Future Flight Decks Sr Principal Engineer

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of leading the development of Future Flight Decks, pilot-vehicle interfaces, flight control inceptors, and their associated systems and software features -- from ideation thru conceptual design and into practical product paths.
• Lead the drafting and refinement of future pilot-vehicle-interface philosophies and concepts of operation for simplified vehicle operations.
• Lead the design, fabrication, and refinement of flight deck mockups and developmental simulators.
• Create and manage development plans focused on early-stage exploration, requirements capture, and concept validation.
• Design and validate control logic for automated system and equipment functionality.
• Create and test hypotheses through iterative hands-on prototyping, simulation, and evaluation, with minimal supervision.
• Organize and conduct pilot and non-pilot user evaluations to assess concept prototypes and identify follow on questions, risks, issues, or areas of improvement.
• Organize, define, analyze, and validate pilot functional tasks.
• Engineer and refine requirements and objectives through stakeholder engagement and iterative experimentation.
• Translate verbal direction and vision into actionable design objectives and development strategies.
• Collaborate directly with pilots, mechanics, and experimental technicians, as well as external stakeholders such as Product Development, Certification, and Production teams.
• Work closely with other groups developing embedded systems, advanced sensing systems, advanced flight controls, and automated systems.
• Foster a culture of rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration, learning from both success and failure.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively and efficiently to diverse audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or related STEM discipline).
• Master's Degree, preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in aerospace or user interface product development.
• Broad technical skillset related to aircraft, with strong understanding of pilot-vehicle interfaces.
• Previous early product development or user interface experience – from a clean sheet to working prototypes.
• Proven track record of producing results when developing new designs or products.
• Willingness to take smart risks, accept accountability, and fix mistakes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead small technical teams and manage early development projects.
• Intrinsic motivation to drive progress - to explore, challenge, and innovate – and to minimize administrative overhead.
• Strong hands-on skills in prototyping, simulation, and testing.
• Comfortable operating under tight deadlines with minimal direction and in a shop or lab environment.
• Proficient in creating engineering design definition - 3D models, 2D drawings, sketches, schematics, BOMs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Private, fixed-wing pilot with instrument rating.
• Advanced ratings or experience in multiple types would be beneficial for this role.
• Previous experience with automotive or computer user interface development.
• Previous experience with new avionics controls and display feature development.
• Experience with creative, consumer, or design-related product development.
• Experience with human factors design, evaluations, and data reduction processes.
• Previous aircraft development program experience, from early concepts to entry into service.
• Previous experience leading Integrated Product Teams or similar technical teams.
• Familiarity with Figma and ProtoPie design and prototyping tools.
• Familiarity with PTC products (e.g. CREO, Windchill).
• Familiarity with Mathworks products (e.g. Matlab, Simulink).
• Familiarity with Atlassian products (e.g. Jira, Confluence).
• Experience with FAA certification processes and standards (e.g. Part 23, Part 27, Advisory Circulars, Industry Consensus Standards).
• Experience with at least one coding language.