Job Description

Title: Chief Inspector

Reports to: Head, Aircraft Integration Center

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas—including airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special mission aviation, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. 

Wherever we operate, we build vertically integrated full stacks of capability—designing, building, and operating turnkey solutions that let customers scale capacity while benefiting from continuous cycles of innovation. With operators and engineers under one roof, we close the gap between lab and field—what we call connecting design with effect. 

Metrea’s solutions are built for elegance: effective, efficient, and evolving. This approach enables our partners to do more with less and achieve outsized, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.  Headquartered in Washington, DC, Metrea has facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond.

Aerospace Engineering Group (AERO) provides an integrated, end-to-end capability for the rapid modification and fielding of mission-specific aircraft. The Airborne Asset Adaptation (A3) Cell acts as the central command and coordination hub, managing requirements and external interfaces from inception to operational delivery. Specialized technical execution is delivered by the Aircraft Integration Centre (AIC), a FAA Part 145 facility focused on airframe modification, and Aerospace Design (ASD), which provides organic design engineering and FAA-authorized certification. Collectively, these elements bridge the gap between initial requirements and the deployment of flight-certified, mission-ready assets.

MAIC is seeking an experienced and authoritative Chief Inspector to lead the Inspection and Quality Assurance functions within its FAA Part 145 / Part 21supporting Part 21 design and modification activities.

The Chief Inspector is fully responsible for airworthiness determination, inspection processes, and regulatory compliance of all maintenance, modification, fabrication, and integration work performed at MAIC. This role ensures that all work is accomplished in accordance with approved technical data, repair station [RQ2] manuals, FAA regulations, and MAIC quality standards, maintaining continuous airworthiness across all supported aircraft and components.

The Chief Inspector acts as the primary interface with the FAA on inspection and quality matters and serves as a key technical authority supporting engineering, maintenance, fabrication, and program execution activities.

What You’ll Do

The Chief Inspector leads and executes inspection and quality control activities across MAIC by:

• Serving as the Repair Station’s primary authorityfor inspection, airworthiness, and return‑to‑service determinations
• Ensuring full compliance with FAA Part 145 / Part 21requirements, OpSpecs, Repair Station manuals, and FAA-approved procedures.
• Classifying repairs and alterations as major or minor and ensuring proper documentation and approval paths are executed.
• Overseeing and performing required inspections on aircraft, components, assemblies, fabricated parts, and installed systems.
• Reviewing and approving maintenance records, work orders, inspection reports, conformities, and RTS documentation.
• Ensures Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) are received, reviewed, and properly controlled prior to modification execution.
• Support Part 21 prototype, fabrication, and modification activities by ensuring inspection and conformity processes align with approved design data.
• Partner with engineering to review drawings, work instructions, and technical packages for QC compliance and regulatory compliance.
• Support conformity efforts, configuration control, and first-article or prototype inspections as required.
• Hire, lead, mentor, and develop the Inspection team.
• Facilitate, with QA, internal auditsand surveillance of maintenance, fabrication, and integration activities.
• Ensure entries within maintenance tracking and quality systems are appropriate for the relevant airworthiness & RTS context of each system. (e.g., AMOS, Veryon, traveler systems).
• Maintain control of calibrated tools, inspection equipment, and records.
• Support continuous improvement of MAIC’s ISO 9001 / AS9100 Quality Management System, as applicable.

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in aviation quality, safety, and/or compliance within complex operational environments.
• Significant experience in a FAA Part 145 maintenance and/or Part 21 modification or production environment.
• Strong working knowledge of FAA regulatory frameworks relevant to maintenance and modification, including FAA Part 145 and applicable elements of Part 21.
• Proven experience implementing, operating, and improving formal management systems (QMS, IMS or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of aircraft structural modification, avionics integration, and fabrication activities.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply engineering drawings, STCs, DER data, and other approved technical data.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.
• Proficiency with standard enterprise IT systems and electronic work management tools.
• Experience providing independent assurance and constructive challenge to senior operational leadership.
• Strong written, verbal, and executive‑level communication skills, with the ability to brief complex issues clearly.
• Must have FAA A&P License
• Preference given to candidates with FAA IA and/or DAR authorizations.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications 

Eligible to work legally in the United States and able to obtain and maintain any required background checks or customer‑mandated security clearances.

Willingness to work primarily onsite in a hangar and flight‑line environment at Tampa International Airport, with occasional travel as required.

Our Firmware

At Metrea, our single core value, Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes—Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems.

Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical plan options

HSA/FSA accounts

Dental and vision coverage

6% employer 401(k) match

Fully paid parental leave for all new parents

Generous PTO

Life and disability insurance
Long-term and Short-term disability coverage

AD&D Coverage

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Subsidized gym membership / plans through Wellhub   

Work Authorization / Security Clearance

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

AAP/EEO Statement

This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Exempt Employees must have the ability to be on-call and available, as business needs require.

Work Location

AIC, Tampa, FL.

Work Environment

This job operates in an office and hangar setting 

Travel

5%