Aircraft Services Architect

Global Connect Technologies; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace technology firm is seeking an Aircraft Services Architect to lead the architecture and design of aviation software systems. The role involves ensuring compliance with aviation certification standards and collaborating with engineering and OEMs. Candidates should have over 8 years of experience in aviation software architecture and a degree in Computer Science or Aerospace Engineering. Strong communication skills and experience with cloud-native technologies are essential.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in aviation software architecture and design.
• Prior experience working with aircraft OEMs or aviation systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Define system and product requirements for aviation software systems.
• Translate requirements into technical specifications and architecture artifacts.
• Design and implement software architectures complying with aviation standards.

Skills

Aviation software architecture

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering

Tools

MySQL

MariaDB

SQLite

Confluence

Visio

Draw.io

Job description

The Aircraft Services Architect will lead the architecture and design of advanced aviation software systems, ensuring compliance with aircraft certification and security standards. This role focuses on building secure, scalable, and compliant in-flight and aircraft services platforms, working closely with OEMs, engineering teams, and cross-functional stakeholders across multiple domains.

Key Responsibilities

• Define functional and non-functional system and product requirements for aviation software systems.
• Translate requirements into detailed technical specifications and architecture artifacts.
• Design and implement software and system architectures meeting DO-178C, DAL-D/E, and SAL 1–3 requirements, including domain and data segregation.
• Drive architecture for hosting platforms leveraging cloud-native and virtualization technologies.
• Ensure compliance with aviation standards, regulations, and security best practices.
• Collaborate with engineering teams, aircraft OEMs, and manufacturers for system integration, validation, and certification.
• Design and implement secure system architectures, including:
  • Secure boot
  • Secure firmware updates
  • Secure communication protocols
• Support Agile development teams by participating in PI planning, architecture reviews, and technical decision-making.
• Develop and maintain architecture diagrams, design documentation, and test strategy reviews.
• Act as a technical leader and mentor, resolving complex design issues and improving engineering processes.

Mandatory Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in aviation software architecture and design.
• Prior experience working with aircraft OEMs or aviation systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to lead technical discussions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in global and cross-functional teams.

Required Technical Expertise

• Aviation Software Architecture: Large-scale, safety-critical aviation systems
• Compliance & Standards: DO-178C, DAL-D/E, SAL levels, aviation security standards
• Security: Encryption, authentication, access control, threat modeling, secure boot, secure firmware updates
• Virtualization & Hosting: Cloud-native virtualization technologies
• Databases: MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite
• Quality Assurance: Aviation V&V, SQA processes, compliance-driven testing
• Agile Methodologies: SAFe, Scrum

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with AWS Cloud and cloud-native architectures
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience with architecture and documentation tools such as Confluence, Visio, Draw.io