Job Description

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.

Special Air Missions Group (SAM) is responsible for developing and delivering Metrea’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Special Mobility, and Aerial Firefighting (AFF) capabilities. SAM oversees the integration of new mission systems, ensuring operational readiness across specialized aviation operations. It manages fleet maintenance, regulatory compliance, and strategic partnerships to enhance mission effectiveness. By consolidating expertise and infrastructure, SAM ensures Metrea’s
airborne capabilities remain adaptable and mission-ready across dynamic operational environments.

In this role, you will lead the safe, compliant, and efficient execution of Metrea’s Part 135 flight operations. You will exercise operational control over charter operations, oversee regulatory compliance, and guide the operational strategy of the certificate in coordination with company leadership and FAA oversight personnel.

You will be successful if you can balance safety, compliance, client execution, crew leadership, and operational decision-making in a dynamic environment. This role requires strong judgment, credibility with regulators and crews, and the ability to lead a growing operation while maintaining high operational standards.

Experience operating in complex, high-tempo environments such as military special operations aviation, tactical airlift, or advanced multi-engine turbine operations is highly valued.

What You’ll Do

• Exercise operational control over all Part 135 flight operations in accordance with FAA regulations and company procedures.
• Lead the operational execution and regulatory compliance of the Part 135 certificate.
• Oversee flight crew qualification, training compliance, currency tracking, and operational readiness.
• Maintain compliance with applicable FARs, ICAO requirements, company manuals, and OpSpecs.
• Coordinate with the FAA, internal departments, and external stakeholders on operational matters, inspections, approvals, and audits.
• Develop and maintain operational policies, procedures, and standardization programs that support safe and scalable operations.
• Support operational risk management, SMS initiatives, and safety investigations as required.
• Supervise operational leadership personnel, including the Chief Pilot and other assigned operational staff.
• Support fleet growth, aircraft onboarding, route expansion, and operational capability development.
• Serve as a senior operational representative to aircraft owners, charter clients, vendors, and regulatory agencies.

What You’ll bring

• FAA qualifications to serve as Director of Operations under 14 CFR 119.71.
• Previous operational leadership experience within a Part 121 or Part 135 environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Part 91 and Part 135 operational requirements and operational control responsibilities.
• Experience leading flight operations, crew management, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Demonstrated ability to make operational decisions in time-sensitive, high-pressure, and mission-critical environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments and with regulatory agencies.
• Experience developing or managing training, standardization, or safety programs.
• Current FAA ATP Certificate with multi-engine privileges.
• Ability to qualify as PIC under company operations and insurance requirements.

Highly desired

• Prior experience as a military special operations, tactical airlift, or multi-engine turbine pilot.
• Experience operating complex aircraft in dynamic, austere, or high-consequence operational environments.
• Prior transition from military aviation into civilian Part 135 charter or commercial flight operations.
• Experience leading crews and operational execution in distributed or mission-driven aviation environments.
• Background operating aircraft such as the C-130, King Air, or similar multi-engine turbine platforms.
• Experience with multi-aircraft or multi-base Part 135 operations.
• International flight operations experience.
• Experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS) implementation and operational risk management.
• Previous experience supporting certificate expansion, aircraft additions, or OpSpecs changes.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation, Business, Management, or a related field.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications 

• Must possess a valid passport and be able to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid U.S. driver’s license.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret Clearance if required by the company.
• Must be able to complete required drug and alcohol testing and background screening in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
• Must be able to meet company operational and insurance qualification standards.

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

Subsided gym membership / plans through Wellhub   

Work Authorization / Security Clearance

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Must be a US Citizen

Eligible clearance required: This position requires eligibility to obtain a Secret clearance. U.S. citizenship is required. Candidates will be subject to a background investigation in accordance with federal requirements.

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 leadership position. Typical business hours are Monday through Friday; however, the Director of Operations is expected to maintain operational availability in support of flight operations, irregular operations, and business needs.

Due to the nature of Part 135 operations, work hours may vary and may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours, as required. The position requires responsiveness and availability for operational decision-making, regulatory matters, and time-sensitive flight operations outside normal business hours, as required.

Travel and periodic on-site operational support at airports, hangars, and other company locations may be required.

Work Location

Tampa, Florida

Work Environment

This role operates in a dynamic aviation environment that includes office, airport, hangar, and aircraft operational settings. The Director of Operations routinely interfaces with flight crews, maintenance personnel, clients, regulators, and operational leadership across multiple locations.

The position requires the ability to manage time-sensitive operational matters, respond to changing flight conditions and regulatory requirements, and support operations outside of standard business hours when necessary. Work may involve exposure to active airfield environments, aircraft noise, varying weather conditions, and travel in support of company operations.

The role routinely uses standard office and operational technology, including computers, mobile communications devices, scheduling platforms, and aviation operational systems.

Travel

25%