Program & Certification Manager

Role Overview

Luminit Inc. is seeking a Program & Certification Manager to lead the execution and certification of its aerospace optical product programs, beginning with an eVTOL cabin display program. The role owns the program end to end; schedule, deliverable set, customer interface, and the certification documentation package; and drives those deliverables, the majority of which are documentation, through the program lifecycle.

The position is the primary point of coordination for the program. It directs external partners and specialist consultants, integrates their work into the certification package, and assists the customer’s Designated Engineering Representative (DER) and certification organization, who hold FAA compliance findings and the FAA interface. The role partners closely with Luminit’s engineering leadership, who hold the optical and technical authority, so deep optical expertise is not required.

This is a dedicated program role near-term, structured to flex across Luminit’s broader aerospace and automotive program portfolio as programs evolve.

Key Responsibilities

Program Execution & Coordination

• Own end-to-end execution of assigned aerospace programs from contract award through qualification, certification support, and delivery.
• Define and maintain program plans, schedules, milestones, and the deliverable register; track risks, dependencies, and open issues.
• Manage milestone-based deliverable cadence and align deliverables with contractual and billing milestones.
• Serve as the primary technical and program interface to the customer — alongside the mechanical design lead and VP of Engineering — leading program reviews and status reporting.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a primary program-level interface for customers and external partners
• Lead program reviews, milestone discussions, and status updates
• Coordinate communication between internal teams and external stakeholders to maintain alignment on schedules and deliverables
• Manage the scope of technical disclosure across certification and customer deliverables so customer and regulatory requirements are met without exposing Luminit’s proprietary process, integration, or recording technology; coordinate disclosure decisions with engineering leadership.

Manufacturing and Production Readiness

• Support transition of products from development into pilot-line and production environments
• Coordinate with Manufacturing and Quality teams to support production-readiness objectives
• Develop the V&V strategy and qualification test planning; maintain the requirements verification matrix and results.
• Integrate verification evidence — including analysis and test results provided by the engineering team and test partners — against system and customer requirements.

Certification & Compliance Documentation

• Own the system-level certification and systems-engineering documentation set: requirements and interface definitions, system architecture and description, qualification plans and procedures, compliance and traceability matrices, weight reporting, safety-of-flight declaration, and problem reporting.
• Coordinate and integrate the specialist safety, reliability, and maintainability analyses (FMEA, reliability and safety program plans, HALT, MSG-3, ICA/CMM) produced by SRM consultants, ensuring outputs meet certification data requirements.
• Collect, integrate, and own the subsystem certification documentation supplied by the projector/PGU partner — including electrical safety analysis inputs, power and derating reports, thermal analysis, and electrical/communication interface documents — assembling them into the certification package and confirming they satisfy the data requirements.
• Own the system-level electrical safety analysis, drawing on the partner’s design data and SRM-consultant methodology as needed.
• Assist the customer’s DER and certification team, who make FAA compliance findings and manage the FAA interface; produce conforming, audit-ready artifacts and supporting evidence.
• Maintain certification documentation under formal configuration and revision control.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Business, or related technical field (Master’s preferred)
• 7–10+ years of experience in aerospace program management, technical program leadership, or regulated-industry environments
• Experience supporting aerospace or FAA-regulated development programs
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycles, qualification activities, and production-readiness coordination
• Proven ability to manage complex cross-functional technical programs
• Strong communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with ARP4754A and ARP4761 safety analysis processes (FHA, FMEA, FMECA, SPP) sufficient to direct specialist consultants.
• Familiarity with aerospace reliability and maintainability processes (RPP, MTBF prediction, FRACAS, HALT, MSG-3, ICA/CMM).
• Experience with eVTOL, advanced air mobility, or other emerging aerospace platforms.
• Experience coordinating sub-tier suppliers and external specialist consultants in aerospace programs.
• Experience interfacing with FAA-delegated representatives (DER/ODA) on supplier data.
• Familiarity with optical, photonic, or display technologies is a plus but not required.

Work Environment

• On-site role based in Torrance, CA
• Cross-functional engineering and manufacturing environment
• Frequent interaction with customers, suppliers, and technical stakeholders
• Travel to customer or partner sites as needed

Export Control Eligibility

This position may involve access to information or technology subject to U.S. export control regulations (ITAR or EAR). Applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. export control regulations.

Why Join Luminit

Luminit develops advanced optical technologies used across automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Employees work on cutting-edge holographic and photonic systems in a collaborative, technically driven environment with opportunities to contribute directly to next-generation mobility and display technologies.