The Requirements

The ideal candidate for this role will be an engineer with proven team management skills, an interest in advancing the state of the art in light utility aircraft, proficiency in SolidWorks, and have experience in the FAA regulatory environment including both Part 23 and ASTM/LSA certification. Additionally, to be a good fit for this opportunity, you will have: 

• Strong management experience, demonstrated leadership skills, and a track record of achieving results
• 7+ years of direct aeronautical or aircraft design and engineering experience, preferably in small general aviation aircraft
• A bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical, Aerospace, Mechanical or other applicable Engineering discipline from an accredited college or university Quick question for you - click here
• Knowledge and/or development of aerodynamic load analyses, aerodynamic input to aircraft design, and principles used in classical performance and flying qualities and flight testing of fixed wing aircraft
• Knowledge of FAA certification procedures/regulations, FAR parts 21, 23, applicable advisory circulars, QA, and interfacing with FAA regulatory agencies
• Working knowledge of SolidWorks and other CAD software typical in aircraft design and engineering environment
• Proven ability to successfully manage multiple programs, articulate clear vision and strategy, and organize/motivate team members toward those goals
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal
• Experience recruiting, hiring and mentoring staff 
• Familiarity with MS-Office, MS-Project Manager and other software tools
• The ability to provide first class customer service to all levels within the organization

In order to truly find success here you will enjoy the challenge and success of continuous improvement, high-activity, and an independent and exciting work environment.

The following qualifications will be considered a plus, but not required. 

• A passion for small aircraft; a private or student pilot, aircraft homebuilder, “tube and fabric” aircraft and/or tail wheel enthusiast 
• DER, DAR, ODAR or equivalent Organizational Delegation Authorization or similar experience
• Knowledge and experience using LEAN manufacturing, Six Sigma or similar manufacturing process management A Master’s degree 

You should also be willing and able to travel on occasion to attend FAA meetings, conferences and trade shows. 

The Role

Reporting to the President, as the Director of Engineering you will have three key priorities: 

1.    Managing the Engineering department and workflow. 
2.    Overseeing all major projects. 
3.    Contributing strategically to the business. 

This is a visible, high impact role, and you can expect to collaborate with a variety of key players throughout the organization and externally. In addition to leading and coaching your team of 14 talented Engineers (and we expect this number to grow in the future), you will also partner with the senior management team and directors on overall company business strategy development and implementation. Externally, you will work with our contracted, external team of highly-specialized engineering resources and consultants. 

You will have responsibilities in engineering, regulatory management, product development, and operations. You’ll be tasked with driving both new product development and continual improvement of products and manufacturing processes to provide safer products, better performance, improved aesthetics, reduced cost, and improvement of the manufacturing processes. 

More specifically, your responsibilities will include: 

• Engineering:

o    Engineering department staff organization, workflow management, and leadership. Includes recruiting, ongoing personnel training and improvement programs, and leadership of engineering team toward department goals.
o    Managing outside contractors where they are used due to inadequate expertise in-house or inadequate workload capacity.
o    Ongoing Airworthiness support:  primary responsibility for Service Letters, Alerts, Bulletins, and other owner support issues.
o    Coordination and oversight of all design engineering and production engineering for aircraft design, drafting, prototyping, static and flight testing, and certification and individual aircraft component projects.
o    Development and optimization of instructions and process specifications to ensure that aircraft and other products are engineered and manufactured in conformance with type design and customer requirements.
o    Participating on R&D Team in developing new concepts and continual product improvements, final development and production incorporation of new products deemed viable by the Product Evaluation Group.
o    Independently making decisions on engineering problems and the best methods to resolve important issues as they pertain to the production environment.

• Regulatory:

o    Maintaining an ongoing awareness of the regulatory environment, both ASTM and Part 23, see that CubCrafters is compliant and responsive.
o    Secondary point of contact for the Federal Aviation Administration (Certified Products), and participation in the ASTM Light Sport Aircraft Committee F37, outside vendors/suppliers.
o    Production Certificate support:  responsible for compliance with the FAA Memorandum of Agreement and the requirements therein, ability to maintain Major/Minor FAA Delegation.
o    Supplemental Type Certificate & PMA development projects. 
o    Review of non-standard aircraft options for scheduling and compliance.

• Managing Special projects as assigned. 

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Pictured: our Sport Cub S2 puts you in touch with the very essence of stick and rudder flying, complimented with thoroughly modern touches such as adjustable seating, cabin heating and standard AmSafe airbags. Thanks to the extensive use of weight-saving carbon fiber, the S2, with a 100 horsepower Continental engine, delivers a climb rate comparable to regular aircraft with 50% more power.

Why CubCrafters

Growth and impact -- CubCrafters in the midst of a major growth mode, and you'll be joining us at an exciting time. Although many key players in the aviation industry have been negatively affected by the recession, we've bucked the trend and continued to grow and expand. Historically, engineering capability and throughput have been our greatest constraints, and we will look to you to come in and identify ways to overcome these challenges and take the business to the next level of success. 

Exciting projects -- you'll gain valuable exposure to a variety of projects and industry contacts.  For example, we have a Part 23 certification project underway, that we are four years into and about a year away from completing. As you already understand, to be granted a TC and bring an airplane to market is a major accomplishment and you'll play a key role in driving this project to the finish line.

Tradition of innovation -- when Jim Richmond founded CubCrafters back in 1980, he saw the potential to improve the performance of his favorite plane, the Super Cub. That entrepreneurial spirit has driven CubCrafters ever since. A recent example: in response to the creation of the Light Sport Aircraft class, CubCrafters developed the 100-horsepower Sport Cub and the phenomenal new 180 hp Carbon Cub SS (pictured above). The Carbon Cub SS provides the shortest takeoff, fastest climb rate and shortest landing of any aircraft in its class.

