Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Airworthiness Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

The Airworthiness Engineer is responsible for ensuring that aircraft, modified platforms, and avionics systems comply with applicable airworthiness regulations and certification standards (FAA, EASA and other national authorities). This role leads the preparation and maintenance of certification documentation, compliance matrices, continued airworthiness activities (AD/SB/MEL support), flight test and ground test planning, and cross-functional coordination to obtain and retain type certificates, supplemental type certificates (STC), and approvals for design changes. The ideal candidate blends regulatory knowledge, systems and structural engineering judgment, program management, and excellent technical writing to deliver safe, certifiable products on schedule and within budget.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Graduate or junior roles in aerospace structures, systems integration, or certification support
Maintenance/airworthiness technician transitioning to engineering (Part-145 experience)
Systems engineer or test engineer with aviation or defense experience

Advancement To:

Senior Airworthiness Engineer / Lead Certification Engineer
Principal/Staff Airworthiness Engineer
Certification Program Manager / Head of Certification
Director of Continued Airworthiness or Regulatory Affairs

Lateral Moves:

Systems Safety Engineer (Functional Safety / DO-178C / DO-254)
Flight Test Engineer
Reliability & Safety Engineer (FMEA, RAM, FTA)
Quality & Regulatory Compliance Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, own and maintain airworthiness compliance plans and certification/approval strategies (Type Certificate, STC, major/modification approval) including clear compliance matrices mapped to applicable regulations (EASA CS, FAA FAR, national equivalents) and industry standards; drive the certification timeline to meet program milestones.
Lead preparation, review and submission of airworthiness certification packages, Design Change Proposals, Technical Documentation, and engineering reports to regulatory authorities and customers; ensure completeness, traceability and regulatory acceptability of all deliverables.
Coordinate cross-functional engineering teams (structures, systems, avionics, propulsion, flight controls) to define and verify certification requirements, ensure cohesive technical justification and manage open items through to closure with authorities and internal stakeholders.
Perform technical airworthiness assessments and provide formal findings on design compliance, risk areas and certification gaps; propose mitigations, design changes, or compliance means to satisfy regulatory requirements.
Prepare, manage and update compliance matrices and certification schedules; track regulations, applicable standards, and regulatory guidance material (AMC/GM, ACs) and translate them into actionable engineering tasks and verification activities.
Lead and support ground, lab and flight test planning, including test plans, test procedures, instrumentation specification and test reports; coordinate flight test instrumentation, data capture, and test safety briefings with flight test teams.
Act as the primary interface with certification authorities (FAA, EASA, CAAs) for airworthiness matters: prepare for and present at certification review meetings (e.g., TIA, TCH, compliance meetings), respond to findings, and negotiate acceptable compliance paths.
Manage continued airworthiness activities for fleeted products: monitor Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), Service Letters, and develop recommended actions, engineering evaluations, and repair/modification instructions to maintain regulatory compliance.
Write, review and approve technical documentation: certification plans, safety assessments, substantiation reports, installation/service instructions, maintenance manuals, and airworthiness limitation sections to ensure clarity and compliance with regulatory formatting and content requirements.
Provide engineering support to maintenance, flight operations and customer technical teams regarding airworthiness implications of modifications, repairs, configuration deviations, operation limitations and MEL/dispatch approvals.
Conduct design reviews, conformity inspections and audits of supplier deliverables for airworthiness compliance, including supplier certification evidence, material certifications, and changes affecting safety-critical systems.
Perform structural, systems and loads analysis assessments or coordinate with analysts to validate compliance with structural integrity, fatigue and damage tolerance requirements, and to substantiate any special conditions or equivalent safety findings.
Support failure investigations and airworthiness incident reports: assess root causes, recommend corrective actions, prepare regulatory notifications and coordinate flammable/failure analysis with safety & reliability teams.
Lead development of Airworthiness Certification Plans for new product introductions and derivative programs, including justification for any novel or non-standard compliance methods and the associated means of compliance.
Ensure the application of systems engineering processes (requirements flow-down, V&V, interface control) across the program to ensure traceability between requirements, design, analysis and verification evidence for certification.
Prepare and maintain continuing airworthiness artifacts such as Maintenance Review Board Reports (MRBR), Time Limits/Maintenance Checks, Airworthiness Limitations, and Material Improvement Reports required for regulatory acceptance.
Provide expert input to project risk registers and change boards evaluating airworthiness impact of design changes, supplier deviations, non-conformances and out-of-tolerance conditions; lead resolution and documentation of airworthiness dispositions.
Review, interpret and apply relevant industry standards and guidance (DO-160, DO-178C, DO-254, ARP, SAE, MIL-STD, CS/FAR guidance) to develop appropriate test and compliance strategies for avionics, electrical and environmental qualification.
Develop and deliver briefings and training on airworthiness requirements and certification processes to internal engineering, program and manufacturing teams to improve compliance awareness and reduce rework.
Support contract proposal activities by providing airworthiness input for scope, schedule, resource estimates and risk assessments associated with certification deliverables.
Maintain the company’s design authority and regulatory liaison activities for delegated approvals (e.g., EASA DOA, FAA DER/PMA interactions), ensuring delegated privileges are used correctly and with full compliance to procedures and regulations.
Lead integration and certification activities for modifications to aircraft systems (e.g., propulsion changes, avionics upgrades, structural mods), including scoping of installation effects, safe-life impacts and certification substantiation.
Coordinate with supply chain and production to ensure production certification activities (conformity checks, production inspections, first article inspections) support the product’s airworthiness baseline and regulatory obligations.

