Chief Inspector (Grand Rapids, MI)

Classification:     Nonexempt | Hourly | Full-time

Career Group | Family | Pathway | Level: Operations & Production | Quality Control | Technician | Senior

Reports To:    DOM/Operations Manager & Quality Manager

Department:    Aircraft Maintenance

Summary/Objective:

Pro Star Aviation is an advanced industry leader in aircraft maintenance, avionics, aircraft modification, custom engineering, and certification. We are driven to provide innovative solutions, quality craftsmanship, and best-in-class custom service while maintaining the highest level of integrity. We earn our outstanding reputation in the business aviation industry every day. The Chief Inspector oversees and manages all aspects of aircraft maintenance inspections, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and operational requirements. This role involves leading a team of inspectors, coordinating inspection schedules, and maintaining accurate records of maintenance activities. The Chief Inspector is responsible for implementing safety protocols, identifying maintenance issues, and recommending corrective actions to maintain the airworthiness of aircraft.

Essential Functions:

  • Ensure that all maintenance activities comply with relevant aviation regulations, such as those set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  • Establish and maintain quality assurance processes to ensure that all maintenance work is performed to the highest standards. This includes developing and implementing inspection procedures, conducting audits, and overseeing corrective actions.
  • Ensure that all applicable Airworthiness Directives are complied with and documented as required.
  • Responsible for exercising final inspection authority and authorized to sign all forms confirming compliance related to inspection, repair, and return to service.
  • Assist, direct, and train all employees assigned to the aircraft maintenance department.
  • Maintain current technical data for all articles maintained or repaired by the station. This includes relevant material including records of manufacturer’s manuals, service bulletins, FAA manuals, and other data as required.
  • Know all the procedures for the repair station, the use of the forms, tags, and completing the required paperwork as outlined in Repair Station Manual (RSM) and Quality Control Manual (QCM).
  • Be primary point of contact for the repair station with the FAA.
  • Responsible for approval for the return to service of aircraft, engines, appliances, and components maintained or inspected by the repair station.
  • Ensure inspection personnel are thoroughly familiar with applicable regulations, inspection methods, procedures, techniques, practices, aids, equipment, and tooling.
  • Responsible for repair station vendor audits, from outside vendors as well as internal audits
  • Ensure proper sign offs at the end of each task performed and at the end of the day on all work packages in the repair station.
  • Log entries, FAA Form 337 disposition, weight, and balance amendments and AFM revisions.
  • Ensure company policies and procedures are followed.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Perform other duties, assignments, or special projects as required.

Required Education and Experience:

  • Current FAA airframe and powerplant license
  • 5+ years aviation experience with at least 1 year in a quality control/assurance function
  • High School diploma/GED
  • Well versed in all Federal Aviation Regulations
  • Computer skills to include (MS Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Project), web-based applications, OEM technical publications
  • Interpersonal skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, co-works, customers, vendors, and suppliers
  • Ability to pass DOT/FAA pre-employment drug screening
  • Hold a valid driver’s license
  • Must be able to obtain an Airport Badge

Preferred Education and Experience:

  • FAA Inspection Authorization certificate
  • Experience using Quantum Control ERP

Supervisory Responsibility:
Direct supervisory responsibility including the authority to hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward or discipline subordinate employees or effectively recommend such actions.

Work Environment:

Frequent exposure to fumes or airborne particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration. Occasionally exposed to a variety of extreme conditions in the plant. The noise level in the work environment can be loud.

Physical Demands:
Regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. This position is very active and the employee frequently is required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl all day.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move objects that weigh more than 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Objects weighing 70 pounds or more must be accompanied by a second individual to avoid injury.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel:
Limited (<5%)

Please note that this Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

News

Pro Star Aviation Completes Tenth Starlink Installation

Pro Star Aviation Completes Tenth Starlink Installation

August 8, 2024

Pro Star Aviation, an innovative aerospace modification center, is pleased to announce the completion of its tenth Starlink installation. They have completed installations on the following aircraft. Bombardier Global Express XRS, Global Express 6000, Gulfstream G5, G450 and G550 models.

Pro Star Aviation Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Facility

Pro Star Aviation Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Facility

May 2, 2024

Pro Star Aviation, an innovative aerospace modification center, is pleased to announce it broke ground on a new $12.4 million, 37,000 square-foot hangar and office facility at the Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Pro Star Aviation Announces Agreement with Starlink as One of Their First

Pro Star Aviation Announces Agreement with Starlink as One of Their First

February 15, 2024

Pro Star Aviation, an innovative aerospace modification center, is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink as an Authorized Dealer for Business Aviation, which will enable Pro Star to sell and install Starlink’s new advanced aircraft connectivity platform.

Blog

Standing By

August 28, 2024

Last month, I took a look at the progress Starlink has made over the past 6 months and the excitement its connectivity has generated in business aviation. As an MRO, we have been booked solid with upgrading connectivity solutions and maintenance for aircraft owners. Pro Star is not alone in this, in fact, many MROs are busy with connectivity installations, cabin management upgrades, and operational upgrades.

Starlink Update: 6 Months In..

July 23, 2024

In the beginning of 2024, Starlink was in its infancy in the Aviation world. Experts in the business aviation industry had many concerns about how the Starlink system would work in this niche market. Now, just over six months later, several aircraft maintenance companies have had the opportunity to begin to install Starlink into business jets. At Pro Star, we have been able to complete nearly 10 installations since the beginning of the year. In total, there are now over one hundred business jets in the field with Starlink. The early reviews are in, so to speak. The results, across the board, are even better than expected. Some would say they have surpassed the expectations set by the industry after seeing their impressive demonstration at the 2023 NBAA BACE.

“A ‘New Normal’ Calls for A New Service”

April 29, 2024

At the height of COVID-19, business aviation experienced a boom. Interest was higher than it had been in several years, maybe ever. People still wanted to fly, but now, they wanted to fly privately. With a huge pool of new buyers and a limited number of new aircraft being manufactured, the demand, and therefore price, of these aircraft skyrocketed. Now, according to a recent AINsight article, the prices of pre-owned business planes have stabilized.

The ‘One-Stop’ Shop

March 19, 2024

Right now, in business aviation, what everybody wants for their aircraft is a ‘one-stop’ shop. On its surface, the idea of the one-stop shop is quite appealing. It’s biggest draw for aircraft owners is the luxury of leaving your airplane in one location to have all the necessary work done in the available downtime window. While price is certainly a determining factor, downtime truly is the number one consideration in business aviation. The idea of leaving the aircraft at a single location to complete the work only sweetens the pot. Oftentimes, the work includes (but is not limited to): maintenance, records research, specialized inspections, avionics upgrades, in-flight connectivity installations, interior refurbishment, paint, aircraft detailing and cleaning.

The Promising Future of Starlink Aviation

February 22, 2024

Back in April of 2023, I expressed some potential issues about the future of Starlink’s business model for Business aviation. In the months that have followed, however, Starlink has gone out of their way to address many of these issues. Some of these updates were noted by Pro Star at the 2023 NBAA BACE, held in Las Vegas. Now, nearly a year later, Starlink’s future in Business Aviation looks very promising, and they are poised to change the face of In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) as we know it.

2023 NBAA BACE Wrap-Up

December 1, 2023

Throughout the three-day course of the 2023 NBAA BACE, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Pro Star played a role in some significant updates for business aviation. While I was not personally present this year, Pro Star had both of its regional sales managers, as well as the general manager, in attendance. Despite the smaller than normal attendance contingency in Las Vegas, it still had one of its most, if not the most, productive conventions yet.