Safety & Compliance Lead (Flight Operations)

TL;DR

Safety & Compliance Lead (Flight Operations): Managing regulatory compliance and safety frameworks for autonomous unmanned systems with an accent on SORA processes, flight test authorisations, and military airworthiness. Focus on building robust safety management systems (SMS) and interfacing with national aviation authorities to enable rapid, compliant flight testing.

Location: Must be based in Munich, Germany

Company

hirify.global is a defence technology company developing high-performance, software-defined unmanned systems for NATO Allies and partners.

What you will do

• Lead the end-to-end SORA process, including ConOps definition and risk mitigation.
• Prepare and submit authorisation applications to LBA, EASA, and other national aviation authorities.
• Support negotiations for military permits to fly and experimental certificates with the Bundeswehr and NATO.
• Implement and improve the company Safety Management System (SMS) in alignment with EASA standards.
• Manage incident reporting, lead investigations, and track corrective actions.
• Maintain personnel qualification registers and deliver safety training modules.

Requirements

• 4–8 years of experience in aviation safety, flight operations, or regulatory compliance.
• Deep expertise in EASA Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and SORA methodology.
• Practical experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS) and safety risk management.
• Familiarity with EASA Part 21 and military airworthiness authorities.
• Business-fluent English required.
• German language proficiency strongly preferred for LBA and Bundeswehr interface.

Nice to have

• 1-3 years of experience in UAS/RPAS operations.
• ISO 9001 or AS9100 Lead Auditor certification.
• Experience with military airworthiness authorities like Bundeswehr, UK MAA, or French DGA.
• Knowledge of NATO munitions safety standards.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge autonomous defence technology.
• Collaborative environment bridging the gap between startup agility and regulatory rigour.
• Direct impact on the technological edge of NATO Allies.