UAS Regulatory & Quality Compliance Officer; FAA

Position: UAS Regulatory & Quality Compliance Officer (FAA)
Description

Statement to Applicants:
This position is unable to accommodate sponsorship

Central UAS Technologies, a vertical of Central Life Sciences, is dedicated to the creation of uncrewed aerial systems which have a direct positive impact on public health, quality of life and innovative technologies for the agricultural industry. Your meaningful work will help reduce the spread of vector-borne disease, as well as limit the amount of chemicals or emissions released into the environment (through rural and urban municipalities, agricultural applications, horticultural applications, and more!).

You'll accomplish this work from our assembly shop in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Our parent company is Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT and CENTA); we offer an amazing educational assistance program in addition to great medical, dental, vision, which you will be eligible the first of the month following 30 days, plus free life and free disability insurance. Our 401k has a 3% match, and you are eligible day one. We also offer pet insurance and other voluntary benefits.

Please see our website at  for additional company information.

The Regulatory & Quality Compliance Officer (FAA) provides leadership over quality systems, regulatory alignment, and product conformity across UAS design, manufacturing, and operations. This role establishes the policies, metrics, and escalation paths that protect safety, reliability, and regulatory standing as the company scales production and fielded fleets.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Quality System Ownership

* Owns the overall quality management system, including internal audits, external assessments, and certification efforts

* Define quality objectives, KPIs, and review cadences that keep leadership informed and drive continuous improvement across production, R&D, procurement, and flight operations

Regulatory and Standards Compliance

* Ensures that design, production, and documentation practices remain aligned with applicable FAA guidance and relevant quality standards adopted by the company

* Work with Compliance and Documentation staff, the director maintains audit-ready records, clear configuration baselines, and robust controls around changes that may impact airworthiness and safety

Cross-Functional Leadership and Escalation

* Act as the primary escalation point for significant quality and compliance risks, including systemic defects, major field issues, or inspection findings

* Coordinate with Manufacturing, R&D, Flight Ops, and Procurement to prioritize and resolve cross-functional issues that affect product quality, delivery reliability, or regulatory posture

Continuous Improvement Strategy

* Oversee initiatives to reduce scrap, rework, and warranty burden while improving throughput and consistency

* Support deployment of practical, data-driven improvement methods, mentoring Quality and Manufacturing staff to use structured problem-solving and metrics to guide decisions

Team Development and Governance

* Provide direction and coaching to the Quality & Compliance team, including Quality Engineers, Coordinators, Warranty staff, and Compliance Specialists

* Ensure that responsibilities, authorities, and reporting lines are clear, and that the quality organization can scale to support increasing production volume and product complexity

QUALIFICATIONS

* Strong understanding of FAA regulatory expectations and quality system requirements for UAS operations and manufacturing

* Prior knowledge of UAS-specific compliance, including NDAA, Green List, and Blue List regulations, as well as familiarity with UAS certifications and FAA licensing requirements.

* Ability to enforce quality standards while maintaining effective cross-functional relationships

* Experience with internal audits, corrective action tracking, and controlled document systems

* Ability to interpret quality data, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement initiatives

* Familiarity with configuration control, traceability, and release documentation

* Strong communication and leadership skills across Manufacturing, R&D, Flight Operations, Procurement, and Leadership teams

* Experience supporting or leading compliance reviews, audits, or certification readiness activities

* Experience in aerospace, aviation, or regulated technical environments preferred

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

* Bachelor's degree in Quality, Engineering, Aviation, Regulatory Affairs, Operations, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered

* 5+ years of experience in quality, compliance, manufacturing quality, or regulated operations

* Experience in aerospace, aviation, UAS, or another highly regulated environment preferred

* Demonstrated experience with root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and process improvement

* Working knowledge of audit preparation, inspection response, and quality management systems

* Experience implementing or scaling quality systems across multiple departments

* FAA or aviation regulatory exposure preferred

WORKING…