Director of Regulatory Compliance

Position Summary

Exec 1 Aviation is seeking an experienced Director of Regulatory Compliance to own and lead all aspects of the company's FAA regulatory compliance under 14 CFR Part 135. 

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Oversight & FAA Liaison

• Serve as the company's primary point of contact with the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) / Certificate Management Office for certification, inspection, and compliance matters.
• Maintain, update, and defend the company's Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate, Operations Specifications (OpSpecs), and Management Specifications (MSpecs).
• Monitor rulemaking and changes to 14 CFR Parts 135 plus related DOT regulations and advisory circulars; assess operational impact and implement required policy and procedure changes.
• Represent Exec 1 Aviation during FAA audits and compliance procedures.

• Oversees the Director of Safety and reviews compliance with the Safety Management System (SMS).

•  Maintain, and revise the General Operations Manual (GOM),  Drug and Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program (DAMP) manual, and other FAA-required manuals.
• Oversees the Director of Training and reviews compliance with crew training/currency, drug testing, and duty/rest records to meet FAA retention and audit-readiness standards.
• Maintain document control so manual revisions are properly approved, distributed, and version-tracked across bases.

• Oversees the company's DOT/FAA drug and alcohol testing program (49 CFR Part 40; 14 CFR Part 120).
• Oversee internal audits and mock FAA inspections to proactively identify and remediate compliance gaps before they become findings.
• Be the point of contact for incidents and accidents; manage mandatory reporting to the FAA and NTSB.
• Partner closely with Maintenance, Flight Operations, and Safety leadership to ensure compliance is integrated across the operation, not siloed.
• Qualifications

Preferred

• Aviation experience, including multiple years in a regulatory compliance, safety, or FAA-facing leadership role at a Part 135 operator.
• In-depth, current working knowledge of 14 CFR Parts 135.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft and revise regulatory manuals and represent the company to the FAA.
• Prior experience as a Director of Operations, Director of Safety, or Chief Pilot at a Part 135 charter operation.
• Experience with IS-BAO, ARGUS, or Wyvern audit standards.
• Familiarity with charter operations.