - Airworthiness, DHC 7-8

Job Description:

The Chief, Airworthiness DHC 7-8 is responsible for leading a team of Airworthiness Engineering personnel on the DHC 7-8 platform and ensuring the effective execution of aircraft certification, foreign validation, continuing airworthiness, and support to relevant Design Approval Organization (DAO) activities. The position is accountable for workload management, employee development, project execution, and regulatory compliance while supporting company objectives and program milestones. This position will report to the Manager, Airworthiness functionally and dotted-line reporting to the Director, Engineering DHC 7-8. Duties & ResponsibilitiesLead, coach, mentor, and develop Airworthiness personnel to ensure technical competency, professional growth, and organizational effectiveness.Establish clear performance expectations, objectives, and priorities for team members.Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus.Support recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, and talent development activities.Address performance issues and recognize employee achievements in accordance with company policies.Responsible for chairing an effective Technical ACC and CARB meetings for the DHC 7-8 platform including all associated preparation work and deliverables of ACC minutes and K-briefs. Ensure departmental processes, certification records, compliance documentation, trackers, databases, and technical repositories are current, appropriately controlled, and organized to support self-service access, traceability, and continuity of operations.Plan, prioritize, assign, and balance workload across the DHC 7-8 Airworthiness team to support business objectives and project commitments.Monitor resource capacity, workload distribution, and project demands to ensure efficient utilization of personnel.Ensure employees understand and meet commitments, schedules, deliverables, and quality expectations.Review team progress regularly and ensure risks, issues, and delays are identified and addressed proactively.Ensure weekly reporting of project status, accomplishments, upcoming activities, and key risks.Act as the primary liaison between the company and regulatory authorities for the DHC 7-8 platforms, ensuring effective communication, coordination, and resolution of matters related to certification, foreign validation, continuing airworthiness, service difficulty reporting, regulatory compliance, and product integrity.Manage Type Certification, Foreign Validation, Continuing Airworthiness, and support DAO activities as required throughout the product lifecycle of the DHC 7-8 platform and ensure alignment with company objectives, regulatory requirements, and program schedules.Support the development of certification plans in collaboration with technical specialists.Ensure timely completion of certification, validation, and continuing airworthiness deliverables.Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with DAO procedures, engineering processes, and applicable regulatory requirements.Maintain oversight of certification activities, continuing airworthiness actions, and Service Difficulty Reporting (SDR) obligations.Ensure certification databases, trackers, action item logs, risk registers, and departmental records are maintained accurately and remain current.Monitor departmental metrics and key performance indicators related to certification activities, continuing airworthiness actions, regulatory reporting, and project execution.Drive process improvements that enhance efficiency, compliance, quality, and organizational effectiveness.Participate in budget preparation, resource forecasting for the DHC 7-8 platforms as required.Maintain awareness of regulatory developments, industry trends, and emerging best practices relevant to the DHC 7-8 platforms.Recommend and implement improvements to departmental processes, tools, and methodologie QualificationsBachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.Minimum 10 years of experience in aircraft certification, airworthiness, engineering, or related technical environments, including demonstrated leadership experience.Thorough knowledge of Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) 521, Change Product Rule (CPR) and associated guidance material.Thorough knowledge of the Canadian delegation system and AWM 505 and its associated guidance material. General knowledge of AWM 525, AWM 516 and associated guidance material.Licensed Professional Engineer or eligible for licensing.Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and coordinating cross-functional activities SkillsStrong leadership, coaching, and team development skills.Strong project management and organizational skills.Effective decision-making and problem-solving abilities.Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.Ability to balance competing priorities and manage resources effectively.Strong understanding of aircraft certification and airworthiness processes.Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Job Ident #: 2285

Company Details

De Havilland Canada

123 Garratt Blvd
Toronto, Ontario M3K 1Y5 Canada
dehavilland.com

Throughout an impressive 75-year history of producing various models of aircraft in Canada and for the world, De Havilland has always proudly been known for its adaptability and dependability. Being responsible for creating some 3,500 aircraft—includ...

Supported Manufacturers:
De Havilland

Supported Models:
Dash 8-400

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Job Info

Location

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Type

Permanent

Company Details

De Havilland Canada

123 Garratt Blvd
Toronto, Ontario M3K 1Y5 Canada
dehavilland.com