Aircraft Maintenance Manager

About the role

Stratolaunch accelerates the development of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through reusable hypersonic flight testing. Our autonomous, air-launched Talon-A vehicles provide access to operationally realistic flight environments at speeds exceeding Mach 5, delivering critical data that helps customers validate system performance and advance technologies toward deployment. Our team brings together expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations to solve complex challenges and advance capabilities essential to national security.

Stratolaunch is seeking an Aircraft Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance teams across all company flying assets. Reporting to the Ground Operations Manager, this hands-on leader is accountable for safe, compliant, and efficient execution of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, inspections, troubleshooting, repairs, and modifications in support of flight-test and operational commitments. The supervisor develops people, coordinates resources, and drives aircraft readiness in a fast-paced, complex, and rapidly changing environment.

Essential Responsibilities

• This person will be responsible to oversee the crew chiefs, multiple other supervisors.
• Lead daily maintenance across all company flying assets; set priorities, assign work, and ensure safe, timely execution.
• Convert flight-test and operational schedules into maintenance plans covering staffing, shifts, tooling, parts, facilities, and risk.
• Supervise inspections, troubleshooting, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs, component changes, and alterations using approved technical data.
• Coordinate aircraft readiness with Maintenance Control, Flight Operations, pilots, Engineering, Quality, Programs, Supply Chain, Facilities, and EH&S.
• Ensure work packages, logbooks, discrepancy corrections, configuration records, and parts traceability are accurate and completed on time.
• Assign qualified personnel and ensure required inspections, independent checks, and return-to-service activities receive proper authorization.
• Lead shift briefings and turnovers; communicate aircraft status, open discrepancies, risks, constraints, and recovery plans.
• Maintain tool and calibration control, FOD prevention, parts and hazardous-material controls, and organized shop and flight-line areas.
• Manage workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, performance, attendance, and timely corrective action for maintenance personnel.
• Coach technicians and leads; maintain skills matrices, close training gaps, and build succession depth.
• Champion safety culture, Safety Management System principles, procedural compliance, human factors, fatigue awareness, and stop-work responsibility.
• Track aircraft availability, overdue work, repeat defects, and quality escapes; remove barriers and escalate risk.
• Lead root-cause and corrective actions for maintenance errors, repeat defects, and safety or quality concerns.
• Drive Lean and shop-floor improvements in safety, quality, flow, cost, and schedule.
• Forecast staffing, tooling, calibrated equipment, spares, technical data, and vendor support.
• Coordinate aircraft-on-ground and emergent maintenance response, including off-shift coverage.
• Provide technical guidance and work within the privileges and limitations of the employee's FAA certificate.
• Model integrity and accountability; champion Quality and EH&S policies and perform assigned duties.

Qualifications

Required

• Current FAA Mechanic Certificate with both Airframe and Powerplant ratings.
• 5+ years leading aviation maintenance teams in a fast-paced, complex, and rapidly changing environment.
• Strong hands-on aircraft inspection, troubleshooting, repair, and return-to-service experience.
• FAA Inspection Authorization (IA) preferred.
• Working knowledge of 14 CFR Parts 43, 65, and 91, including maintenance-record and return-to-service practices.
• Ability to apply maintenance manuals, ICA, ADs, service bulletins, engineering orders, drawings, and wiring diagrams.
• Experience supervising concurrent scheduled and unscheduled maintenance across multiple aircraft.
• Flight-test, experimental, special-mission, large, or transport-category aircraft experience preferred.
• Proven ability to build accountable teams, develop leaders, resolve conflict, and decide under pressure.
• Strong maintenance planning, shift-turnover, status-reporting, risk-escalation, and communication skills.
• Knowledge of maintenance human factors, SMS, quality, EH&S, root-cause analysis, and corrective action.
• Experience with tool control, calibration, FOD prevention, parts traceability, and shop resource planning.
• Proficiency with maintenance or work-management systems; Jira knowledge preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and using maintenance data to manage performance.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance.
• Ability to work flexible or off-shift hours, weekends, and travel as needed.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required; related degree preferred. 10+ years or relevant experience required.

Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable

• This position is located in Mojave, CA, with work in hangar, shop, and flight-line environments. PPE is required. Must access aircraft work areas and perform essential physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• 4/10 work schedule
• $114,000-$145,000

Pay and benefits

Base salary and leveling are established on a case-by-case basis. We consider several factors to ensure a competitive offer, including your location, educational background, and a comprehensive assessment of the skills and experience demonstrated during your interviews.

Benefits and our location(s)

• Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)
• Paid Maternity and Parental Leave
• 50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500
• Tuition reimbursement

• This position may involve the operation of company vehicles as part of assigned duties.
• Mojave Air & Spaceport is located just outside of Lancaster/Palmdale and is only 95 miles north of Los Angeles. The area offers both affordability and central access to a variety of California's best attractions and landmarks.

Not much for the outdoors and prefer the city life? You're within a half day's drive or less of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco where you can find a variety of live entertainment, museums, tours, and historical sight-seeing. Theme parks are in abundance, with Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm ready to meet the needs of rollercoaster thrill seekers.

• Food and drink fanatics are in a haven of delectable choices.
• Wine aficionados will also find easy access to some of the state's best vino in Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and even more locally in Tehachapi and Agua Dulce.
• Beer fanatics will find some of the best West Coast IPAs at Bravery and Lucky Luke's in Lancaster.
• Any food option you crave is covered, and we always recommend the authentic and fresh Mexican food that you won't find anywhere else in the United States.

Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law: