AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

An Aircraft Maintenance Manager without a functioning safety system produces grounded aircraft. Regulatory events like a lapsed FAA Airworthiness Directive or a missed IS-BAO audit cycle can suspend an entire operation, and that outcome belongs to this seat. The Aircraft Maintenance Manager owns the compliance framework, the maintenance workforce, and the operational tempo of a civil flight department or FAR Part 145 repair station. Few management roles in aviation carry both the regulatory accountability of 14 CFR and the daily production pressure of on-time aircraft release.

As the Aircraft Maintenance Manager, you will direct all maintenance planning, regulatory compliance, and team performance for a civil aviation operation held to FAA and IS-BAO standards. You work within a flight department or repair station structure, typically reporting to a Director of Maintenance or VP of Aviation, with accountability spanning scheduling, personnel development, and airworthiness across the managed fleet.

Career Impact: Managing a Part 91 or FAR 145 operation toward IS-BAO certification is a credential recognized across corporate and commercial aviation markets, putting A&P-licensed managers on a direct path to Director of Maintenance appointments.

Business Impact: Aircraft that are grounded, out of compliance, or over budget affect every department an aviation operation serves; the Aircraft Maintenance Manager is the person whose decisions determine whether the fleet flies on schedule.

Growth Opportunity: Hands-on exposure to MEL administration, Safety Management Systems, and multi-fleet airworthiness builds the operational depth needed to move into director-level or executive aviation leadership within a Part 91 or commercial carrier environment.

• Oversee scheduling and timely completion of aircraft repairs and maintenance to meet budget and flight department commitments.
• Ensure compliance with Manufacturer Service Instructions, Service Bulletins, and FAA Airworthiness Directives across all maintained aircraft.
• Maintain Minimum Equipment List procedures and aircraft logbook entries to satisfy FAA recordkeeping requirements.
• Lead the aircraft maintenance team in daily operations, staffing decisions, and proficiency training aligned with regulatory and internal standards.
• Coordinate maintenance planning with scheduling and operations staff to support efficient aircraft availability.
• Monitor repair station or flight department safety program compliance and establish corrective actions for identified discrepancies.
• Serve as primary liaison to the FAA and civil aviation authorities on airworthiness and compliance matters.
• Review work orders, parts requisitions, and man-hour tracking to keep projects within approved estimates and on-time release targets.

• Bachelor's degree in Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Management, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of aircraft maintenance management or supervisory experience, with demonstrated team leadership in a Part 91 or FAR 145 environment.
• Current Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate required.
• Working knowledge of 14 CFR requirements, FAA Airworthiness Directives, and IS-BAO safety standards.
• Background in Safety Management Systems and Quality Assurance principles within a civil aviation operation.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, maintenance manuals, wire diagrams, and work instructions to support maintenance decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior leadership and coordinate with vendors and regulatory agencies.

• Inspection Authorization (IA) certificate or equivalent endorsement covering the maintained aircraft category.
• Experience with continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean or ISO within an aviation maintenance environment.
• Familiarity with FAA certification of parts and materials and with TSA background screening requirements for ramp access.
• Prior experience managing maintenance for a specific narrowbody family, such as the A320 series or comparable commercial platform.

• On-time aircraft release rate, measuring how consistently scheduled maintenance events meet committed return-to-service dates.
• Open Airworthiness Directive compliance ratio, tracking the percentage of applicable ADs resolved within required intervals.
• Maintenance budget variance reflects how closely actual labor and materials costs track approved project estimates.
• MEL deferral volume per fleet cycle, indicating how often deferred items accumulate relative to fleet size and schedule pressure.
• Personnel proficiency training completion rate, measuring whether mechanics and technicians meet regulatory and internal review timelines.
• Typical tools: maintenance tracking software (commonly CAMP or equivalent); office productivity suite (commonly Microsoft Office, including Excel and Outlook)

• Base Salary Range: $95,000 to $130,000 annually, depending on fleet size and location
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus of 5% to 12% of base salary is common
• Equity: Rarely offered; may appear at private aviation operators or aviation services firms
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer covers the majority of the premium
• PTO: 15 to 25 days annually, plus standard federal holidays
• Common Perks: Flight benefits or pass privileges, hangar-side schedule flexibility, and professional development toward IA certification or SMS training programs

