AD&D System Development Assurance Engineer Staff

Cirrus; Duluth (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Comprehensive health coverage

Generous PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in Duluth, MN is seeking an experienced AD&D System Development Assurance Engineer to define assurance strategies and collaborate with diverse teams. The role requires at least 8 years of experience in system development assurance along with a strong technical background in aerospace or electrical engineering. You will lead the development of system assurance plans and support validation activities, all while working to drive progress and innovation within the company. This position offers competitive benefits including a 401(k) plan and comprehensive health coverage.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of ARP 4754A/B.
• 8+ years of experience with System Development Assurance.
• Ability to work in iterative and changing environments.

Responsibilities

• Define system development assurance strategies and processes.
• Develop and execute system development plans.
• Support requirements capture and validate activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Technical knowledge

Collaboration

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

JIRA

CREO

Matlab

Windchill

Job description

Job Summary

The AD&D System Development Assurance Engineer is responsible for planning and conducting aircraft and systems level development assurance activities for Advanced Design & Development projects. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including aero, airframe, systems, safety, software, and certification engineers, as well as flight test, flight operations, and IT. This role will focus on the initial phases of aircraft development—ideation, hypothesis generation, stakeholder engagement, technology maturation, and conceptual design. This role will work with small, agile teams to explore new user value propositions, challenge the status quo, and evolve ideas into developed conceptual designs with usable development assurance artifacts ready for detailed design and certification.

Duties and Responsibilities/Essential Functions

• Define AD&D system development assurance strategies, processes, methods, and tools and align those with core Product Development’s Systems Engineering practices.
• Develop, own, and execute system development plans, and supporting policies and practices.
• Develop, own, and execute upon requirements management plans and toolsets and validation and verification planning, including the creation and continuous improvement of checklists, guides, and best practices.
• Coordinate closely with systems engineering, system safety, integration test, and flight test teams.
• Support requirements capture and validation activities.
• Own the certification planning and coordination activities related to system development assurance, internal to Cirrus and with Civil Aviation Authorities.
• Support internal and external System Reviews.
• Conduct and document functional decompositions and allocation to systems work across AD&D.
• Guide, mentor, and train other engineers on system development assurance activities.
• Support the creation and maintenance of system design descriptions.
• Participate in trade studies and design reviews.
• Support safety of flight determination for prototype aircraft.
• Coordinate closely with and support the work of system and software architects, system safety, systems engineering, system integration and verification, electrical and mechanical systems design, flight deck designers, human factors engineers, and flight test.
• Travel up to 25% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or relevant technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience with System Development Assurance activities.
• Must have a strong understanding of ARP 4754A and/or ARP 4754B.
• Must be able to conduct quick assessments and provide feedback on designs or architectures with only verbal direction or minimal documentation (whiteboard sketches, preliminary schematics, etc.).
• Must be able to work effectively in early product development phases, before full requirements or system descriptions are documented.
• Must be able to work with highly iterative or frequently changing designs.
• Must be able to demonstrate the ability to read, write and speak the English language.
• Ability to communicate technical knowledge in a clear and understandable manner.
• Intrinsic motivation to drive progress – to explore, challenge, and innovate – and to minimize administrative overhead.
• Must be innovation minded and willing to try new and different methods or approaches.
• Must be comfortable operating under tight deadlines with minimal direction and in a shop or lab environment.
• Must be proficient in reading and creating engineering design definition – 3D models, 2D drawings, sketches, schematics, BOMs.
• Ability to work both independently and across a variety of functional disciplines including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and software engineering.
• Ability to efficiently learn new skills and manage multiple tasks.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio).
• Must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, with fluency in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous aircraft development program experience, from early concepts to entry into service.
• Private pilot certificate or personal aviation experience.
• Familiarity with ARP 4754B, ARP 4761, and ASTM Standards F3061/F3230.
• Familiarity with advanced software functions and run time assurance methods.
• Working understanding of the FAA’s Safety Continuum concepts.
• Knowledgeable of or experienced with STPA (Systems Theoretic Process Analysis).
• Broad technical skillset related to aircraft, with strong understanding of systems engineering and system safety.
• Master’s degree in related discipline.
• Previous experience with Model Based Systems Engineering.
• Previous experience with JAMA.
• Familiarity with PTC products (e.g. CREO, Windchill).
• Familiarity with Mathworks products (e.g. Matlab, Simulink).
• Familiarity with Atlassian products (e.g. Jira, Confluence).
• Proficient in at least one coding language.
• Experience with FAA certification processes and standards (e.g. Part 23, Part 27, Advisory Circulars, Industry Consensus Standards).
• Direct participation in authority oversight/involvement in development audits.
• Experience in cross-disciplinary system integration and trade studies.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, negotiate, and collaborate effectively across all levels of an organization, from the shop floor to the C‑suite.

Competencies

• Product-level thinking.
• Open minded.
• Creative problem solving.
• Nimble learning.
• Collaborates extremely well.
• Action oriented.

Our Benefits

• 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting.
• Employer‑Paid Coverages: Group term life, short‑ and long‑term disability insurance.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options.
• Free Health Tracking: With rewards for meeting health goals.
• Generous PTO: 120 hours accrued within the first year.
• Employee Referral Bonus: For referring talented candidates.
• Career Development: Tuition reimbursement and professional growth opportunities.
• Exclusive Discounts: Access to partner and marketplace discounts.
• Community & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations.

Other Duties

This job description does not cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Work beyond 40 hours per week may be required.

Cirrus is dedicated to a drug‑free work environment promoting equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, national origin, color, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, veteran status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, receipt of public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.