Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jet Safety Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Jet Safety Technician is responsible for ensuring aircraft and ground support safety readiness through inspection, maintenance, testing and repair of onboard emergency and survival systems. This role ensures compliance with regulatory requirements (FAA/EASA), company safety management systems (SMS), and manufacturer technical data for evacuation slides, life rafts, fire suppression systems, oxygen and breathing equipment, movable safety barriers, and related emergency hardware. The Jet Safety Technician routinely performs hands-on diagnostics, documents findings, supports incident investigations, and delivers maintenance and training to operations teams to minimize risk and maintain airworthiness and ground safety.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Aircraft Maintenance Technician (A&P), entry-level
Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Technician
Military Aviation Ground Safety or Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) specialist

Advancement To:

Lead Jet Safety Technician / Senior Safety Technician
Safety Supervisor / Safety Engineer
Quality Assurance Manager (Aviation Safety)
Safety Management System (SMS) Coordinator / Manager
Maintenance Program Analyst or Training Manager

Lateral Moves:

Aircraft Maintenance Technician (airframe & powerplant specialties)
Ground Operations Supervisor
Emergency Response Coordinator / ARFF Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform scheduled and unscheduled inspections, functional tests, preventive maintenance and repairs on aircraft emergency equipment including evacuation slides, slide/raft systems, life vests, life rafts, emergency lighting, and escape slides to verify readiness and airworthiness.
Inspect, troubleshoot, and repair aircraft oxygen and breathing systems (including portable oxygen bottles, masks, regulators, and continuous-flow systems) in accordance with manufacturer manuals and FAA/EASA regulations.
Maintain and service on-board fire suppression and detection systems (hand-held extinguishers, galley suppression, built-in systems), including refilling, hydrostatic testing, leak checks and verification of pressure and discharge characteristics.
Perform routine maintenance, testing, servicing and repair of aircraft cabin safety hardware: seat belt assemblies, shoulder harnesses, infant restraint systems, slide girt bars, and emergency exit mechanisms to ensure operational reliability.
Conduct post-maintenance functional checks and operational demonstrations of evacuation systems and emergency equipment to validate repairs and document return-to-service status.
Read, interpret and apply maintenance publications, airworthiness directives (ADs), service bulletins, technical data, and company task cards to complete maintenance tasks with full regulatory compliance.
Identify and document safety deficiencies, deferred defects and inoperative equipment under applicable MEL (Minimum Equipment List) or CDL (Configuration Deviation List) procedures; recommend corrective actions and safe dispatch conditions.
Lead and participate in incident and accident support, providing technical inspections, disassembly/analysis of emergency equipment, root cause data collection, photographic evidence and detailed investigation reports to support safety investigations.
Maintain accurate maintenance records, logbook entries, work orders and electronic maintenance system (EMS/MRO) updates to ensure traceability, audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
Support calibration, hydrostatic testing and certification of pressure vessels, cylinders and portable breathing units according to NFPA, DOT and manufacturer criteria.
Manage inventory of spare parts, test equipment, repair kits and pyrotechnic items (where applicable), including secure storage, hazardous materials handling, and shelf-life tracking.
Execute and document scheduled service life exchanges and overhaul activities for time-limited emergency components (e.g., life raft repacks, slide servicing) in accordance with maintenance planning documents.
Conduct pre- and post-flight checks, ramp checks, and base checks as required to confirm emergency systems are installed and serviceable prior to dispatch.
Provide technical guidance and hands-on instruction to ramp crews, cabin crew, maintenance staff and contractors on proper handling, operational testing and safe storage of emergency equipment and hazardous items.
Participate in internal and external audit activities, including FAA/EASA audits, internal quality audits and third-party inspections, and act on corrective actions to improve compliance and safety performance.
Operate and maintain specialized test equipment (hydrostatic test stands, pressure gauges, leak detectors, multimeters, fire extinguisher analyzers) and ensure test equipment calibration and certification are current.
Implement and follow lockout/tagout, confined space entry and other relevant workplace safety procedures when performing repairs in high-risk environments or on powered systems.
Assist in the development and revision of maintenance procedures, job aids and technical manuals to standardize best practices and reduce repeat discrepancies.
Monitor and report trends in equipment failures, serviceability rates and reliability metrics; recommend design, procedural or training improvements to reduce safety risk and lifecycle cost.
Ensure proper handling, documentation and disposal of hazardous materials and pyrotechnics, maintaining compliance with DOT, ICAO and company hazardous materials procedures.
Respond to emergency calls to support on-airport incidents and rapid-turnaround repairs to restore critical safety equipment, minimizing aircraft downtime and maintaining operational continuity.
Coordinate with vendors, OEM representatives and repair stations for complex repairs, warranty claims and specialized overhauls; manage logistics and acceptance testing of returned components.
Maintain a clean, organized and compliant safety shop environment, including tooling control, PPE availability and adherence to shop safety standards.