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background check completion, including TSA security threat assessment where ramp access is required, is a condition of employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities are available upon request during the hiring process. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Aircraft Maintenance Manager owns all maintenance planning, scheduling, and regulatory compliance for a Part 91 multi-aircraft flight department operating across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Working alongside aviation management and scheduling staff, this role ensures aircraft airworthiness under IS-BAO and FAA requirements, directly sustaining safe and uninterrupted flight operations for PACCAR's Corporate Aviation organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the scheduling and timely completion of aircraft repairs and maintenance to ensure budget adherence.
• Manage the aircraft maintenance team across projects, tasks, and daily operations.
• Provide input to strategic decisions affecting the maintenance functional area.
• Resolve escalated operational issues requiring coordination with other departments.
• Maintain a program of aircraft mechanic proficiency training, reviews, and upgrades in accordance with regulatory and internal requirements.
• Ensure compliance with Manufacturer Service Instructions, Service Bulletins, and FAA Airworthiness Directives.
• Ensure department personnel are thoroughly familiar with applicable policies, regulations, manuals, practices, and protocols.
• Maintain Minimum Equipment List (MEL) maintenance procedures.
• Act as liaison to the FAA and other national civil aviation authorities regarding maintenance issues across all operating countries.
• Schedule maintenance personnel to dispatch and retrieve company and itinerant aircraft.
• Manage aircraft maintenance tracking programs.
• Oversee the completion of work orders and aircraft logbook entries.
• Oversee hazardous material handling, knowledge, and training.
• Monitor hangar security standards and environmental affairs.
• Coordinate maintenance department planning with scheduling and aviation management staff to ensure efficient and timely scheduling of all maintenance and repairs.

Required Qualifications

• Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate required.
• Inspection Authorization (IA), ASTM/NCATT Avionics Electrical Technician Certificate, and appropriate endorsements preferred.
• 10 years of maintenance operations experience required.
• 7 years of effective maintenance management experience required.
• Thorough working knowledge of aviation safety standards, safe operating practices, Code of Federal Regulations, and applicable maintenance and airworthiness requirements of 14 CFR.
• Background in Quality Assurance.
• Background in Safety Management Systems (SMS).
• Broad knowledge of and hands-on experience with the maintenance of aircraft of the applicable class, category, and type.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Proven safety-first leadership and culture-building skills.
• Professional work ethic with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including verbal, written, and listening.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in all types of weather, with frequent sitting, standing, walking, pushing, and pulling.
• Ability to submit to TSA background screening for applicable facility access and ramp driving privileges.

Reporting to the Director of Maintenance, the Aircraft Maintenance Manager delivers daily oversight of all assigned aircraft through a repair station environment, managing staffing, workflow, and budget tracking across concurrent projects. Partnering with scheduling, engineering, and cross-departmental teams, this role sustains quality output and on-time aircraft release by maintaining total control of assigned aircraft from initiation through completion.

Core Functions

• Provide guidance to subordinates on proper procedures, methods, and practices for each respective duty.
• Coordinate with other repair station departments to ensure continuity of workflow.
• Assure duty time limitations are not exceeded.
• Monitor the repair station's system and establish effective corrective actions to address discrepancies.
• Evaluate and appraise facility and equipment upgrades while maintaining the repair station premises in a clean and orderly manner.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, control, segregation, and identification of all parts during the repair process.
• Monitor safety program compliance.
• Staff the team with adequate and competent personnel to ensure a quality product.
• Maintain total control of assigned aircraft.
• Initiate requisitions for stock and materials as required through coordination with maintenance leadership and scheduling priorities.
• Prepare and present daily status briefings on all assigned aircraft, including delivery, man-hours, and budget status.
• Act as a focal point for all communications relative to assigned projects and as backup to the Director of Maintenance for the Scrap Materials program.
• Plan billable man-hours, track shortfalls or excess of billable hours, and provide a percentage of routine and non-routine items open and completed.
• Review areas that may affect the aircraft release date, including parts, engineering, and prolonged elapsed time service orders.
• Ensure all items exceeding or approaching their estimates are updated and approved by the customer, and that non-routine items requiring estimates from leads are estimated and approved in order of priority.

