Current Position and Detailed Tasks Assigned
José L. Muñoz has over thirty years engineering, manufacturing, testing, regulatory, safety management systems, quality assurance and project management experience in the aviation and aerospace fields. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a specialization in Operations Management Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
Mr. Muñoz began his professional career working as a flight test engineer in the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program. His duties included the preparation, real time flight test monitoring and post flight data analysis of mechanical, powerplant, electrical and air data systems. Part of his assignments included the debriefing to upper management and the client of systems performance and failure analysis support.
Later on, Mr. Muñoz moved on to the commercial aircraft manufacturing and servicing field, where he started working in the project management and quality assurance environment. His involvement included the supervision of a group of quality engineers and the monitoring of major aerospace subcontractors in Europe and the Middle East, as well the participation during the development, type certification and manufacturing of Airbus and Boeing/McDonnell Douglas aircraft.
Mr. Muñoz managed and participated in various supply chain evaluations as well as aviation safety, regulatory, quality and special process assessments throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australasia and North & South America. During that period, he dealt with several Civil Aviation Authorities, OEMs and air carriers addressing & resolving various aviation safety, regulatory, quality assurance and certification issues.
Before becoming an independent consultant, Mr. Muñoz was a Vice President at ICF and was responsible for developing proposals, negotiating contracts and eventually managing and overseeing aviation safety management, quality, technical/airworthiness, emergency response planning, regulatory assistance and post-event investigation projects to a number of clients which included Ministries of Transport, Civil Aviation Administrations, manufacturers, airlines, airport administrations, corporate aviation departments, leasing companies, insurance companies, fixed based operators, ground handling agents and maintenance facilities.
Mr. Muñoz has participated and led several risk assessment and technical assistance projects involving Civil Aviation Authorities, airport administrations, air carriers, production approval holders, maintenance facilities/repair stations, insurance companies, fixed based operators and aeronautical parts distributors. He is also an IATA IOSA auditor, an IS-BAO auditor and an ISO 9001/AS9100 auditor. He also held a Designated Airworthiness Inspector Certificate from the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation for several years.
His experience has proven to be an asset during the preparation, performance and reporting of numerous technical inspections, quality, safety management systems and risk & compliance assessments against FAA, EASA, ICAO, IATA IOSA & ISBAO requirements; other recognized industry safety standards; ISO 9001/AS 9100/AS9110, NADCAP, several OEM quality and special process requirements.
Mr. Muñoz is a US Citizen and is an active member of the American Society of Quality and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He speaks English, Spanish, Italian and French and has basic knowledge of Portuguese.
Present Professional Experience
Independent Aerospace & Aviation Consultant 07/2014 – Present
Mr. Muñoz offers industry expertise, support and guidance to civil aviation authorities (CAAs), OEMs, air operators, helicopter operators, insurance companies, MROs, government agencies, tour operators, sports associations and trade associations. He provides regulatory and technical assistance on strategic programs and contracts in line with international & industry specific standards and client specifications. Other areas of work include Safety Management System (SMS) implementations, emergency response plan development & evaluation, regulatory consulting & technical assistance, auditing, project management and process optimizations involving cost-benefit analysis and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. Additional expertise offered by Mr. Muñoz includes safety assessments, assistance with root cause analysis, the identification of safety hazards and providing risk mitigation solutions and identification of measurable safety performance indicators for specific operations. Recently, Mr. Muñoz restarted offering assistance during aircraft transactions, by providing inspection and records review services as well as developing technical clauses for purchasing agreements.
A few references include:
Ø Independent Safety Advisor to the CEO, COO and Board of Directors of a major international air carrier.
Ø Development of a safety case, which included the risk assessment & evaluation of potential accident and incident scenarios, for a UAS operator, which resulted in the first FAA approval to conduct night time operations in the US under Exemption 333 and 14 CFR Part 107 requirements.
