Autonomy Chief Engineer

About the role

Electra seeks a highly experienced Autonomy Chief Engineer to lead the design and integration of flight autonomy systems on future variants of Electra's flagship nine-passenger EL9 aircraft and other new products. This role will serve as a primary architect and system integrator, with emphasis on understanding the customer use cases to build conviction on the internal requirements before executing the program by maturing the design and partnerships through successful gate reviews.

Responsibilities

• Customer and Partner Engagement
  • Partner with internal government and commercial programs leaders to deeply understand the real needs of the customers, not just their explicitly stated goals.
  • Synthesize these inputs to develop system requirements and concept of operation that define what Electra will develop to.
  • Assess state of suppliers for various elements of the autonomy architecture including system components, support infrastructure, and data.
  • Lead supplier/partner engagement and selection efforts.
  • Support internal and external communication of Electra's autonomy strategy.
• Technical Integration and Design Maturity
  • Define autonomy concept of operations, functional decomposition, and system architecture.
  • Develop integration strategies aligned with existing EL9 aircraft design.
  • Evaluate architectures and interfaces for completeness, performance, and integration risk.
  • Partner with the EL9 PMO to conduct trade studies for autonomous capability enhancements.
• Requirements Development and Traceability
  • Lead the development of requirements for EL9 autonomy system, including both aircraft requirements and non-aircraft associated elements.
  • Develop operational plan for the system including training systems, operational specifications, minimum equipment lists, etc.
  • Collaborate with product development teams to ensure sound requirements flowdown and traceability.
  • Assess verification approaches to confirm practicality and alignment with program objectives.
• Gate Review and Development Plan
  • Assemble development and test plan for autonomy systems.
  • Lead gate reviews as design matures.
  • In collaboration with the Certification Team, support the development of an initial certification strategy with the relevant airworthiness authorities, especially defense authorities.
  • Provide recommendations to program leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience (advanced degree preferred).
• US Persons required.
• Extensive experience (typically 12+ years) in flight autonomy or highly automated systems development.
• Proven ownership of complex autonomous system design and integration.
• Experience supporting or participating in government certification programs, including FAA and/or defense airworthiness processes.
• Strong background in formal development processes (e.g., ARP4754B).
• Demonstrated technical leadership of engineering teams and supplier engagements, through direct management and/or senior technical direction.
• Experience conducting trade studies and preparing for design reviews.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to deliver clear, actionable technical feedback.

Nice to have

• Pilot certificate preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with development and test planning for ground and flight activities.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading certification activities, including FAA or defense airworthiness.
• Demonstrated mentorship of senior engineers and IPT leads.

Pay

This range reflects the anticipated hiring range across all eligible locations; actual compensation is determined based on your relevant experience, skills, and geographic location. Total compensation includes performance bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Compensation Range: $175,000 USD - $215,000 USD

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance.
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays.
• Paid winter break.
• 401(k) with immediate vesting.
• Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters.
• Free on-site parking.