Qualifications & Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent required; Aviation or Business degree or equivalent aviation experience preferred.
• 5 or more years of management or supervisory experience required.
• 5 or more years of experience as an accomplished aircraft mechanic with progression of responsibilities or previous production supervisory experience required.
• Ability to interpret drawings and blueprints to accomplish specific tasks.
• Advanced computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel, preferred.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills with the ability to interact with a wide variety of people.

Embedded within a CONUS/OCONUS program maintenance organization, the Aircraft Maintenance Manager shapes all aircraft maintenance procedures and personnel operations in compliance with DCMA 8210.1C, IS-BAO, and FAR Part 91/145 standards. Working closely with suppliers, vendors, and government oversight agencies, this role drives training program development and accurate maintenance reporting to sustain mission-ready airborne ISR operations.

Primary Duties

• Establish comprehensive aircraft maintenance procedures covering applicable regulatory and industry standards.
• Develop and maintain an accurate and timely aircraft maintenance reporting system.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection, discipline, and training of personnel.
• Maintain appropriate liaison with suppliers, vendors, and local, state, and federal oversight agencies.
• Develop and implement internal and subcontractor training programs to communicate current information and procedures, and evaluate training programs to determine their effectiveness.
• Provide guidance to subordinate employees and peers, collaborating and cooperating with other members of the management team.
• Support the performance appraisal system for maintenance employees by completing timely and accurate evaluations.
• Respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers.
• Demonstrate ability and understanding to support OCONUS maintenance operations.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aviation Maintenance or equivalent, with five years of experience required; additional years of experience may be considered instead of a degree.
• A&P license required.
• Secret security clearance required, with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
• Valid passport, visa, and Department of Defense security clearance required.
• Experience as an aircraft maintenance manager.
• Experience providing maintenance on Airborne ISR programs.
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, databases, aircraft sheet metal and component repair, instrument and electronic test equipment, and military or commercial aviation maintenance.
• Knowledge of U.S. Government regulations for federal contractors and FAA maintenance programs, aircraft maintenance terminology, and the ability to interpret drawings, specifications, and schematics of aircraft instrument and electronic components.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, and Project.

Sitting at the intersection of commercial aviation maintenance and defense logistics acquisition, the Aircraft Maintenance Manager leads sustainment planning, site surveys, and performance analysis for C-130 weapon system programs across depot, fielding, and forward operating locations. Operating across major commands and contractor-customer interfaces, this role enables mission readiness by translating maintenance data and technical requirements into actionable program decisions for senior leadership.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Conduct site surveys and recommend the most efficient maintenance organization to maintain commercial aircraft.
• Establish criteria for the accomplishment of aircraft maintenance at the depot level.
• Assist in the management and leadership of a logistics-integrated product team, providing logistical expertise and technical support.
• Define, develop, document, and coordinate weapon system sustainment requirements.
• Collect and analyze aircraft maintenance performance indicators and make recommendations to program managers to improve aircraft reliability and maintainability.
• Review daily aircraft status and brief senior leadership to ensure they have current information on operating locations, ongoing maintenance or support actions, and any limiting factors that could lead to mission degradation or schedule changes.
• Facilitate the resolution of maintenance, depot, and modification schedules, and maintenance training issues associated with testing, fielding, and integration of new capabilities.
• Develop and facilitate the necessary interaction between the contractor and customer to ensure operational and maintenance technical data meets required standards.
• Review and recommend changes or additions to requirements documents, design operational capability statements, statements of work, and technical orders.
• Prepare briefings on logistical support projects and historical aircraft maintenance data.
• Collaborate in the evaluation of associated test plans, procedures, test results, and logistical support issues, and prepare and coordinate briefings, reports, decision papers, and acquisition program documentation.
• Identify the correct personnel from major commands for coordination of technical data, training materials, and support equipment reviews and evaluations.
• Monitor technology, analyze proposals, and evaluate concepts to determine the technical feasibility and military applicability of aircraft support equipment and maintenance support plans.
• Assist with processing classified information and hardware, including Top Secret and Special Access Required programs.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management or a related discipline required.
• Associate's degree in Avionics Technology or another aircraft maintenance discipline required.
• DOD Level 1 Certification for Logistics Acquisition or equivalent experience and education required.
• Current Top Secret security clearance with SBI required.
• At least 6 years of major command staff duty while on active military duty is required.
• At least 15 years of overall logistics experience in the applicable weapon system, including deployment locations, deployment strategies, and sustainment requirements at forward operating locations, required.
• At least 10 years of operation and field experience with C-130 aircraft required.
• Proven record in complex problem solving, effective communication, decision-making, financial management, and program and production management.
• Current knowledge of Air Force maintenance and logistics support concepts.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and applicable USAF and commercial logistics information and support systems.

