Senior Director of Safety and Quality

Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Strategy: Report to the Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer, overseeing the development and execution of short- and long-term safety and regulatory strategies, plans, and resources.
• SMS and QMS Leadership: Lead the integration and continuous improvement of Safety Management Systems and Quality Management Systems across the entire business, ensuring compliance with international standards and regulations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with certification, compliance, regulatory, and engineering teams on technology projects, and manage the program management process for obtaining approvals for autonomous technology from global regulatory agencies such as FAA, NASA, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, ICAO, and EASA.
• Consultant Management: Coordinate with a roster of external consultants and experts to ensure their seamless integration into Merlin’s programs, maximizing their impact as force multipliers.
• Program and Project Management: Oversee the selection and administration of project tracking tools, optimizing program management across global policy, compliance, safety, and regulatory affairs teams.
• Team Development and Standards: Foster a culture of excellence by developing work standards and guidelines for the team, ensuring adherence to established procedures, processes, and compliance standards.
• Relationship Building: Identify, track, and manage critical regulatory, policy, and industry relationships both domestically and internationally, in collaboration with business development and company leads.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience leading complex safety, regulatory, and compliance projects in a technology company, startup, or government agency.
• Proven ability to build relationships with senior leaders in government, industry, and academia.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm and decisive in high-pressure situations.
• Capable of working independently and collaboratively within a team.

Logistics:

• Ability to travel 30%+ as needed to support team objectives and global operations.