Head of Technology – Inertial Systems (INS / AHRS / IMU)
Aeron Systems Pvt. Ltd.
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Job summary
Aeron Systems Pvt. Ltd. in Pune is seeking a visionary Head of Technology for Inertial Systems to own the technical vision, architecture, and delivery of INS/AHRS/IMU products across aerospace and defence sectors.
Lead cross‑functional teams, drive platform scalability, and shape certification strategies for airborne sensors. Responsibilities include system architecture, sensor hardware & DSP, Kalman‑filter fusion, GNSS/INS integration, and ensuring robust, certifiable performance.
Qualifications
- Extensive experience in inertial navigation, sensor fusion, and calibration.
- Proven track record delivering avionics sensors from concept to production.
- Strong systems engineering, architecture, and certification exposure.
- Leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in aerospace or defence domains.
- Experience with DO-178C, DO-254 and safety-critical software practices.
Responsibilities
- Own technology roadmaps for INS, AHRS, and IMU product families across platforms.
- Define platform architecture for sensor, electronics, firmware, and algorithms.
- Lead system-level design reviews and certification activities with authorities.
- Oversee embedded software & DSP development, testing, and integration.
- Manage budgeting, supplier relations, risk, and cross-functional delivery.
- Interface with OEMs and defense partners to tailor variants and configurations.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The Head of Technology – Inertial Systems will own the technical vision, architecture, and delivery of the organization’s inertial navigation product portfolio, spanning Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS), and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) for aerospace, defence, marine, land/autonomous, and industrial use cases. The role combines deep, hands‑on expertise in inertial sensing, sensor-fusion algorithms, digital signal processing (DSP), and embedded systems with the leadership required to build and guide multi‑disciplinary teams and to deliver reliable, certifiable avionics sensors for airborne platforms, alongside non‑avionics variants built on a common technology platform.
Define and own the multi‑year technology and product roadmap for INS, AHRS, and IMU product families across aerospace, defence, marine, land, and industrial applications
Establish a common, scalable platform architecture (sensor, electronics, firmware, and navigation‑algorithm building blocks) that can be tailored to different performance grades, form factors, and use cases
Drive technology selection and make‑vs‑buy decisions for inertial sensors (MEMS, FOG, RLG, and others), GNSS receivers, processors, and FPGAs
Track emerging technologies such as new gyroscope and accelerometer technologies, GNSS‑denied and alternative‑aiding navigation, and AI/ML‑assisted error modeling, and assess their applicability to the product portfolio
Lead system‑level architecture and design of inertial systems from concept, design, integration, and qualification through certification and production readiness
Apply systems engineering processes across the product lifecycle including:
Requirements definition and management
Performance and error‑budget allocation
Interface management (electrical, mechanical, data, and protocol)
Verification and validation
Configuration control
Ensure requirements traceability from system‑level requirements to hardware, firmware, and algorithm implementation
Lead system‑level design reviews such as:
SRR (System Requirements Review)
PDR (Preliminary Design Review)
CDR (Critical Design Review)
TRR (Test Readiness Review)
PRR (Production Readiness Review)
Oversee integration of inertial systems with host platforms such as aircraft, UAVs, vessels, ground vehicles, and stabilized payloads
Guide the design of inertial sensor assemblies including sensor selection, analog and digital front‑ends, mixed‑signal electronics, power, and mechanical/thermal packaging optimized for size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP‑C)
Lead sensor characterization, error modelling, and calibration (bias, scale factor, misalignment, temperature, and g‑sensitivity effects), including noise analysis such as Allan variance
Define production calibration and test strategy, including automated test equipment, rate tables, and thermal chambers
Own hardware reliability targets, including MTBF and environmental performance
Lead development of strapdown navigation algorithms including attitude, velocity, and position computation, initial alignment (static and in‑motion), and coning/sculling compensation
Guide the design of Kalman‑filter‑based sensor fusion (EKF / UKF / error‑state) for GNSS/INS integration (loosely and tightly coupled) and aiding sensors such as magnetometers, air data, barometers, odometers, Doppler velocity logs, and vision/optical‑flow sensors
Oversee DSP design including digital filtering, sampling and timing, anti‑aliasing, decimation, vibration rejection, and multi‑sensor time synchronization
Define integrity monitoring, fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR), and built‑in test (BIT) strategies
Ensure algorithms are validated through simulation, Monte Carlo analysis, hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing, and field/flight testing, and remain robust under GNSS outage, jamming, and spoofing conditions
Oversee real‑time embedded architecture across microcontrollers, DSPs, FPGAs, and SoCs, including RTOS or bare‑metal design, deterministic timing, and low‑latency processing
Define software architecture, coding standards, and development processes aligned with airborne software certification requirements
Ensure robust data interfaces and protocols such as ARINC 429, CAN / CAN Aerospace, RS‑422 / RS‑485 , and Ethernet
Drive modern engineering practices including model‑based development, continuous integration, and automated regression testing
Define firmware update, configuration management, and data‑logging capabilities for fielded units
