Sam Grainger

Background

About Sam Grainger

Aerospace Industry Executive | Certification & Airworthiness | Program & Quality Management | Software & Safety Compliance Expert With over 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry, Sam has built a distinguished career supporting certification and airworthiness, project management (PMP), quality assurance (AS9100), IT security (CMMC, NIST SP800-171, ISO27001), and controlled goods. As the manager of the 3C Design Approval Organization (DAO), Sam plays a pivotal role in supporting company operations with a focus on delivering program and quality management solutions that meet the rigorous standards of both civil and defense markets. He possesses a deep background in software development, project & requirements management, engineering, safety, and complex operations. Sam is adept at balancing technical, safety, and compliance requirements, leveraging extensive experience in project management, embedded and mission-critical software projects, object-oriented programming, and quality assurance processes. He has architected and developed software tools that enable comprehensive requirements validation and verification, from high-level project objectives down to individual test cases used on flight test and certification programs. A Transport Canada delegate (Designated Engineering Representative - DAR) for software (DO-178) and complex electronic hardware (DO-254), Sam has supported certification and research efforts for numerous programs, including electronic charts for Jeppesen, NASA’s AGATE project, UASC, Garmin, Honeywell, and Rockwell Collins. His previous involvement on programs included early Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) development, support for certification of the initial Gulfstream EFB, and the certification of the pioneering portable vector graphics software used across OEM avionics today. Sam Grainger has provided certification audits for military and commercial programs, contributed to STC flight test initiatives, and supported the certification of safety-critical software, including initial EFB approvals. Committed to sharing knowledge, he has conducted courses on software certification for Transport Canada, university-level training at École de Technologie Supérieure in Montreal, and various companies in the industry. He is dedicated to advancing aerospace safety, reliability, and compliance through innovative engineering, rigorous certification practices, and ongoing professional development.