Ground Operations Manager

Company Overview

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas—including airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special mission aviation, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. Wherever we operate, we build vertically integrated full stacks of capability—designing, building, and operating turnkey solutions that let customers scale capacity while benefiting from continuous cycles of innovation.

With operators and engineers under one roof, we close the gap between lab and field—what we call connecting design with effect. Metrea’s solutions are built for elegance: effective, efficient, and evolving. This approach enables our partners to do more with less and achieve outsized, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.

As an Aviation Ground Operations Manager (GOM), you will work out of our Tampa, Florida office location no less than three days per week. The GOM sits within the Special Air Missions (SAM) Group and reports to the Head of Maintenance, Maintenance (US) Capability Area. This role is focused on maintenance ground safety and is responsible for ensuring the safe execution of Part 145 maintenance and aircraft ground operations across both the Tampa home base and globally deployed ISR aircraft operations.

• Ensure safe execution of aircraft ground operations and maintenance activities in accordance with approved procedures, technical data, and company Ground SOPs
• Lead the continuous improvement of ground and maintenance safety programmes and site‑specific safety plans across all locations
• Perform periodic inspections, audits, and monitoring programmes to ensure compliance with regulatory, contractual, and company requirements
• Identify safety hazards associated with maintenance activities, aircraft ground operations, and deployed environments, and collaborate with Maintenance Leads and Managers to develop and implement effective corrective actions
• Develop and maintain safety policy, procedures, and risk assessments for all activities related to aircraft ground operations at home base and on global deployments
• Translate corporate safety standards into practical Capability Area (CA) goals, objectives, and KPIs
• Identify trends and proactively drive initiatives to eliminate incidents, including near‑miss and hazard reporting programmes
• Ensure effective occurrence and safety reporting, supporting a culture of transparency and continuous improvement
• Oversee new‑hire safety orientations, ensuring assignment of safety training and tracking of completion
• Plan and facilitate OSHA‑compliant safety training aligned with project phases, risks, and deployment environments
• Lead incident and accident investigations, including root cause analysis and report generation, maintaining all required regulatory safety records
• Coordinate emergency drills, equipment inspections, and fire prevention procedures across operational sites
• Support deployed teams operating in austere or high‑risk environments, ensuring safe execution of tasks
• Coach and develop Site Safety Representatives (SSRs) through ongoing feedback and structured development plans
• Work closely with Maintenance and Quality leadership to ensure safety is fully integrated into maintenance planning and execution
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of an FAA and ICAO Annex 19‑compliant Safety Management System (SMS) for ground and flight operations
• Support internal and external oversight activities, including FAA, DCMA, and customer audits, ensuring readiness and effective response

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must have a current Security Clearance (Secret or above)
• Minimum 5+ years of aviation experience, including lead or supervisory roles
• Demonstrated experience in:
  • Aviation safety within maintenance or ground operations environments
  • Hazard identification, risk management, and incident investigation
  • Working in Part 91, Part 135, or Part 145 environments
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • FAA regulations
  • Safety Management Systems (SMS)
  • Aviation operational risk management
• OSHA 30‑hour Certification…