Get into the sky -- nothing is quite so motivating as climbing into the cockpit of the products you help design and build, and soaring past the slopes of Mt. Rainier or coasting about the trees that line the Columbia River. We maintain a Sport Cub exclusively for the use of our employees, who can reserve and fly it for $60 per hour "wet" -- a considerable discount.

Great environment -- the key characteristic of our culture is passion . . . we simply love to design, build and fly great light sport aircraft. You'll also find a close-knit family feeling and a large number of long-tenured employees. The atmosphere is very energetic, and we're expanding both domestically and globally. In fact, we're adding this role to accommodate our ongoing growth.

Competitive compensation – We are seeking only candidates who want to soar to their true potential, and be equally compensated when your goals are achieved. In addition to a competitive salary, CubCrafters offers an excellent benefit package including health, dental, vision, long term disability, life insurance, company savings plan, profit-sharing plan, and vacation/sick time and holiday pay.

Pictured: the Carbon Cub SS (above) is a POWERFUL airplane with no equal in takeoff and landing performance. Take off in two or three lengths of the airplane when you are light, and four or five at gross weight! The Top Cub (right) is stronger and can carry more cargo, while still taking off and landing in short distances, with greater pilot control. In both cases, the power and performance is matched only by the airplane's nimble handling and slow speed manners.

Keys to Success

To excel here you'll bring high energy and the adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced environment. You'll need to be able to execute, lead the team, and manage complex projects. Teamwork and collaboration are fundamental to our culture, so you'll need to be able to work effectively with diverse personalities at all levels. Quick question for you - click here

The ideal candidate will be passionate about airplanes and eager to improve our products. We will welcome your vision and innovative ideas on how we can make a good thing even better--creating the best small aircraft on the market, for recreational and bush pilots who are just as passionate about flying them. This is a role that you'll be able to feel that sense of overall ownership and pride that you can't find in the silos of the big companies.

Additionally, in order to be an outstanding Director of Engineering, you should also possess the following management competencies: 

• Executive skills
• Business skills
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills 
• Management skills 
• Technical skills and knowledge 

Why Yakima

We love the Yakima Valley, but we also recognize that it isn't for everybody. First, here are some of the reasons we wouldn't live anywhere else:

• 290 days of sunshine a year and wide open blue skies; we get some snow in the winter, and summer temperatures average in the high 80s.
• More than 100 award-winning wineries.
• Outdoor sports, from snowmobiling to white water rafting, and from hunting to fly-fishing.
• Farm fresh local produce like apples, peaches and cherries -- some farms let you pick your own.
• Berries, berries, berries.
• The annual Fresh Hop Ale Fest (we grow most of America's hops right here).
• A cost of living, including housing, that is considerably lower than on the coast, and below the national average.
• No traffic.

On the other hand, if you need a steady dose of urban energy, Yakima probably isn't the place for you. The city of Yakima has more than 90,000 residents and the metro area is almost 250,000 strong. Valley Mall, in nearby Union Gap, features a wide array of national retailers. So we're not a small town, but we're not Seattle.

If we determine that you are a strong candidate, we'll invite you to visit Yakima and get a feel for the lifestyle here. Meanwhile, for a little more information, visit Yakima Valley Tourism. Clicking on this link will open a new browser window, but be sure to come back to submit your resume!

Pictured: rafting on the Yakima River in summer (above). Yakima Valley's wine country (left) rivals the great growing regions of the world, particularly for red wines.

About CubCrafters

Adventure Included

We here at CubCrafters are natural explorers. We love what we do. From the beginning, what distinguished our founder's vision was his ability to recognize the potential performance that he believed had never been fully developed in the Super Cub. An innovative engineer as well as an accomplished airframe and power plant mechanic, Jim was constantly on the lookout for interesting modifications and refinements. Over the next two decades, this ambition evolved to the stage where CubCrafters was no longer in the modification business so much as it was building new airplanes - airplanes greatly improved from the original Super Cub.

CubCrafters offers three all new, ready-to-fly aircraft: The Sport Cub S2 is a thoroughly updated redesign of the classic airplane that inspired the light sport category. The Carbon Cub SS is a stronger and more powerful version of the S2, with 180 horsepower available for take-off and climb, making it the most powerful LSA aircraft in production. The Top Cub boasts a useful load of over 1000 pounds, making it among the most capable two-place personal and utility aircraft available. CubCrafters also offers the Carbon Cub EX, the lightest, most complete and best engineered Cub kit available.

CubCrafters operates in a modern 40,000 square foot facility on the edge of McAllister Field Airport in Yakima, Washington. It's an idyllic spot for flying and testing our planes: big skies, punctuated on the Western horizon by the always snow-capped peaks of the Cascade mountain range. 290 days of sunshine each year. The nearby countryside dotted with wineries, orchards and rangeland. Inside our buildings, over 160 dedicated and highly skilled people come together to build some of the most innovative and exciting aircraft available. The process is a unique combination of time-tested handcrafting, complemented with the latest in computer-aided design and fabrication.

In many ways, this is every enthusiast's dream workshop. Spotless. Organized. Ideally configured to optimize the process of building an airplane to the highest levels of precision. Proven principles of lean manufacturing ensure that there is no outdated inventory and that all parts and procedures are under constant scrutiny for possible improvement.

Unlike many manufacturing facilities, the CubCrafters factory houses all departments involved with the design, support and sales of our airplanes. This close proximity results not only in operational efficiencies, but also in a tangible sense of teamwork and shared purpose that is at the very core of our business. It is an indispensable part of what makes a CubCrafters airplane so special.