Source Approval Engineer (SAR/DLA)

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.

A core part of this strategy is expanding competition within the defense aftermarket. Many critical components remain single-source, driving cost, limiting resilience, and slowing readiness. We are building the internal capability to qualify new sources at scale and bring high-reliability manufacturing back into a faster, more competitive environment.

Overview

Amca is seeking a Source Approval Engineer to lead the preparation and submission of Source Approval Request (SAR) packages to the Defense Logistics Agency.

This role owns the end-to-end approval process: assessing technical data, defining qualification strategies, coordinating testing, compiling documentation, and working directly with government engineers to secure approvals.

You are not supporting the business from the sidelines. You are enabling it. Every approval expands Amca’s addressable market and strengthens the supply chain behind mission-critical aircraft.

The right person understands what makes a SAR successful because they have done it before.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and submission of SAR packages to the Defense Logistics Agency

• Evaluate technical data packages to determine approval pathways and risk

• Define qualification strategies including test plans, inspection methods, and equivalency approaches

• Partner with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to generate required technical documentation

• Coordinate first article inspections, lab testing, and third-party validation as required

• Serve as the primary interface with DLA engineers and contracting personnel throughout the approval cycle

• Respond to technical feedback and deficiency requests with speed and precision

• Build repeatable internal processes that allow Amca to pursue approvals across multiple product lines simultaneously

• Advise leadership on approval probability, timeline, and investment required for target parts

• Help shape Amca’s broader defense aftermarket strategy through insight into approval dynamics and competitive positioning

Qualifications

• Direct experience preparing and submitting SAR packages to the Defense Logistics Agency

• Demonstrated record of successful source approvals

• Deep familiarity with DLA technical expectations, documentation standards, and review workflows

• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and qualification requirements

• Working knowledge of first article inspection, testing protocols, and aerospace quality systems

• Comfortable operating across engineering, manufacturing, and regulatory environments

• Highly organized with exceptional technical writing ability

• Operates with urgency and ownership in environments where approval timelines directly impact revenue

Preferred:

• Background in aerospace or defense manufacturing

• Experience qualifying hydraulic, pneumatic, avionics, electromechanical, or power electronic components

• Familiarity with FAA PMA, DER interaction, or other approval frameworks

• Experience inside a manufacturer, approval consultancy, or government engineering organization

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.