Engineering Manager

Job Summary

The Engineering Manager is responsible for the overall management, control, and continuous improvement of all airline engineering functions. The position ensures total regulatory compliance and continuous fleet airworthiness by accurately monitoring mandatory technical requirements, compiling aircraft maintenance programs, overseeing reliability reporting, and serving as the primary technical liaison during aircraft lease transitions and regulatory audits.

Qualification

Candidates must meet the following baseline educational and language standards:

• Required Education: Bachelor's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Aviation Maintenance, Electrical/Electronics, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Language Requirement: Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Preferred Languages: Proficiency in French or Kinyarwanda is considered an added advantage.

Experience

Candidates must demonstrate the following professional background, technical skills, and leadership competencies:

• Aviation Track Record: Minimum of seven (7) years of direct experience in aviation technical services, engineering records, or airworthiness management.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of aircraft airworthiness documentation, configuration control, and strict regulatory compliance frameworks (specifically EASA, ICAO, and RCAA).
• Technical Dataset Competency: Strong knowledge of airworthiness records, configuration management, technical document control systems, and regulatory documentation architectures.
• Preferred System Experience: Hands-on experience working with industry-standard aircraft maintenance software and MRO systems (e.g., AMOS, TRAX).
• Preferred Assets: Practical exposure to aircraft lease transitions, asset returns, complex internal/external audits, and maintenance program control.
• Preferred Training: Formally completed Aircraft Type Training on commercial aircraft types operated by the airline.

Key Responsibilities

Airworthiness, Configuration Management & Technical Support

• Ensure Fleet Airworthiness: Manage all aspects of continuing engineering functions to maintain continuous fleet airworthiness and operational safety.
• Monitor Mandatory Directives: Track and implement Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), and other mandatory OEM requirements, coordinating timing closely with Maintenance Planning.
• Control Aircraft Configuration: Maintain absolute aircraft configuration control, including engine trend analysis, structural modification logs, and the introduction of new part numbers into the maintenance database.
• Provide Troubleshooting Support: Deliver engineering solutions and root cause analyses of repetitive defects to support line and base maintenance teams on operational issues.

Maintenance Programs & Reliability Engineering

• Optimize Maintenance Programs: Develop, revise, and optimize Aircraft Maintenance Programs, incorporating specialized parameters for cabin and IFE assets.
• Lead Reliability Programs: Direct the airline's Reliability Program, including compiling data for regulatory reporting and running reliability stakeholder review meetings.
• Manage Special Operational Approvals: Oversee ongoing procedural compliance and application updates for ETOPS/EDTO, RVSM, and All Weather Operations (AWO).
• Review Operational Documentation: Coordinate directly with Flight Operations Engineering to develop, revise, and maintain the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and Configuration Deviation List (CDL).

Data Digitization, Audits & Leadership

• Drive Process Automation: Champion the deployment of technical data management systems and MRO software platforms to support business digitization and data traceability.
• Manage Audit Packages: Prepare data packages and act as the central technical focal point during internal audits, lessor reviews, lease returns, and civil aviation authority inspections.
• Lead and Train Staff: Provide leadership to the technical records and document control teams, identifying training needs to develop the competence of national engineering staff.
• Track Budgets & KPIs: Establish, monitor, and report on engineering department KPIs while managing the engineering services budgeting and cost-tracking frameworks.

Skills Required:

• Industrial / Manufacturing
• Mechanics / Mechanical / Engineering