Ø Advisory and regulatory aviation subject matter expert role during the review of the UAE GCAA Air Traffic Management (ATM) Directorate and Accident Investigation Directorate processes and procedures.
Ø Advisory and regulatory aviation subject matter expert role as part of US Trade Development Agency Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) funded contract with the CAAC of China.
Ø Advisory and regulatory aviation subject matter expert role for the Bahamas Ministry of Transport on a market study for the enhancement of the Bahamas Aircraft Registry.
Ø Advisory and regulatory subject matter expert on a market study for an Asian aircraft manufacturer.
Ø Regulatory, SMS and quality systems evaluations of substantial maintenance providers in Asia and the U.S. for a Part 121 operator.
Ø Operational safety assessments of 14 CFR Part 121, Part 125 operators and charter organizations on behalf of 3 major professional sports organizations.
Ø Participation as a facilitator for a prominent professional sports association during crisis management drill events activated as a result of staged aviation accidents.
Ø Advisory subject matter expert role regarding emergency response plans of various North American based commercial and business aircraft operators and MRO facilities.
Ø Development of comprehensive corrective action plan for a US based MRO after an EASA audit.
Ø Advisory role to an Asian carrier with regards to compliance with EU safety regulations.
Ø Post IOSA operational safety assessments of air carriers in the U.S., Africa, Asia and Europe.
Ø IOSA auditor with ARGUS PROs.
Ø IS-BAO auditor with AvMaSSI.
Ø Safety Management Systems, Quality Assurance Systems and security evaluation of a prominent MRO and completion center in the US.
Ø Safety Management Systems Concepts and Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) training to a number of air carriers, corporate operators, fixed based operators (FBOs), airports and OEMs in the US, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Ø Safety and risk assessment of an international airport in the Caribbean.
Ø Regulatory compliance and safety programs assistance to fire & police department helicopter operator of a metropolitan city in the US West Coast.
Ø Evaluation of the safety and operational aspects of Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA) services in accordance with 14 CFR Part 135 Subpart L.
Ø Developed and provided SMS courses for aviation safety officers under the auspices of NATA & AvMaSSI.
Ø Developed and provided Safety Performance Indicators/Safety Performance Targets (SPIs/SPTs) workshops for airline personnel.
Professional Experience (before August 2014)
ICF International 09/2005 – 07/2014
Vice President
Mr. Muñoz was the Vice President of Airworthiness, Safety and Civil Aviation Programs of the Financial, Technical & Operational Safety Services Business Unit of ICF. Mr. Muñoz’ responsibilities included the oversight of various Business Unit short and long-term budgets, managing and monitoring of Civil Aviation Authorities restructuring projects, regulatory consulting, post-event investigations, Safety Management System (SMS) and emergency response plan implementations and the management of safety and risk assessment audits. Various clients include civil aviation authorities, commercial air carriers, on-demand and business operators, OEMs, MROs, airport authorities, insurance companies, US Government Agencies and IATA. Mr. Muñoz also participated in the preparation and submittal of proposals to several government and non-government clients as well as supporting marketing efforts for the Business Unit.
A few references include:
Ø Managed safety gap assessments against ICAO Document 9734 Part A requirements[1]and established ICAO USOAP & FAA IASA compliance implementation plans for the UAE GCAA and Bahrain BCAA at the request of their governments.
Ø Assisted in developing a safety reporting system (which included accident and incident reporting) & aviation safety process optimizations for the UAE GCAA.
Ø Managed a safety gap analysis assessment and established a FAA IASA compliance implementation plan for the Mexican DGAC at the request of its government.
Ø Managed a safety gap analysis assessment and an ICAO document 9734 Part A implementation plan of the Cyprus CAA at the request of its Government after the Helios Airways 522 crash.
Ø Supported the Emergency Response Program post-event workshops at the SFO airport as a result of the Asiana Airlines 214 crash during landing.
Ø Managed safety gap assessments against ICAO Document 9734 Part A requirements and implementation plan of the Nigerian NCAA and Angolan INAVIC at the request of their governments.
