Associate Director, Flight Operations (Internal Recruitment)

Associate Director, Flight Operations (Internal Recruitment)

• 511395
• Main Campus - Starkville, MS
• Mississippi - Main Campus
• 194000 - Raspet
• Internal Posting
• Professional
• Regular Full-Time 12-month
• Opening on: Oct 27 2026

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Position Function:

The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (Raspet) is a key research center at Mississippi State University, and one of the premier university flight research facilities in the country. Established at Mississippi State University over 75 years ago, Raspet possesses a rich heritage in the design, development, and testing of full-scale flight vehicles, both manned and unmanned. The RASPET mission of advancing airborne systems technology is accomplished through 1.) Execution of interdisciplinary research in autonomy, structures, systems integration, and flight testing; 2.) Outreach to industry and government; and 3.) Providing a rich educational environment for undergraduate and graduate students. The Associate Director of Flight Operations (AD-FO) at Raspet is directly responsible to the Director for the overall administration and fiscal aspects of the Flight Operations Unit at the lab. The AD-FO aids the Director to lead the organization and maintain a safe and operationally capable team for the execution of the center''s mission. Describe the primary purpose of the position, its overall scope, and why the position exists.

Salary Grade: 18

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Mississippi State University''s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) is a historic, nationally recognized leader in the field of experimental aviation research. Founded in 1948, Raspet stands out as one of the University''s most long standing and prominently established research entities with a 70-year history of excellence. True to its heritage, today Raspet continually advances modern concepts in experimental aviation through the research, development, testing, and evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and their associated technologies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Associate Director of Flight Operations will report directly to the Director of the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (Raspet) and directly oversee the Flight Operations Unit. Their efforts should leverage the flight capabilities to support Raspet in progressing its mission to "Advance aerospace technologies, practices, and safety through solution-oriented aeronautical research and partnerships to solve the most challenging problems for our customers and the nation." The AD-FO will ensure effective coordination of initiatives and communication across flight operations, research engineering, program management, and business units as well as support coordination with the broader MSU community and external stakeholders. The AD-FO will engage with internal and external stakeholders to understand the numerous initiatives, projects, and objectives of Raspet's research and service mission, providing support and coordination at Raspet. The AD-FO's responsibilities shall include but not be limited to the following:

• Provide oversight and management of the flight operations unit to include aircraft pilots and maintainers
• Support facility management for ensuring all equipment, aircraft, fuels, etc. are appropriately stored and managed as well as basic facility repairs/needs as they arise.
• Maintain and report on all records related to aircraft status, pilot status, flight operations schedule, safety, airspace management, and other flight operations related metrics
• Communicate and coordinate within cross functional project teams for execution of operational activities, assign FO personnel to projects as SME's, and collaborate with other AD's and/or the Director to ensure organizational continuity in project execution
• Support activities pursuant to the security of funding from government agencies and industry partners
• Assist in the overall administration of the Flight Operations Unit, including performance evaluations, promotion recommendations, and recruitment.
• Provide oversight and management support of the operating budget for the laboratory including oversight of the Raspet Service Center budget.
• Liaison with faculty, administrators, alumni, students, local and state communities, industry, and government agencies.
• Represent the University and Raspet at various functions which further the mission of the University or Raspet
• Provide oversight and administration for the University's UAS Safety Policy to include provision of guidance to the team responsible for determination of compliance with UAS applicable safety standards and provide the outcomes to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development
• Oversee training to ensure all UAS pilots, sensor operators and ground observers are trained to the FAA standards specified by the applicable UAS certificate of authorization (COA).
• Oversee all trainings, currency, and proficiency standards for manned aircraft pilots
• Support Raspet director as a point of contact collaborating with the FAA and ASSURE for UAS projects and research efforts.
• Oversee and maintain updated SOPs and other relevant flight operation safety processes and ensure appropriate trainings are scheduled and maintained
• Designate non-project FSO's to missions that will report directly to the Director, but have sufficient subject matter expertise to ensure full compliance with law and policy
• Ensure compliance within unit of all applicable compliance controls to include ITAR, EAR, CMMC, CUI, etc. as well as other MSU/Raspet security protocols
• Support IP and/or other related technical product disclosures developed
• Maintain Director responsibilities when the Director is unavailable as assigned

Travel Requirement

Position may require travel up to 25% with the potential to be gone for longer durations during flight operation mission.

SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY

This position directly supervises the Flight Operations Unit and may supervise Facility Management at the discretion of the Director.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree in related field.

Experience: Minimum of 7 years of related professional experience. Must have an understanding of how to create and manage intellectual property; an understanding and knowledge of technologies related to aircraft systems; an ability to interact with aerospace and other relevant industries at the local, regional, and national level; knowledge of the aviation regulatory process and experience interacting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials; the ability to market and manage agency-funded research; and a core competency for research in one of the disciplines related to flight research. Demonstrated senior leadership involving cross-disciplinary advanced research and development in a corporate, government, or academic organization combined with an understanding of academic research and development are essential. Current Qualification and ability to maintain Part 107 and Part 61 Pilot's Licenses.

Substitutions Allowed: None

Required License / Certification: Current Qualification and ability to maintain Part 107 and Part 61 Pilot's Licenses.

Preferred Qualifications:

A master's or doctoral degree in a relevant field of study; demonstrated administrative experience; research flight test experience; CFII Pilot Qualification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Vision and leadership for the lab and its research programs.
• Exceptional academic and administrative skills.
• A strong commitment to developing and expanding research programs.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Requires some physical requirements. Requires supporting payload integrations, maintenance, and loading/unloading of aircraft and ground control equipment. May require operations in extreme heat or cold with appropriate PPE and precautions in place.
• Frequent- External imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one''s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or value of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress on a regular basis.
• Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.

Instructions for Applying:

Apply via the MSU Careers website. Link to apply: http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.

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