Avionics Quality Assurance

Inspired Testing; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 661,000 - 1,175,000; Full time

Job summary

Inspired Testing is seeking a Senior DO-178C Avionics Quality Assurance & Certification Consultant to support a major aerospace organisation in Abu Dhabi. The role focuses on establishing DO-178C compliant QA, V&V and certification processes for safety‑critical avionics software.

The consultant will work with engineering, software development, quality assurance and programme management teams. Ideally, the candidate has prior DO-178C implementation experience and can drive hands‑on

Qualifications

• Direct, practical experience with DO-178C/ED-12C in avionics programmes.
• Experience establishing or managing DO-178C‑compliant software development, verification or QA processes.
• Experience supporting aviation certification activities, including authority reviews and SOI audits.
• Strong understanding of safety-critical, embedded, real-time software systems.
• Experience developing certification-related documentation and compliance evidence.
• Knowledge of requirements traceability, configuration management and software QA.

Responsibilities

• Lead establishment of QA and verification processes aligned with DO-178C/ED-12C.
• Assess existing practices against DO-178C objectives and develop practical roadmaps.
• Establish traceability between system/software requirements, design, code and verification evidence.
• Support certification authority reviews and audits; provide guidance on documentation.

Skills

DO-178C experience

Avionics V&V leadership

QA process improvement

Certification documentation

Independent leadership

Tools

IBM DOORS

Jira

Polarion

VectorCAST

LDRA

Job description

Title: Senior DO-178C Avionics Quality Assurance & Certification Consultant

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Engagement: Consultancy / Contract

Duration: Initial engagement to be agreed, with potential for extension

Start Date: ASAP – ideally within 4 weeks

Security Clearance: UAE security vetting required

Role Overview

Inspired Testing is seeking an experienced DO-178C Avionics Quality Assurance & Certification Consultant to support a major aerospace and defence organisation in Abu Dhabi.

The successful candidate will play a key role in establishing, implementing and improving software quality assurance (SQA), verification and validation (V&V), and certification processes for safety‑critical, real‑time avionics systems.

This is initially a strategic, hands‑on consultancy engagement, focused on defining and establishing the processes, procedures and documentation required to demonstrate compliance with DO-178C and associated aerospace standards.

The consultant will work closely with the client's engineering, software development, quality assurance and programme management teams.

The role may subsequently expand to include oversight of testing and verification activities, supporting the development of a wider QA engineering function.

Critically, we require someone who has previously implemented DO-178C processes and supported real-world avionics certification activities. General software testing or ISO compliance experience alone will not be sufficient.

Key Responsibilities

DO-178C Compliance & Certification

• Lead the establishment of software quality assurance and verification processes aligned with RTCA DO-178C / EUROCAE ED-12C.
• Assess existing development, testing and QA practices against applicable DO-178C objectives.
• Conduct gap assessments and develop practical compliance roadmaps.
• Establish requirements traceability between system requirements, software requirements, design, source code, verification activities and evidence.
• Support preparation for certification authority reviews and audits.
• Provide guidance on certification documentation, objective compliance evidence and configuration management.
• Advise on the processes and evidence required for certification authority Stages of Involvement (SOI) reviews.

Quality Assurance Process Development

Develop, document and implement robust QA processes, including:

• Software quality assurance plans and procedures.
• Verification and validation processes.
• Requirements management and traceability.
• Change and configuration management.
• Test planning, execution and reporting.
• Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs).
• Technical reviews, checklists and approval workflows.
• Process compliance monitoring and internal audits.
• Documentation standards and quality controls.

The consultant must be capable of taking these activities from initial assessment through to practical implementation.

Verification & Validation

• Define V&V strategies appropriate for safety-critical avionics software.
• Advise on requirements‑based testing, integration testing and system testing.
• Support test coverage analysis, including structural coverage requirements where applicable.
• Provide guidance on embedded software testing and hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing.
• Establish methods for collecting, managing and presenting verification evidence.
• Ensure that testing processes support the required levels of independence, traceability and auditability.

Consultancy & Technical Leadership

• Work with senior engineering stakeholders to understand existing capabilities and identify improvement opportunities.
• Provide hands‑on support implementing new QA and certification processes.
• Develop a phased roadmap for establishing a compliant QA function.
• Recommend the engineering skills and resources required for subsequent delivery phases.
• Support knowledge transfer and mentoring of internal engineering teams.
• Act as a subject matter expert on DO-178C and related aerospace assurance practices.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• Direct, practical experience working with DO-178C / ED-12C in commercial or military avionics programmes.
• Previous responsibility for establishing, implementing or managing DO-178C‑compliant software development, verification or quality assurance processes.
• Experience supporting aviation certification activities, including certification authority reviews and SOI audits.
• Strong understanding of safety‑critical, embedded, real‑time software systems.
• Experience developing certification‑related documentation and compliance evidence.
• Practical knowledge of requirements traceability, configuration management and software quality assurance.
• Experience developing and implementing QA processes rather than simply following established procedures.
• Previous experience working with aerospace, defence or avionics engineering teams.
• Ability to operate independently and provide technical leadership in an evolving engineering environment.

We are specifically looking for individuals who have already been through an avionics certification programme and understand the level of rigour, documentation and evidence expected by certification authorities.

Candidates with experience in the following areas will be particularly attractive:

• DO-254 / ED-80 – Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware.
• ARP4761 / ARP4761A – Aerospace safety assessment.
• DO-330 – Software Tool Qualification.
• DO-331 – Model-Based Development and Verification.
• DO-332 – Object-Oriented Technology.
• DO-333 – Formal Methods.
• Hardware‑in‑the-loop and software‑in‑the‑loop testing.
• Embedded C/C++ and real‑time operating systems.
• Automated verification and structural coverage analysis.
• Aerospace configuration management and requirements tools such as IBM DOORS, Jira, Polarion, VectorCAST or LDRA.
• Military aviation, defence systems or unmanned aerial systems (UAS/UAV).
• Experience working with aviation authorities, designated engineering representatives or certification bodies.
• Previous experience establishing QA or certification processes for a new aerospace programme.

Security & Location Requirements

• Candidates must be willing and able to work on‑site in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• All appointments will be subject to the client's security clearance and background‑check processes.
• Candidates must be willing to complete the required UAE security documentation and vetting.
• Existing UK SC/DV or NATO clearance may demonstrate previous suitability for sensitive programmes but does not replace UAE security clearance.
• Previous experience working on classified aerospace or defence programmes is advantageous.
• Candidates must demonstrate a strong understanding of confidentiality and information security requirements.

Important: The client will manage the applicable security vetting process. Nationality eligibility and any additional restrictions must be confirmed before appointment.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are particularly interested in candidates who have held positions such as:

• DO-178C Certification Consultant
• Avionics Software Quality Assurance Lead
• Aerospace Software Certification Engineer
• Senior Avionics V&V Engineer
• DO-178C Compliance Manager
• Aerospace Software Quality Manager
• Avionics Design Assurance Consultant

The ideal individual will combine hands‑on DO-178C certification experience with the ability to establish and improve an organisation's QA processes from the ground up.

We are not simply looking for a test engineer. We need someone capable of advising senior technical stakeholders, developing compliant processes and ensuring that the engineering organisation is prepared for the scrutiny of aviation certification authorities.