Head of Aviation Operations

Company Overview

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.

Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.

At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Group Overview

Special Air Missions Group - US (SAM - US) is responsible for developing and delivering Metrea’s 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 - US ensures Metrea’s airborne capabilities remain adaptable and mission-ready across dynamic operational environments

Position Summary

Reporting to the Head of Special Air Missions (US), the Head of Aviation Operations (US) leads the Aviation Operations (US) Capability Area and serves as its accountable manager. This leader is accountable for integrating and assuring the compliant, safe, reliable, effective, efficient, and evolvable (CSRE³) conduct of aviation operations in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and the Metrea’s Management System. The role is also accountable for the Special Mission Aviation function, which currently operates as a Part 135 certificate holder. This role will be accountable for growing the Special Mission Aviation function into a global Special Mission Aviation capability fully aligned with Metrea’s delivery of defense effects-as-a-service. 

The Head of Aviation Operations (US) ensures the Capability Area has the management structure, competent personnel, resources, standards, manuals, systems, and independent safety oversight necessary to conduct worldwide deployed aviation operations compliantly and safely. The role promotes safety policy, develops a strong safety culture, and ensures continuous improvement across the operating system. 

The Head of Aviation Operations (US) synchronizes Flight Operations, Crew Training, Safety, Security, and Compliance functions across the Capability Area; connects Aviation Operations (US) with the Maintenance (US) and Continuous Airworthiness Management Organization (US) Capability Areas; and serves as the primary Aviation Operations (US) interface with File Underwriters, File Sponsors, Support Groups, and Market Groups. The role translates Group direction into an integrated operating model, enables functional leaders to execute their responsibilities, and maintains clear accountability for operational performance, risk, readiness, and regulatory assurance.

What You'll Do

• Serve as accountable manager for the Aviation Operations (US) Capability Area, ensuring the safe conduct of operations in accordance with applicable FAA, U.S. Government, international, host-nation, and Metrea requirements
• Establish and maintain a suitable management structure with clear authorities, accountabilities, and interfaces across Flight Operations, Crew Training, Safety, Security, and Compliance
• Ensure the Capability Area has sufficient suitably experienced, qualified, and competent personnel, as well as the financial, technical, and operational resources required to meet current and planned commitments
• Set, maintain, and continuously improve standards for Flight Operations, Crew Training, Safety, Security, and Compliance across worldwide deployed activities
• Implement and oversee the Safety Management System, protect the Safety Manager’s independence from undue influence, promote the safety policy, and ensure all personnel understand their safety responsibilities
• Establish and regularly review safety performance indicators and targets, operational risk, compliance findings, readiness measures, and corrective actions; intervene when performance falls below required standards
• Hold key functional leaders accountable for satisfactorily carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with approved manuals, the applicable regulatory framework, and Capability Area objectives
• Synchronize Aviation Operations (US) with Maintenance (US) and Continuous Airworthiness Management Organization (US) leadership to align operational priorities
• Serve as the primary Aviation Operations (US) interface with File Underwriters, File Sponsors, Support Groups, and Market Groups, integrating program requirements, operational commitments, enterprise support, and market priorities into executable operational plans
• Translate Group strategy into Capability Area priorities, operating plans, budgets, workforce plans, objectives, key results, and targets; provide decision support and transparent reporting to the Head of Special Air Missions (US)
• Support the development and integration of new aircraft, mission systems, contracts, and capabilities, ensuring changes are properly resourced, assessed, documented, and trained
• Lead the Special Mission Aviation function, assuring the performance of its current Part 135 operations while defining and executing the roadmap, operating model, partnerships, approvals, resources, and capabilities required to scale it into a global Special Mission Aviation function aligned with delivering defense effects-as-a-service
• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team and a culture rooted in humility and aligned with Metrea’s Firmware attributes: Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver

What You Bring

• Senior leadership experience in complex commercial, government-contracted, special-mission, or defense operations, with demonstrated accountability for compliant and safe operational delivery
• Prior experience as an FAA accountable executive or equivalent accountable manager strongly preferred
• Deep working knowledge of applicable FAA regulations and operational approval frameworks, including hands-on experience with Part 135 operations; familiarity with ICAO standards, U.S. Government oversight, and international or host-nation operating requirements
• Demonstrated ability to lead and integrate Flight Operations, Crew Training, Safety, Security, and Compliance functions while preserving appropriate independence, authorities, and lines of assurance
• Experience establishing management systems, operational standards, safety performance measures, governance, and continuous-improvement practices for globally deployed aviation operations
• Proven success leading leaders, building capable teams, managing budgets and resources, and delivering measurable operational, safety, and readiness outcomes 
• Extensive experience preferred, particularly in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, or Special Mission Aviation
• Experience leading charter or Special Mission Aviation operations and developing them into scalable, internationally deployable capabilities; demonstrated ability to translate defense customer needs into an executable aviation operating model strongly preferred
• Ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, customers, partners, suppliers, Support Groups, and Market Groups, in a dynamically hierarchical environment
• Strong judgment, critical thinking, systems thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills; comfortable making risk-informed decisions amid complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities
• Highly organized, reliable, emotionally intelligent, intellectually humble, and able to challenge assumptions constructively
• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation, Aviation Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent senior operational aviation experience
• Current U.S. Passport, ability to obtain and maintain the required U.S. security clearance, and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, including on short notice and in support of deployed operations

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

• Applicant must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be a U.S. citizen
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance required at time of hire, and the ability to maintain it throughout employment

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, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 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 Environment

This job operates within a combination of office, hangar, and deployed settings. 

Travel

20%

Base Pay Range

The compensation range shown below is a good faith estimate and reflects the expected base pay for this position upon hire. This is just one component of Metrea's overall approach to total rewards and final compensation decisions, including the ultimate salary or hourly rate agreed upon, may vary depending on factors such as job location, job-specific knowledge, skills, experience, and the overall negotiated compensation package. Eligible full-time employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their health, wellbeing, and long-term success.

Pay Range$235,000—$260,000 USD

Our Firmware

At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are 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.