Ø Assisted in the development of a general/business aviation regulatory reform project for the Singapore CAAS and Chinese CAAC.
Ø Supported in the development of a “go-forward” safety program at a major international U.S. airport after a fatality occurred in an aircraft movement area.
Ø Lead several aviation safety assessments at aircraft & helicopter manufacturers; FAA Part 145 & EASA Part 145 Maintenance Facilities; and 14 CFR Parts 91, 121, 125, 129, 135, 133 operators, EASA Part M organizations and air carriers operating under EC Regulation 965/2012.
Ø Participated in 14 CFR Part 139 compliance assessments at various US airports.
Ø Participated and lead IATA IOSA audits conducted at air carriers in the North America, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the CIS.
Ø Participated in safety audits at executive aviation operators in the USA, Europe and the CIS on behalf of a prominent fractional aircraft operation.
Ø Participated on the implementation of SMS and Safety First webminars for FBOs sponsored by NATA.
Ø Participated in an US DOT IG project to assess the effectiveness of the FAA oversight activities of FAA Part 121 air carriers’ substantial outsourced maintenance.
Ø Lead a team of professionals restructure an air carrier banned by the European commission as a result of safety deficiencies.
Ø Assisted in the Part 135 certification process of a State Police helicopter operation located in the US Northeast.
Ø Lead the regulatory compliance and operations safety evaluation of a US helicopter manufacturer and external load operator located in the US West Coast.
Ø Managed the development of Operations Manuals, Cabin Manuals, Maintenance Manuals, Emergency Response Plans and Safety Manuals for various international airlines and air operators.
Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. 11/1993 – 09/2005
Vice President (Regional Manager – Aeronautics & Space Division)
Responsible for the Division’s administrative, commercial and operational activities in the Americas region. Prepared and monitored annual budgets, and developed pricing policies and quotation guidelines. Responsible for the preparation, pricing and submittal of proposals. Monitored performance of training, auditing, aircraft inspection, accident investigations, quality, regulatory consulting and asset management services to several clients in the Americas and in Europe and Asia on an “as needed” basis. These included foreign Civil Aviation Authorities/Ministries of Transport, airlines, corporate operators, helicopter operators, airframe & engine manufacturers, maintenance facilities, distributors, banks & leasing companies and insurance companies. Performed ISO 9001/AS 9100 assessments in the aerospace/aviation fields under Group’s subsidiary Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI).
A few project references include:
Ø Managed the safety oversight outsourcing contract for a Civil Aviation Authority with an active Off-Shore Registry, where a group of engineers and inspectors oversaw the airworthiness of around 50 transport category aircraft operating in different parts of the world. Also, acted as a Delegated Airworthiness Inspector of the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority for Bermuda registered aircraft operating in the America’s (B767, B757, B737, B727, MD83, A320, A319, ATR and Global Express) as well as auditing of operators and approved maintenance organizations.
Ø Represented the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority during accident and incident investigations of transport category aircraft in Latin America.
Ø Conducted aviation accident investigations on behalf of a prominent European insurance firm.
Ø Participated in the development of Quality Management Systems (FAR 145, JAR 145 and ISO 9001 certification assistance) at several operators and maintenance organizations in Latin America.
Ø Participated as an aviation specialist in ISO 9001 and AS9100/AS9110 certification teams at aircraft & helicopter OEMs, aircraft & helicopter MROs and Airlines.
Ø Oversaw all Division regulatory and quality training given in the Americas. Clients included Civil Aviation Authorities, airlines, MRO and leasing firms.
Ø Oversaw aircraft technical assessments/records collections and (on occasions) aircraft repossessions on behalf of various banks and leasing firms.
Ø Monitored Aviation Safety Audits on behalf of airlines, oil exploration firms and vacation package providers.
Ø Audited helicopter operations in Latin America with flight activities to/from offshore oil exploration platforms.
Ø Managed the aircraft manufacturing inspection activities at Boeing on behalf of European, Latin American, African and Asian operators.
