Flight Operations Standards & Evaluations Manager

WORK LOCATION: Huntsville, AL
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
SALARY RANGE: The anticipated salary range for this role is $110,000 to $157,700 per annually. This range reflects a good faith estimate based on the targeted level for the role and typical compensation benchmarks across U.S. locations. Actual compensation may vary depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications, experience, geographical location, and internal alignment.
SUMMARY
The Flight Operations Standards & Evaluations Manager is responsible for building, maintaining, and implementing Flight Standards and Evaluations programs. This role oversees the development and execution of operational standards and evaluation processes to ensure safe, compliant, and mission-ready small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) flight and ground operations.
This position works closely with the Flight Operations Manager, engineering, manufacturing, and other stakeholders to ensure operational procedures and evaluations accurately reflect current product capabilities, regulatory requirements, and best practices. The Manager ensures operator proficiency across all aspects of sUAS operations while fostering a culture of safety, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The following job functions are a basic requirement but are not limited to and may be assigned other duties.
Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive operational standards, procedures, and best practices for sUAS flight and ground operations.
Ensure alignment of operational procedures with FAA and DoD regulations (e.g., Part 107, BVLOS, waivers) and company policies.
Monitor and ensure compliance with FAA and DoD regulations, industry standards, and internal safety requirements.
Maintain and update operations manuals, training materials, and evaluation documentation to reflect regulatory changes, technological advancements, and operational feedback.
Incorporate risk management, emergency procedures, payload integration, and data collection methodologies into training curricula.
Manage and oversee pilot, instructor, and ground crew certification, qualification, and currency programs.
Conduct flight evaluations and performance assessments to ensure technical proficiency and mission readiness.
Develop and administer evaluation criteria for safety compliance, technical proficiency, and mission readiness.
Ensure all flight and ground operations adhere to established safety procedures and risk mitigation protocols.
Capture, analyze, and document operational data for after-action reports and lessons learned.
Provide operator feedback to engineering teams to support system design improvements and capability enhancements.
Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to integrate advanced technologies and best practices into flight operations.
Ability to travel as required.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience developing compliance documentation, operations manuals, and internal training programs.
5–10 years of experience delivering customer-facing presentations and technical or programmatic updates to internal and external stakeholders.
Significant experience working with DoD customers, with strong understanding of operational environments and potential tactical applications.
Proven experience leading and mentoring multi-disciplinary teams.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.