Secondary Functions

Provide subject matter expertise to training teams and support recurrent training for ramp staff and cabin crew on emergency equipment operation and pre-flight checks.
Support continuous improvement initiatives by participating in safety committees, providing input on root cause analyses and suggesting process or tooling upgrades.
Assist the procurement team by qualifying new vendors for safety-critical components and participating in technical supplier evaluations.
Contribute to emergency response planning and drills, helping to simulate equipment failures and verifying emergency procedures and contingency kits.
Prepare and present reports and presentations for leadership summarizing inspection outcomes, trends, and improvement actions.
Aid in creation and maintenance of technical documentation, step-by-step job cards, and digital knowledge base entries for rapid technician onboarding.
Provide on-call support during irregular operations, adverse weather or known system fleet groundings to evaluate safety equipment and recommend disposition.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Hands-on inspection, testing and repair of evacuation slides, slide/raft systems, life rafts, and emergency floatation equipment.
Troubleshooting and servicing of aircraft oxygen systems, regulators, masks and portable oxygen bottles.
Maintenance and recharging of fire extinguishers and servicing of fixed and portable fire suppression systems.
Proficient with interpretation of maintenance manuals, service bulletins, airworthiness directives and company technical documentation.
Experience with maintenance tracking systems, electronic work orders and logbook entries (e.g., AMOS, TRAX, RAMCO or in-house MRO systems).
Competence in using specialized test equipment: hydrostatic test benches, leak detectors, pressure gauges, multimeters and gas analyzers.
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks: FAA, EASA, ICAO, DOT hazmat rules and national safety regulations relevant to emergency equipment.
Hazardous materials handling (HAZMAT), pyrotechnic control, and shelf-life management for emergency items.
Confined space entry, lockout/tagout procedures, PPE usage and other workplace safety certifications and practices.
Incident investigation techniques, root cause analysis and ability to prepare formal technical investigation reports.
Calibration control and understanding of test equipment certification processes.
Practical inventory control for safety-critical parts, shelf-life tracking and vendor coordination for reparable items.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and conscientious record-keeping to maintain airworthiness and audit readiness.
Strong verbal and written communication; able to explain technical findings to maintenance, operations and leadership.
Problem-solving mindset with ability to triage failures and recommend practical, safety-first solutions under time pressure.
Team-oriented with experience collaborating across maintenance, operations, safety and training teams.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle multiple aircraft and urgent repairs during tight turnarounds.
Adaptability and composure in emergency situations and incident response.
Teaching and mentoring capability for delivering hands-on training to cabin and ramp staff.
Customer-service focus with ability to support operational stakeholders and minimize AOG impacts.
High situational awareness and strong safety culture mindset.
Decision-making with sound judgment and escalation when safety or regulatory compliance is in question.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED with relevant technical/apprenticeship experience.
Demonstrated hands-on aircraft or ground safety maintenance experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or diploma in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Aeronautical Technology, Occupational Health & Safety, or equivalent technical field.
Additional coursework or certifications in emergency systems, fire protection or safety management.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Aviation Maintenance / Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) fundamentals
Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering technology
Occupational Health & Safety / Industrial Safety
Emergency Management or Fire Science
Electronics / Avionics fundamentals (helpful for detection/suppression systems)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–6 years of aviation-related maintenance or emergency equipment service experience.

Preferred:

3+ years serving in a role focused on aircraft emergency systems, life support equipment, fire suppression servicing, or closely related maintenance duties.
Experience supporting FAA/EASA audits and working within a regulated maintenance environment.
Certifications or training such as FAA A&P (beneficial but not always required), OSHA 10/30, HAZMAT/DOT training, NFPA standards familiarity, CPR/First Aid, and confined space entry certification.
Demonstrated experience with maintenance record systems and participation in incident investigations or safety reporting.