DER-Y Certification Engineer
Amca
Location
Los Angeles
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Engineering
Amca is building airplanes for the 21st century by rebuilding the industrial base that makes them possible.
We acquire and modernize legacy aerospace and defense manufacturers, integrating them into a single platform capable of designing, building, testing, and scaling flight-critical hardware with speed and precision.
By bringing product development, certification, and manufacturing under one roof, we enable better hardware to reach the aircraft faster.
Overview
We are hiring a Designated Engineering Representative (DER-Y) who is also a highly capable mechanical design engineer to help lead certification efforts across a growing portfolio of aerospace components.
You will guide products from early design through approval, ensuring certification is considered from the start rather than treated as a downstream exercise.
You will work directly with internal engineering teams, test organizations, and FAA counterparts while helping establish the certification foundation required to scale product development across the company.
This is a hands-on technical role intended for an engineer who wants to stay close to the hardware while owning the approval path.
Responsibilities
Serve as DER-Y for structural and mechanical approvals across new and modified aerospace components
Define certification strategies and compliance plans early in the design process
Partner with mechanical design, stress, test, and manufacturing teams to ensure certifiable designs
Review and approve analyses, stress reports, test plans, and compliance findings
Guide qualification efforts including static, fatigue, vibration, thermal, and environmental testing
Evaluate legacy designs and develop approval paths for improved or replacement articles
Engage directly with FAA engineers and authorized representatives
Provide technical mentorship on certification discipline and design best practices
Help build scalable processes that support repeatable approvals as the organization grows
Qualifications
Active FAA DER authorization in structures (DER-Y)
Strong mechanical design background with certified hardware in service
Deep familiarity with Part 23 and/or Part 25 requirements
Experience supporting PMA articles or equivalent approval pathways
Fluency in stress analysis and test substantiation methods
Demonstrated engineering judgment in high-reliability environments
Comfortable operating with delegated authority and technical accountability
Willing to be hands-on when needed, not purely advisory
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Plus
Experience working in aftermarket or high-mix, low-volume aerospace manufacturing environments is highly valued.
This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3).
The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.