West Star is the fastest growing maintenance repair organization in the industry and we recognize this is the result of our talented team of trusted employees working together to deliver customer service excellence. We are committed to providing our employees with personal and professional growth opportunities while fostering a culture of respect and well-being with a small company feel.

When you join our team we don’t think you should have to wait for your benefits to kick in. That’s why when you start, they start with you! This includes medical, dental, 401K match, time off accruals, weekly pay days and much more. We don’t want you to live to work, we want you to work and live.

What you can expect as an Senior Certification Engineer at West Star:

This position serves as a lead for strategic certification programs, often involving high-value customers and vendors. They will provide leadership to other certification engineers and act as the subject matter experts in certification activities. This position is ideally onsite at our East Alton, Illinois location, however, we may consider candidates near Chattanooga, TN, Grand Junction, CO or Perryville, MO.

You will be ESSENTIAL to many FUNCTIONS including:

Responsibilities

• Lead Certification Processes: Oversee the certification of aircraft systems, components, or modifications, ensuring compliance with FAA, EASA, or other regulatory authority standards, as applicable.
• Regulatory Compliance: Interpret and apply airworthiness regulations (e.g., FAR Part 23, 25, 27, or 29) to ensure designs meet safety and performance requirements.
• Technical Documentation: Prepare, review, and submit certification plans, compliance reports, test plans, and other documentation to regulatory bodies.
• Project Management: Coordinate certification activities, including scheduling, resource allocation, and collaboration with cross-functional teams (e.g., design, testing, manufacturing).
• Liaison with Authorities: Act as the primary point of contact with regulatory agencies, facilitating audits, reviews, and approvals.
• Testing Oversight: Plan and supervise ground, flight, and environmental tests to demonstrate compliance with airworthiness standards.
• Risk Assessment: Identify and mitigate certification risks, ensuring issues are resolved to maintain project timelines.
• Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior engineers, providing technical expertise and fostering best practices in certification processes.
• Design Integration: Collaborate with design teams to ensure systems and components are developed with certification requirements in mind.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay updated on evolving regulations and industry standards, implementing process improvements to enhance certification efficiency.

What you’ll need to bring with you:

Your Education/Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent required.

A minimum of 5 years of experience working in an engineering or certification role

Bachelor’s degree in engineering and/or Aircraft Certification (or equivalent experience) required.

Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of FAA (e.g., FAR Part 23, 25, 27, 29), EASA, or other international airworthiness regulations.

Familiarity with engineering tools like CAD (e.g., AutoCAD, CATIA, SolidWorks) & PDM/PLM systems.

Designation as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) or ODA unit member is a plus.

Your Initiative:

We’re looking for team players who are self-motivated and able to perform in a fast-paced environment where working under specific deadlines and time constraints will be common.

Your Sense of Responsibility:

Must perform all work in accordance with the Federal Aviation Regulation guidelines.

Must follow all company and safety rules while performing duties.

Must have a working knowledge of West Star quality and engineering policies.

Support the work of multiple projects

Assist shop members in daily operations and duties

Completion of FAA paperwork

Maintain customer-oriented work habits

Initiate daily contact with Team Leaders at the assigned aircraft or project site

Must have a working knowledge of West Star quality and engineering policies.

Other particulars:

Physical Requirements

Lifts 50 lbs.

Routine walking, bending and squatting or sitting.

Routine or repetitive physical motion with arms and hands.

Climb ladders and stairs, work in small restricted areas

Standing and sitting for long periods of time.

Advanced personal computer operations

Varied positions in and around an aircraft, including tight quarters

Mental Requirements

Understanding and implementation of regulations and guidelines.

Ability to troubleshoot or evaluate system operation.

Ability to work with others in a professional manner.

Ability to understand, implement and interpret the Federal Aviation Regulations and West Star Aviation written policies.

Capable of reading and understanding technical data relating to the engineering aspects of aircraft maintenance and certification.

Posses competent technical writing skills.

Posses the math skills required to perform engineering analysis.

Ability to analyze new information and draw correct conclusions.

Ability to coordinate projects.

Team environment skills.

High level of math and technical writing skills.

Able to efficiently run CAD, word processing, spreadsheet and database software

Working Conditions

Work in an office environment, heated maintenance and paint hangar environments.

Occasional work in outside conditions may be required.

Occasional travel may be required.

Equipment Used

Office equipment such as personal computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc.

Measurement devices such as calipers and micrometers.

Equipment used for physical testing such as mechanical or electrical load testing.