Manage certification and qualification activities for avionics inertial sensors and systems
Coordinate with certification authorities and designated representatives (such as FAA, EASA, DGCA, and CEMILAC, as applicable)
Ensure compliance with applicable aviation and safety standards such as:
DO-178C (Airborne Software)
DO-254 (Airborne Electronic Hardware)
ARP4754A (Development of Civil Aircraft and Systems)
ARP4761 (Safety Assessment)
AS9100D (Quality Management)
Support qualification of defence and industrial variants to standards such as MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461 , as applicable
Support preparation of certification documentation including compliance matrices, test plans, and certification artifacts
Build, mentor, and lead a multi‑disciplinary team across sensors, hardware, firmware, algorithms/DSP, systems engineering, and test
Set engineering standards, design practices, and a strong design‑and‑code‑review culture
Recruit, develop, and retain key technical talent, and define technical career paths
Foster a culture of technical rigor, safety, and quality
Serve as the senior technical interface with customers, aircraft OEMs, integrators, defence primes, and research institutions
Translate use‑case requirements (accuracy, SWaP‑C , environment, and certification needs) into product variants and configurations
Manage strategic relationships with inertial sensor, component, and GNSS suppliers, and evaluate supplier technical risk
Support customer acceptance, qualification testing, and field issue resolution
Provide technical oversight of multiple concurrent development programs, ensuring delivery within scope, timeline, and budget
Identify and manage technical, schedule, certification, and integration risks, and maintain risk registers and mitigation plans
Own the R&D budget, cost‑of‑goods targets, and engineering resource planning across disciplines
Protect and grow intellectual property through patents, trade secrets, and technical publications
Oversee system integration, verification, validation, and qualification testing
Ensure readiness for environmental and reliability testing including:
Vibration and shock
Thermal cycling
EMI/EMC
Coordinate transition from development to production, including:
Design transfer
Manufacturing readiness
Calibration and production test readiness
Configuration baseline release
Drive continuous improvement, obsolescence management, and field‑performance feedback across the product lifecycle
Strong understanding of inertial navigation including strapdown mechanization, coordinate frames, error propagation, and gyroscope/accelerometer error models
Working knowledge of inertial sensor technologies (MEMS, FOG, RLG) and their performance grades and trade‑offs
Experience with Kalman filtering and multi‑sensor fusion (GNSS, magnetometer, air data, and other aiding sources)
Understanding of GNSS fundamentals and navigation in degraded or GNSS‑denied environments
Proven experience developing sensor systems, including characterization, calibration, compensation, and noise analysis
Solid grounding in mixed‑signal hardware design: low‑noise analog, high‑speed digital, power, EMI, thermal, and PCB design
Strong embedded systems experience: C & C++, RTOS or bare‑metal firmware, and MCU/DSP/FPGA/SoC platforms
Familiarity with avionics communication protocols such as:
ARINC 429
CAN / CAN Aerospace
RS‑422 / RS‑485
Ethernet
Digital signal processing: filter design, multirate processing, spectral analysis, and timing/synchronization
Estimation and control theory, modeling, and simulation (MATLAB / Simulink, Python)
Test and validation methodology including Monte Carlo analysis, hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing, and motion‑table / flight‑test data analysis
Hands‑on experience developing avionics sensors for aerospace applications
Knowledge of safety‑critical and flight‑critical system development
Working knowledge of DO-178C , DO-254 , ARP4754A / ARP4761, and DO-160 (Optional)
Requirements management and traceability
Functional and physical architecture development
Understanding of environmental qualification and reliability testing for avionics
Experience with requirements, project, and configuration management tools. Examples:
Git / SVN / configuration control systems
Technical leadership of multi‑disciplinary engineering teams
Strategic thinking and ownership of technology roadmaps, balancing R&D with delivery
Decision‑making under technical, schedule, and cost constraints
Communication with customers, executives, and other stakeholders
Structured problem‑solving and escalation management
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (PhD an advantage) in:
Electronics Engineering / Electrical Engineering
Control / Instrumentation Engineering
Typically 15–20+ years of experience in inertial systems, avionics sensors, or safety‑critical electronics development, including at least 5 years in senior technical leadership
Demonstrated experience developing INS, AHRS, IMU, or comparable sensor systems from concept through production
Proven track record developing avionics sensors for aerospace applications through qualification and certification
Demonstrated experience leading multi‑disciplinary teams across hardware, firmware, algorithms/DSP, and test
Experience delivering inertial products for multiple use cases (for example manned aircraft, UAVs, defence, marine, and land vehicles)
Experience with tactical‑or navigation‑grade systems using FOG, RLG, or high‑performance MEMS sensors
Experience with GNSS/INS integration and GNSS‑denied navigation
Experience with hardware and software certification programs (DO-254 / DO-178C)
Experience working with aircraft OEMs, avionics integrators, or defence primes
Experience transitioning products from development to production, including calibration and test automation
Patents or publications in inertial navigation, sensor fusion, or related fields
PMP
Experience working under AS9100D quality systems
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