The Aircraft Certification Service is part of the FAAs Aviation Safety Line of Business. It includes approximately 1,500 engineers, scientists, inspectors, test pilots, and other experts responsible for the oversight of design, production, airworthiness certification, and continued airworthiness programs for all U.S. civil aviation products and foreign import products.
Duties
The Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service directs, coordinates, controls, and assures the adequacy of safety regulations, national programs, plans, policies, procedures, and priorities that govern the airworthiness of aeronautical products, i.e., aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, materials, parts and appliances. The Aircraft Certification Service comprises six divisions and three offices responsible for aircraft design type certification, production certification, original airworthiness certification, and continued airworthiness programs. The Executive Director administers a budget of approximately $351M and provides executive direction and oversight over approximately 1,500 employees, including 28 Executive positions, 20 of which are Chief Scientist and Technical Advisors.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Directs and ensures the development and issuance of regulations (including Airworthiness Directives), grants or denies exemptions from regulations, oversees the issuance of national directives and notices of proposed rulemaking, and takes final action on controversial issues related to aircraft certification and airworthiness functions.
- Oversees AIR issuance of design and production approvals, and airworthiness certificates, and executes continued operational safety processes. Ensures aircraft, engines, propellers, and aircraft parts and appliances comply with the FAA’s safety regulations.
- Provides high-level direction for the ongoing oversight of all systems and processes associated with FAA approvals including design, testing, production, issuance of certificates for domestic and foreign products, designee and delegation programs, and safety management or compliance assurance systems.
- Directs the organization to support aerospace innovation by partnering with industry to develop safety requirements for new technology.
- Creates and maintains a professional network by collaborating with FAA lines of business, other Department of Transportation modals and Federal agencies, Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, international aviation authorities, and aviation industry representatives to address issues impacting aviation safety.
