Senior Hardware Development Engineer (Safety-Critical Computers)

Ubifly Technologies Pvt Ltd; Chennai District; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Ubifly Technologies Pvt Ltd in Chennai is seeking a Senior Hardware Development Engineer to lead the architecture of flight-critical computers and drive the DO-254-compliant design process. You will own end-to-end hardware development, including FPGA work (VHDL/Verilog), latency analysis, and systems interface with ARP4754A and DO-178C guides.

Join a bold, deep-tech startup focused on urban air mobility, building the Flight Control and Mission Computers for the next-gen electric air taxi, with a

Qualifications

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in safety-critical electronic hardware development.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical, or Computer Engineering.
• Non-negotiable DO-254 DAL A/B certification process experience with complete certification evidence.
• Proven high-reliability embedded computer architecture design using multicore processors and lockstep configurations.
• Deep knowledge of ARINC 653 and hardware-level RTOS partitioning.
• Expert HDL skills (VHDL/Verilog) and FPGA/SoC toolchains (Vivado/Quartus).
• Strong ARP4754A systems engineering experience and DO-254/DO-178C interface understanding.
• BSP development understanding for hardware platforms.
• Experience with avionics interfaces (ARINC 429, CAN, AFDX/Ethernet) and mixed-signal design.
• Knowledge of safety-critical hardware best practices (fault containment, redundancy, timing).

Responsibilities

• Architect High-Integrity Computers: end-to-end hardware architecture with multicore, lockstep, memory partitioning, and DAL-A readiness.
• Lead Hardware Development: manage external vendors or in-house teams as the primary technical authority.
• Lead DO-254 Verification: audit and verify all DO-254 artifacts and design processes.
• Hands-on FPGA Development: develop complex FPGA logic in VHDL/Verilog for sensor interfaces and data routing.
• Perform Critical Analysis: latency and timing analysis, define memory budgets and ECC/NVM usage.
• Define Systems Interface: collaborate with ARP4754A systems and DO-178C software teams to ensure safety requirements.
• Lead Verification & Validation: create and execute hardware verification plans, including HIL, simulations, formal methods.

Skills

Multicore processors

Lockstep configurations

Memory partitioning schemes

ARINC 653 knowledge

DO-254 / DO-178C interface

RTOS partitioning concepts

BSP development basics

Avionics interface familiarity

Safety-critical hardware design bestpr

Do-254 DAL concepts

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s in Electronics/Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Xilinx Vivado

Intel Quartus

Job description

Senior Hardware Development Engineer (Safety-Critical Computers)

This is the ultimate challenge in embedded systems. We are seeking a world-class hardware architect and engineer to lead the development of the most critical component of our aircraft: its brain. You will be responsible for creating the high-integrity Flight Control Computer (FCC) and Mission Computer from the ground up.

Your mission is to drive the architecture for our flight-critical computers and lead all aspects of their hardware and FPGA development. This role requires a deep, proven expertise in designing complex, high-reliability hardware and an unwavering mastery of the DO-254 certification process.

About The ePlane Company

The ePlane Company is at the forefront of India's urban air mobility revolution. Incubated at IIT Madras, we are a deep-tech startup dedicated to designing and building the world's most compact electric flying taxi. Our mission is to make door-to-door flying a reality, drastically reducing commute times and decongesting our cities for a cleaner, greener future. We're a passionate team of engineers, designers, and visionaries working on cutting-edge technology, and we're looking for brilliant minds to help us take flight.

Roles and Responsibilities

As the Lead Hardware Development Engineer, you will own the technical development of our flight and mission computers. You will:

• Architect High-Integrity Computers: Define the end-to-end hardware architecture for our flight-critical computers, specifying multicore processors, lockstep configurations, memory partitioning schemes, and redundancy management to meet DAL-A safety requirements.
  
• Lead Hardware Development: Drive the complete hardware development lifecycle, whether managing external vendors or leading in-house design teams. You will be the primary technical authority.
  
• Lead DO-254 Verification: Rigorously audit and verify all DO-254 artifacts and design processes. You will be our internal authority ensuring all hardware work is certifiable.
  
• Hands-on FPGA Development: Lead the development of complex logic in FPGAs (using VHDL/Verilog) for critical functions, including sensor interfaces, image processing pipelines, and high-speed data routing.
  
• Perform Critical Analysis: Conduct rigorous latency and timing analysis for all functions. Define and manage memory budgets and architectures (e.g., ECC, NVM).
  
• Define Systems Interface: Work with the systems team (ARP4754A) and software team (DO-178C) to ensure the hardware design correctly implements all safety requirements and provides a robust platform for the software (e.g., defining the BSP hardware requirements).
  
• Lead Verification & Validation: Develop and execute comprehensive hardware verification plans, including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and formal verification methods to prove design correctness.
  

Required Qualifications (Must-Haves)

• Experience: 8+ years of direct, hands-on experience in the development of complex, safety-critical electronic hardware.
  
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical, or Computer Engineering.
  
• DO-254 Expertise: Non-negotiable, deep, practical experience taking a hardware product through the DO-254 DAL A or B certification process. You must have authored and managed the complete certification evidence package (e.g., PHAC, HAS).
  
• Safety-Critical Architecture: Proven experience designing high-reliability embedded computer architectures using multicore processors, lockstep configurations, and robust memory partitioning schemes.
  
• RTOS & Partitioning: Deep knowledge of ARINC 653 principles and their hardware-level implementation. Must understand how hardware design enables a partitioned RTOS environment.
  
• FPGA Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in VHDL or Verilog and extensive experience with modern FPGA/SoC toolchains (e.g., Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus).
  
• Systems & Software Interface: Strong, practical understanding of the ARP4754A systems engineering process and the critical DO-254 / DO-178C interface.
  
• BSP Knowledge: A solid understanding of the hardware components and documentation required to enable Board Support Package (BSP) development.
  
• Avionics & Mixed-Signal Design: Experience with standard avionics interfaces (e.g., ARINC 429, CAN, AFDX/Ethernet) and mixed-signal design (e.g., sensor signal conditioning, ADC/DAC).
  
• Best Practices: A firm grasp of best practices for safety-critical hardware design (e.g., dissimilarity, fault containment, double buffering, redundant clocking).
  

Preferred Qualifications (Good-to-Haves)

• Hardware Safety Assessment: Knowledge of hardware safety and reliability analysis (e.g., FMEA, FTA, Reliability Prediction (MTBF)).
  
• FPGA for Image Processing: Experience developing FPGAs specifically for image processing, computer vision, or sensor fusion applications.
  
• High-Speed PCB Design: Experience with schematic capture and reviewing high-speed, multi-layer PCB layouts for signal integrity and power integrity.
  
• Environmental Standards: Knowledge of environmental qualification testing according to DO-160.
  

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work on a groundbreaking product that will redefine urban transportation.
  
• A dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative work environment with a brilliant and passionate team.
  
• Competitive salary and benefits.
  
• A culture of innovation where your ideas can directly impact the future of flight.