Director of Aircraft Maintenance

The Department of State Police is seeking a Director of Aircraft Maintenance.  The Air Wing Maintenance Section ensures the safety and reliability of all State Police Aircraft. The Director of Aircraft Maintenance is responsible for the maintenance of State Police Aircraft, both fixed and rotary wing.  The Director is responsible for compliance with all state and federal guidelines regarding maintenance of aircraft, maintenance schedules based on flight hours, activity and usage. The Director is responsible for maintaining all proper licenses and paperwork, not only for the aircraft, but also for a fully operational aircraft maintenance facility.  Responsibilities also include training and certification of all maintenance mechanics and maintaining proper inventory of parts and equipment to ensure little or no disruption to air support.

The Director of Aircraft Maintenance must ensure that Aircraft Maintenance Mechanics are competent at the duties and responsibilities of their positions and dedicated to providing excellent service. 

The State Police Air Wing provides air support for State Police missions including search and rescue in regular as well as adverse weather conditions, fire suppression, surveillance of wildlife and transport of government officials and prisoners.

The Director of Aircraft Maintenance must have a broad, diverse background in the maintenance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and be able to recognize and diagnose the problems associated with specific aircraft. 

The Director of Aircraft Maintenance must be able to determine if an aircraft has or has not received scheduled maintenance, or if the work performed is substandard or unacceptable. As aircraft are worn out and replaced, this person, as the technical expert in aircraft for the State Police, must make recommendations on new equipment, based on the mission of the State Police Air Wing, the practicality of maintenance and budget constraints. The person in this position is frequently called upon to decide if an aircraft can be safely flown from its location to the maintenance facility.  If the aircraft cannot be flown, he/she must then dispatch maintenance personnel to affect repair.  The maintenance of aircraft used in search and rescue and fire suppression is much more extensive than that of regular passenger flight. The Director of Aircraft Maintenance must weigh factors such as can the aircraft be used in adverse weather conditions, carrying water and other fire suppression materials, fly for longer periods than regular flights if on a search and rescue mission, etc., dependent upon the mission requirements.  As many of these missions could happen at any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Director of Aircraft Maintenance must ensure staff is ready to assist in the maintenance of aircraft quickly and effectively.

The Director of Aircraft Maintenance must have the first-hand knowledge of the capabilities of a law enforcement air wing, which includes search and rescue, fire suppression, air support for high-speed chases and surveillance of wildlife in crowded heavily populated areas in addition to regular transport of government officials and prisoners.
This position is responsible for the administrative functions of the Air Wing Maintenance Section. Administrative duties include:

• The scheduling of Aircraft Mechanics duties and responsibilities.  

• Prioritizing work to be completed on the aircraft.

• Deciding which work can be completed by existing staff, or if maintenance needs to be contracted out.

• Responsible for adhering to a preventive maintenance schedule in conjunction with FAA guidelines.

• Responsible for ensuring that the mechanics working on the aircraft have all the certifications and training necessary to safely work on the aircraft.

   

   

  This position is responsible to the Director of the Air Wing for the overall operation of a Federal Aviation Administration approved maintenance facility.  These responsibilities include but are not limited to:

   

• Compliance with all federal aviation administration regulations and technical data approved by the administrator.

• Ensure that proper licenses and paperwork associated with the repai