# Principal Avionics Systems Engineer

> Executive Recruiting Group · San Luis Obispo, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-10-28

**Salary:** USD 180,000–220,000

**Workplace:** on_site

## Description

We are seeking a Principal Avionics Systems Engineer will serve as a technical leader responsible for defining and delivering the aircraft avionics architecture. The scope includes flight-deck systems, displays, communication, navigation, surveillance, sensors, aircraft data networks, recording systems, and integration with the Automatic Flight Control Systems, Flight Management System, Vehicle Management System, Fly-by-Wire system, hybrid-electric propulsion system, electrical power system and other aircraft subsystems.

**Duties:**

-   Lead the development and maturation of the Avionics architecture, functional decomposition, requirements allocation, and design-baseline development for our prototype and certification aircraft programs.
-   Establish and maintain avionics system requirements, architecture and design descriptions, Interface Control Documents, performance requirements and bidirectional traceability.
-   Coordinate across VMS/FBW, Electrical, Propulsion, Safety, EWIS, Flight Test, suppliers, and certification stakeholders; close interface gaps early.
-   Address hybrid-electric aircraft considerations, including power availability, load shedding, propulsion and energy-status data, degraded operating modes, EMI/EMC and thermal constraints.
-   Serve as the technical authority for avionics supplier selection, requirements flow-down, design reviews, deliverables, compliance, and issue closure.
-   Evaluate supplier architectures and equipment for functional performance, interfaces, safety, environmental qualification, maintainability, and integration readiness.
-   Manage technical risks, dependencies, actions, configuration changes, and supplier accountability against program milestones.
-   Lead avionics integration and verification across simulation, SIL/HIL, lab, aircraft ground test, and flight test environments.
-   Define verification methods, procedures, pass/fail criteria, coverage, and data-review expectations for system and interface requirements.
-   Support FHA, PSSA, SSA, compliance plans/reports, certification evidence, SOI readiness, and SRR/IDR/PDR/CDR review packages.

## Requirements

-   Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Software or Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
-   Master's Degree in a technical and/or management discipline preferred.
-   10+ years of aerospace avionics and aircraft systems development experience, including safety-critical integrated avionics.
-   Demonstrated experience progressing an avionics system from concept and architecture through requirements development, supplier design, integration, ground and flight test, and certification readiness.
-   Demonstrated experience serving as an Avionics architect, Principal Engineer, technical lead.
-   Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and technically managing avionics suppliers.

## Apply

[Apply at Executive Recruiting Group](https://apply.workable.com/erg-recruiting/j/E7C3A11EDE/apply)

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