The Director of Safety provides strategic leadership and oversight of the School of Aeronautics' comprehensive safety program, ensuring the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the School's Safety Management System (SMS). This position advances a proactive safety culture through safety policy, risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance across all academic and operational environments. Serving as the principal safety advisor to School of Aeronautics leadership, the Director collaborates with leadership, faculty, and staff to identify hazards, mitigate risk, and promote operational excellence. The Director maintains situational awareness of daily operations and safety performance, evaluates the effectiveness of risk controls, and leads continuous improvement initiatives that support a safe, compliant, and high-quality training environment. Through leadership, education, and engagement, the Director fosters a culture of accountability and safety that advances the School of Aeronautics' mission.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Promotes a culture of safety among faculty, staff, and students by fostering cooperation, communication, and training across all LUSOA departments, ensuring personnel at every level understand their safety responsibilities and accountabilities.
• Ensures that LUSOA policies and procedures align with FAA, NTSB, and OSHA safety regulations, and assists in the revision of documentation, including safety procedures, training guides, and checklists.
• Serves as a safety liaison between the School of Aeronautics and internal and external stakeholders, providing regular briefings, analyses, and recommendations on safety performance, emerging risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Manages the Safety Reporting System to confidentially and promptly address concerns, and analyzes safety risks using data from reports, surveys, and toolbox talks.
• Oversees the LUSOA Emergency Response Plan to ensure preparedness for aviation accidents, and leads investigations into accidents, serious incidents, and safety occurrences.
• Engages directly with directors of Flight, AMTP, UAS and Simulator Operations to ensure daily operational risk management. Addresses real-time safety concerns through identifying hazards, analyzing risk, and mitigating risk.
• Oversees Safety Assurance processes, including verification of operational risk control effectiveness, coordination of internal and external safety audits, and management of the Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) program.
• Strictly adheres to Liberty University policies, representing the University in an exemplary manner.
• Works effectively as a team member, embracing and fostering LU’s Christian model and Mission – Training Champions for Christ.
• Performs other duties and tasks as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES  

Directly supervises one (1) Associate Director of Safety and one (1) student worker.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications:

• Four-year college degree in aviation, safety, or a related field.
• Knowledge of appropriate regulatory requirements (14 CFR 5, 60, 61, 91, 141, and 147).
• Proven ability to design and implement safety initiatives for complex multi-faceted operations.
• FAA certificates (CFI & CFII).
• Hold and maintain a third-class medical or higher.

Preferred Qualifications:

• FAA certificates (MEI, A&P, and/or IA).
• 141 flight training and/or 147 maintenance training experience.
• Master's degree in aviation, safety, or a related field.

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOB

Communication and Comprehension

• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well articulated information.
• Ability to understand, speak, and write English in order to convey messages and correspond in an articulate and professional manner.
• Possess public communication skills that allow professional representation of Liberty University.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Computer skills

Problem Solving

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• May be required to travel out of state.
• May be required to sit to perform deskwork or type on a keyboard.
• Regularly required to hear and speak in order to effectively communicate orally.
• Regularly required to stand, walk, and climb stairs to move about the campus.
• Handle materials, reach overhead, kneel or stoop in order to conduct business.
• Regularly lift 10 or fewer pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work Environment

The working environment in which one will typically perform the essential functions of this position is a climate-controlled setting.  It is well lighted, and the noise level is moderate.  Working environment may include facilitation of events outdoors occasionally.

Driving Requirements

If the employee is required to travel in performing the duties and responsibilities of the position, the use of one’s personal vehicle (or LU vehicles) may be required for travel.  Proof of a valid driver’s license, an acceptable DMV record, LU Driving Approval, and liability insurance is required when driving in the performance of the employee’s position.
 

 

 

Time Type

Full time

Location

Onsite

 

 

Pay Range

Compensation is determined based on factors such as qualifications, experience, education, skills, and certifications, along with University needs and external market conditions. Market benchmarks may be used, as appropriate, in combination with internal equity to ensure pay is fair and aligned with the broader compensation structure.

The position may also be eligible for comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance.

 

 

$85,000.00 - $100,000.00

 

 

The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job. All personnel related activities such as compensation, benefits, transfers, job classification, assignments, working conditions, educational assistance, terminations, layoffs, and return from layoffs, and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including all applicable state of employment protected classes. The University is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. The University’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations (including educational institutions), and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.