Secondary Functions

Support engineering change board (ECB) and configuration control activities to ensure airworthiness implications of engineering changes are assessed and documented.
Assist business development and proposals with regulatory impact assessments for customer requirements and country-of-operation considerations.
Contribute to development and maintenance of internal airworthiness processes, standardized templates, and certification best practices to increase efficiency and repeatability across programs.
Participate in audits by internal quality, external authorities and customers; prepare evidence and implement corrective action plans related to airworthiness nonconformances.
Provide technical support for warranty, reliability and in-service issues that have potential airworthiness and regulatory impact; coordinate engineering fixes and communicate compliance timelines to customers.
Mentor junior airworthiness engineers and provide oversight to interns or technical documentation specialists on regulatory writing and certification processes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

In-depth knowledge of airworthiness regulations and standards: EASA CS-23/CS-25/CS-27/CS-29, FAA FAR Part 23/25/27/29, and familiarity with national CAA requirements and the certification process for Type Certificates and STCs.
Experience preparing and maintaining compliance matrices, certification plans, Means of Compliance (MoC) and regulatory submissions; demonstrable track record of successful interactions with FAA/EASA/CAAs.
Strong ability to prepare and review certification documentation: technical reports, safety assessments (FMEA, FTA), flight and ground test plans, and conformity evidence for regulatory acceptance.
Familiarity with continued airworthiness processes: AD/SB evaluation, MEL development, maintenance program development (MRBR), and airworthiness limitation items (ALI).
Practical experience in flight test support: test planning, instrumentation, data capture/analysis and producing flight test reports that support certification.
Knowledge of systems engineering and verification & validation processes; ability to trace requirements into design, analysis and test evidence for certification.
Structural and systems analysis experience or coordination skills: understanding of fatigue and damage tolerance substantiation, loads analysis, and read-across to structural certification requirements; familiarity with tools such as NASTRAN, ANSYS is a plus.
Understanding of avionics/electrical environmental qualification standards (DO-160), software (DO-178C) and hardware (DO-254) considerations for certification.
Experience with configuration management and PLM tools (e.g., Windchill, ENOVIA) and common engineering productivity tools (MS Office, SharePoint, Jira).
Proven technical writing skills with the ability to create clear, concise, and regulator-ready documents and to respond effectively to regulatory requests for information.
Experience interacting with suppliers and manufacturing for conformity evidence, material certifications and production certification activities.
Familiarity with delegated authority regimes (DOA, DER, PMA processes) and how to use delegated privileges for certification activities where applicable.
Project management and schedule-risk management skills to keep certification programs on-track and aligned with program milestones.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills for clear stakeholder engagement with regulators, customers and cross-functional teams.
Strong attention to detail and high standards for documentation quality and traceability.
Analytical problem solving with the ability to synthesize complex technical issues into practical certification paths.
Proactive stakeholder management and negotiation skills when resolving discrepancies with authorities, customers or suppliers.
Team leadership and mentoring capability, with experience guiding junior engineers through certification tasks.
Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic program environment with changing regulatory interpretations and technical challenges.
Time management and prioritization to balance multiple certification workstreams and peak submission periods.
Customer-focused mindset with the ability to translate operational needs into certifiable technical solutions.
Ethical judgment and commitment to safety and regulatory compliance as organizational priorities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Avionics, or closely related engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering or related field.
Professional certifications such as Chartered Engineer (CEng), PE, or recognized airworthiness/certification training (EASA/Federal courses) are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical or Structural Engineering
Avionics / Electrical Engineering
Systems Engineering
Safety / Reliability Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 12+ years of hands-on experience in aircraft certification, continued airworthiness, or aviation regulatory roles.

Preferred:

5+ years of direct airworthiness/certification experience working with FAA/EASA or other national aviation authorities, with demonstrable success supporting Type Certification, STC approvals, or major modification programs.
Prior experience on commercial aircraft, regional/commuter aircraft, rotorcraft, or major aircraft systems, and a history of delivering certification artifacts on schedule.

Keywords: Airworthiness Engineer, FAA, EASA, certification, type certificate, STC, continued airworthiness, compliance matrix, flight test, DO-160, DO-178C, DO-254, structural analysis, AD, SB, MRBR, MEL, regulatory affairs, certification plan, safety assessment, PLM.