Avionics Engineer

Samson Rose; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Samson Rose is seeking an Avionics Engineer to design, develop, integrate, and test avionics systems for next-generation aircraft. The role covers flight-critical electronics, PCB design, harnessing, embedded firmware, and system validation, with hands-on hardware development and flight-test involvement.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across hardware and software domains to ensure successful integration and robust performance in demanding environments.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of avionics/electrical/embedded systems experience.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical/Computer/Aerospace Engineering.
• Experience with PCB design and EDA tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro).
• Knowledge of circuit analysis and SPICE.
• Hands-on experience building electrical assemblies (soldering, harnessing).
• Experience developing embedded firmware for hardware/flight systems (Embedded C, Python).
• Experience testing hardware at component/system level, with test planning and data analysis.
• Strong fundamentals and ownership of tasks from design to implementation.
• Willingness to work onsite 100% in the Los Angeles area.
• U.S. citizenship or qualifying residency; security clearance not required.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight-critical PCBAs, electrical harnesses, and avionics hardware.
• Develop electrical designs, schematics, fabrication drawings, and assembly documentation for PCBAs and harnesses.
• Support embedded firmware development and create ICDs for custom avionics hardware.
• Perform circuit analysis, power budgeting, derating, and other analyses for system integration.
• Develop test plans and procedures for hardware bring-up and validation.
• Participate in hands-on fabrication, soldering, harness assembly, and integration.
• Support testing of COTS hardware, including components, motors, and thermal systems.
• Review hardware test data, troubleshoot issues, and drive design improvements.
• Collaborate with mechanical, software, and aerospace teams to resolve integration challenges.
• Engage in ground and flight-test operations including travel to test ranges.

Skills

PCB design

Electrical engineering

Embedded systems

Schematic design

Circuit analysis

Power budgeting

System integration

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Embedded C

Python

Hardware testing

RF systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

RapidHarness

Zuken

Verilog

Job description

Location: Los Angeles Metro Area | 100% Onsite

About the Company

Our client is an innovative aerospace technology company developing next-generation aircraft and advanced flight systems for defense and commercial applications. The company combines aerospace engineering, propulsion, electronics, and advanced hardware technologies to develop high-performance aviation platforms.

Operating in a fast-paced, venture-backed environment, the company is advancing multiple aircraft development programs and working closely with defense customers to bring new technologies from concept and development through integration and flight testing.

The Role

Our client is seeking an Avionics Engineer to support the design, development, integration, and testing of avionics systems for its next-generation aircraft.

This role spans flight-critical electronics, PCB design, electrical harnessing, embedded firmware, hardware integration, and system validation. You will contribute to the development of custom avionics hardware, taking designs from initial requirements and circuit development through fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing.

The position is highly hands-on and combines electrical engineering design with hardware development and system integration. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary engineering team, supporting everything from PCB and harness development to component testing, hardware assembly, and flight-test operations.

What You'll Own

• Design and develop flight-critical printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), electrical harnesses, and supporting avionics hardware.
• Develop electrical designs, schematics, fabrication drawings, and assembly documentation for PCBAs and harnesses.
• Support embedded firmware development and create detailed interface control documents (ICDs) for custom avionics hardware.
• Perform circuit analysis, power budgeting, component derating, and other electrical engineering analyses to support system integration.
• Develop test plans and procedures for hardware bring-up, design validation, and acceptance testing.
• Participate in hands-on fabrication, soldering, harness assembly, and integration of avionics systems into aircraft.
• Support testing and evaluation of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, including electrical components, motors, and thermal systems.
• Review hardware test data, troubleshoot issues, and support design improvements throughout development.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, software, and aerospace engineering teams to resolve integration challenges.
• Participate in ground and flight-test operations, including travel to test ranges and supporting end-to-end testing activities.

What You'll Need

• 2+ years of experience in avionics, electrical engineering, embedded systems, robotics, aerospace hardware, or a closely related discipline.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience with PCB design and electronic design automation (EDA) tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent.
• Understanding of circuit analysis and simulation, including hand calculations and/or SPICE.
• Hands-on experience building electrical assemblies, including PCB soldering, wire splicing, crimping, harness termination, and PCBA coating or protection.
• Experience developing embedded firmware for hardware or flight systems using Embedded C, Python, or similar languages.
• Experience testing electrical hardware at the component, assembly, or system level, including test planning, procedures, and data analysis.
• Strong engineering fundamentals and the ability to take ownership of technical tasks from design through implementation.
• Comfortable working hands-on in a fast-paced prototype development environment with changing priorities.
• Ability to work 100% onsite in the Los Angeles Metro Area.
• U.S. citizenship or qualifying U.S. residency status to access export-controlled technology. A security clearance is not required.

Nice to Have

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with electrical harness design tools such as RapidHarness, Zuken, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of FPGA development and hardware description languages such as Verilog or VHDL.
• Python scripting experience for hardware testing, automation, or data analysis.
• Experience qualifying avionics hardware for flight-critical systems.
• Background in RF systems and related electronics.
• Experience with electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) design, testing, and compliance.
• Experience supporting aircraft integration, ground testing, and flight-test operations.
• Background in aerospace, defense, UAVs, autonomous systems, or other advanced hardware development environments.

Work Environment

This is a hands-on engineering position within a fast-moving aerospace development environment. The role requires involvement across the full hardware lifecycle, including design, fabrication, assembly, integration, troubleshooting, and flight testing.

Candidates should be comfortable working beyond traditional engineering design responsibilities and contributing wherever needed to move complex hardware development programs forward.