A key member of the station leadership team, the Aircraft Maintenance Manager advances line maintenance execution and safety culture by overseeing daily planned maintenance, supervisor effectiveness, and continuous improvement across all station resources. Collaborating across vendor, provider, and internal support groups, this role strengthens operational readiness by ensuring every maintenance event is resourced, compliant, and aligned with FAA certification standards.

Duties

• Provide guidance and oversight to ensure supervisors and support groups coordinate and execute daily planned line maintenance.
• Work collectively with maintenance supervisors to ensure maintenance is accomplished in compliance with applicable policies and manuals.
• Ensure maintenance supervisors are highly trained and effective.
• Interface with various providers, vendors, and support groups to ensure all resources are staged and maintained for each maintenance event.
• Continuously improve the performance and readiness of the station maintenance team.
• Oversee station maintenance safety culture, quality, compliance, preparedness, training, team building, facilities, and equipment.
• Lead the day-to-day execution and improvement of maintenance processes and provide leadership and guidance to maintenance supervisors.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Current A&P License required.
• 10–15 years of commercial aircraft maintenance experience required.
• 5–10 years of commercial aviation maintenance team leadership preferred.
• 2–5 years of hands-on leadership with the A320 family of aircraft preferred.
• Experience with FAA certification of parts and materials.
• Experience with Continuous Improvement, Lean, or ISO preferred.
• Ability to quickly analyze and improve line maintenance work, flow, and synchronization to ensure efficiency.
• Ability to read wire diagrams and disseminate various levels of work instruction related to line maintenance and aircraft modification.
• Proficiency with standard Microsoft Office software and various web applications.
• Ability to effectively present ideas to senior management and communicate with all interfacing co-workers, vendors, and suppliers.
• Ability to drive, lead, and develop the line maintenance team.

The Aircraft Maintenance Manager guides Fabrication Flight operations, spanning sheet metal, corrosion, machining, welding, and composites, as the senior manager responsible for work planning, personnel supervision, and mission sustainment in support of test and other DoD programs. The Fabrication Flight relies on this work to maintain properly trained and assigned manpower, identify cost reduction opportunities, and sustain readiness across all assigned fabrication and maintenance disciplines.

Ownership Areas

• Lead and direct work planning, analysis, and management of Fabrication Flight activities.
• Represent the flight at higher organizational levels.
• Manage and supervise, through subordinate supervisors, the work of highly skilled maintenance technicians and support personnel.
• Work with center organizations to ensure assigned manpower is properly acquired, trained, and assigned to meet mission requirements.
• Review reports and records to determine mission effectiveness and identify areas for potential innovation and cost reduction.
• Perform aircraft maintenance as needed.

Professional Experience

• Expert knowledge of fabrication and maintenance theories and principles of planning, execution, management, and sustainment operations necessary to support test and other DoD missions.
• Knowledge of aerospace maintenance processes related to corrosion control, nondestructive inspection, welding, sheet metal, machining, and composites, including the ability to apply applicable procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies.
• Ability to plan and organize work, recognize and analyze problems, conduct research, summarize results, and make appropriate recommendations, while coordinating effectively with test and support organizations.
• Ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others toward common goal accomplishment.
• Leadership ability, including coaching, mentoring, and challenging subordinates, adapting leadership style to a variety of situations, and modeling high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect.
• Skill in developing and maintaining effective working relationships.