Ø Oversaw the successful completion of aircraft manufacturing inspection activities on behalf of Latin American and Eastern European operators.
Ø Managed a Technical Assistance Project for the Mexican DGAC. The project included development of regulations and inspection manuals, organizational restructuring, training and development of an IT system.
ROHR, INC. (now UTC Aerospace Systems) 11/1990-11/1993
Group Quality Assurance Engineer
Monitored supply chain, production and quality performance and resolved regulatory issues at major European subcontractors and partners involved in the manufacture and integration of nacelle systems installed on Airbus Industrie and McDonnell Douglas aircraft. Responsibilities included:
Ø Supervision of quality engineers located at several subcontractors in Europe and Israel and direct interface with clients and regulatory agencies;
Ø Coordination and qualifications of manufacturing processes, special processes, functional tests, intechangeability/replaceability demonstrations;
Ø Coordination of material review board activities and management of supplier audits.
Ø Coordinated quality assurance and certification activities between Civil Aviation Authorities, customers and major subcontractors.
GENERAL DYNAMICS CONVAIR DIVISION 08/1987-11/1990
Sr. Procurement Quality Engineer – Commercial A/C Programs
Monitored production and quality performance of several aerospace subcontractors in Italy and Israel during the initial production stages and type certification of the MD11 aircraft. Responsibilities included:
Ø Coordination of material review board activities,
Ø Analysis of discrepancy trends and corrective actions,
Ø Resolution of engineering and tooling problems,
Ø Approval of subcontractor’s quality plans and management of supplier audits.
Ø Coordinated quality assurance and certification activities between the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, the FAA, McDonnell Douglas and major subcontractors.
GENERAL DYNAMICS CONVAIR DIVISION 08/1984-08/1987
Flight Test Engineer – Tomawawk Cruise Missile Program
Worked as part of the flight test team and provided technical support for the coordination, execution and post flight analysis of flight tests under US Navy and US Air Force contracts. Responsibilities included:
Ø Support of test integrations, development of flight red-line documents for instrumented parameters telemetered during flight test operations as part of mission safety requirements;
Ø Provided on-site real-time data monitoring for turbofan engine, air data, electrical and mechanical systems during flight test operations.
Ø Performed post flight evaluations to support performance, avionics and mechanical design groups.
Ø Participated in post flight test failure analysis, accident and incident investigations chaired by the Program Office and the US Navy.
Ø Coordinated flight test data briefings and reports for customers and project management on a timely basis.
Ø Held US DOD Secret/COMSEC clearance.
Education
1984
B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Minor in Operations Management
Illinois Institute of Technology
Additional Training
1985
Engineering Quality Improvement Course
General Dynamics
1990
Statistical Process Control Course
General Dynamics
1991
Advanced Composites Course for Engineers
Rohr Inc. (now UTC Aerostructures)
1994
ISO 9000 Lead Assessor Course
Victoria Group
1997
IA Seminar
FAA
1999/2001/2004/2005
Airworthiness Inspectors Seminar
Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation
2000
ISO 9000:2000 Auditor Update Training
Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI)
2003
Accident/Incident Investigation/Prevention Workshop
ICAO/ISASI
2003
AS 9100 Aerospace Auditor Training
Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI)
2005
IATA IOSA Auditor Training
Wake/IATA
2008/2010/2012/2014/2016/2018
IS-BAO Auditor Training
International Business Aviation Council (IBAC)
2008
Safety Management Systems Course
(FAA/MITRE Developed) ATC Advantage
2010
IATA IOSA SMS Lead Auditor Workshop
IATA
Conducted yearly since 2005
IOSA auditor recurrent training
ICF SH&E and Argus PROs
Professional References and Additional Project Details
Available upon request
[1]Safety Oversight System areas covered include legal, CAA organization, personnel licensing, operations of aircraft, airworthiness, accident & incident investigation, air navigation services and aerodromes.
