Managing Director – Aviation & Transportation
Job Description:
- Build relationships with key regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders to support operational readiness
- Lead FAA certification and regulatory approval processes, ensuring full compliance with federal aviation standards
- Establish and maintain robust safety, compliance, and operational frameworks that meet or exceed regulatory requirements
- Serve as the primary executive liaison with FAA regulators and other government agencies, ensuring alignment and responsiveness throughout all regulatory milestones
- Set performance culture, decision-making cadence, and accountability standards from day one
- Define organizational structure, roles, accountabilities, and reporting relationships to support regulatory approval and operational scale
- Foster a high-trust, high-performance culture aligned with both safety excellence and brand aspirations
- Recruit, hire, and lead the foundational executive team across operations, safety, compliance, maintenance, and finance functions
- Develop scalable standard operating procedures (SOPs), governance structures, and systems to support future expansion
- Oversee strategy, operational partnerships, vendor relationships, and readiness milestones
- Define and execute the operational roadmap from planning through launch and early-stage growth
- Balance service delivery with disciplined cost management and uncompromising safety standards
- Ensure operational delivery consistently reflects the positioning and brand promise
- Partner with key stakeholders to shape service standards, service philosophy, and customer experience standards
- Position the business competitively within the travel market
- Integrate service excellence into operational processes, training programs, and frontline accountability
- Maintain transparency and accountability in all board and investor communications
- Present operational progress, regulatory milestones, and financial performance to investors and stakeholders
- Participate in fundraising efforts and represent the company's vision and capability to current and prospective investors
- Serve as the senior executive interface with the Board of Directors, providing strategic updates and seeking guidance on key decisions
Requirements:
- Proven experience overseeing organizational development and launch activities, including team formation, systems development, and regulatory processes
- Exceptional judgment and credibility in navigating complex regulatory environments and building trust with government agencies
- Deep commercial aviation regulatory experience, including significant involvement in FAA certification processes
- Strategic and operational versatility: able to think big-picture while driving detailed execution
- High credibility across diverse stakeholder groups, including technical teams, operational staff, board members, and investors
- Ability to operate effectively in complex, high-ambiguity settings with changing priorities
- Willingness to travel extensively and relocate as operational needs require
- Strong command of FAA regulations, safety management systems (SMS), and compliance frameworks applicable to commercial aviation operations
- Proven executive leadership as CEO, President, COO, VP Operations, or General Manager in aviation or similarly regulated, safety-critical industries
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience integrating brand vision with operational execution, ensuring service delivery aligns with market positioning
- Background in aviation or service industries with a focus on customer experience and brand differentiation
- Prior experience as CEO, President, or COO with ultimate P&L and operational accountability
- Direct leadership experience in FAA certification processes for aviation operations
- Experience in private aviation, charter operations, or emerging aviation business models
- Investor-facing leadership experience, including fundraising, stakeholder management, and articulating vision to financial backers
- Experience across multi-site or multi-certificate operating environments is highly valued
- Track record in scaling organizations from startup to mature operational phases
Benefits:
- Flexible paid time off (PTO) policy
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance (employee and family coverage)