Landing Gear Program Manager

Overview

DAS Aviation is a premier supplier of aircraft parts and repair assets, dedicated to delivering value, reliability, and innovative solutions to the global business aviation community. At DAS Aviation, benefits begin when you start. This includes medical and dental coverage, a 401(k) match, paid-time-off accrual, weekly pay, and more. We believe work should support your life—not replace it.

Responsibilities

The Landing Gear Program Manager has end-to-end responsibility for the performance of the Landing Gear Program (Falcon, Gulfstream, Embraer, and Piaggio) at the Grandview, Texas (GDV) facility. This includes program-level profit-and-loss (P&L) performance, operational execution, workforce leadership, customer relationships, quality and regulatory compliance, and delivery against established business objectives.

The successful candidate will build, develop, and lead a team of technicians responsible for servicing, repairing, and returning aircraft landing gear to service safely, with high quality and on schedule. Standard working hours will be established with the General Manager (GM) and may vary based on business demands and customer needs.

Essential Functions

Program Operations & Customer Support

• Exercise discretion and sound business judgment with minimal supervision to deliver an on-time, squawk-free customer experience while meeting all applicable regulatory, safety, quality, and company standards at GDV.
• Support customer aircraft-on-ground (AOG) requirements and provide after-hours operational support as needed.
• Evaluate new business opportunities to determine operational feasibility and alignment with the facility’s capabilities.
• Coordinate activities across Production, Quality, Receiving, Shipping, Inventory Control, Customer Service, and other departments.
• Partner with other departments to develop and manage the workflow from pre-planning through landing gear delivery.
• Plan projects and assign manpower; identify potential risks, schedule changes, and other constraints; and develop recovery plans as needed.
• Direct the work and flow of multiple projects while maintaining focus on schedule, quality, and customer expectations.
• Own program-level customer relationships by serving as a primary point of contact for operational performance, schedule commitments, escalations, and recovery plans.
• Lead customer communication through regular program reviews and timely updates on work scope, status, risks, delivery expectations, and corrective actions.
• Address customer concerns with urgency and professionalism; coordinate cross-functional resources to resolve issues and protect customer confidence.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen customer partnerships, improve service delivery, and expand program capability in alignment with business strategy.

People Leadership & Workforce Development

• Hire, assess, and develop employees at varying skill levels to ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable procedures and standards.
• Review manpower availability by skill set and shift; plan short- and long-term training needs and hiring goals to maintain an optimized workforce.
• Ensure employees receive appropriate training and development to maintain technical competency and regulatory compliance.
• Engage employees for feedback on improvement opportunities and job-related needs; take action to improve the work environment and remove obstacles.
• Perform employee-management responsibilities, including reviewing and approving time-off requests, labor charges, and expense reports.
• Build positive relationships with peers to promote effective communication and teamwork for employees and customers.

Quality, Safety & Continuous Improvement

• Foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure all work is performed to the highest technical standards and in accordance with company and regulatory procedures.
• Promote and enforce a safe work environment, including proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Monitor operational performance, productivity, and key performance indicators (KPIs); implement corrective actions when needed.

Operational Performance & Program Execution

• Establish and maintain clear program objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs), including on-time delivery, turnaround time, and customer satisfaction.
• Review performance trends routinely with the team and relevant department leaders; identify root causes and drive corrective actions to completion.
• Manage workload, capacity, labor utilization, and production priorities to balance customer commitments and available resources.
• Escalate risks to schedule, quality, cost, or customer commitments early, with a defined mitigation or recovery plan.

Financial & Administrative Oversight

• Review material purchases, billing invoices, and labor charges to evaluate costs and profitability.
• Communicate regularly with Billing to review and approve final invoices.
• Own program financial performance and support the development and management of the annual budget, forecasts, and operating plans.
• Monitor revenue, labor costs, overtime, material costs, and other key expense drivers; implement actions to achieve financial objectives.
• Evaluate program-level profitability and support pricing, quoting, and business-case assessments.
• Ensure labor charging, material usage, work-order documentation, and billing inputs are accurate, timely, and aligned with approved work scope.

Requirements/Qualifications

Your Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 4-year management degree or related field preferred.
• Airframe and Powerplant License preferred.
• A valid driver’s license approved for airline travel and/or a valid passport is ideal but not required.

Your Experience:

• 10+ years of aerospace maintenance experience required, preferably with extensive knowledge of landing gear repair and overhaul.
• 5+ years of supervisory or management experience strongly preferred.
• Thorough understanding of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and Repair Station operations.
• Experience with Corridor or equivalent maintenance software preferred.
• Strong knowledge of component maintenance, inspection, testing, overhaul, and repair processes.

Your Leadership & Initiative:

• Development and implementation of a strategic vision to elevate the program.
• Must demonstrate exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and able to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced production environment.
• Adaptable to changing conditions and effective under pressure.

Your Sense of Responsibility:

• Demonstrate unquestioned credibility, sound judgment, and ethical conduct.
• Maintain reliable attendance and be available for overtime, travel, and weekend assignments as needed.
• Perform all work in accordance with FAA requirements and applicable company procedures.
• Follow all company policies and safety rules while performing assigned duties.
• Maintain a customer-oriented approach to work.

Other Particulars

Physical Requirements

• Routine walking, bending, and squatting or sitting.
• Repetitive physical motion with arms and hands.
• Basic personal computer operations especially with Apple and Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, and Excel).

Mental Requirements

• Ability to understand and apply regulations, standards, and guidelines.
• Ability to work professionally and collaboratively with others.
• Project coordination and team management skills.

Supervision

• Will work with minimal supervision of General Manager.
• Direct supervision of Team Leads and technicians.

Working Conditions

• This work will be accomplished in both a dedicated landing gear facility and office environment.
• Equipment and systems used will include Windows, Microsoft Office products, Corridor (work orders), and scheduling programs.
• Desk phone and cell phone and other office equipment.