Director of Engineering – Advanced Avionics

AIRO; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Paid holidays

Medical/Dental/Vision

HSA

401(k) match

EAP

AFLAC hospital

Life Insurance

Long-Term Disability

Voluntary Short-Term Disability

Voluntary Life Insurance

Job summary

AIRO in Phoenix is seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to lead the design, development, certification, and sustainment of advanced avionics systems. This role provides strategic and technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-reliability products.

You will ensure compliance with FAA, DO-178C, DO-254, and ARP4754A, manage schedules and resources, engage with customers, and drive innovation across the product lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Aerospace, or Computer Engineering required; Master’s preferred.
• 8–10+ years of progressive engineering experience in avionics environments with 5 years in leadership.
• Strong understanding of avionics architectures, embedded systems, and aerospace lifecycles.
• Experience leading FAA-certified or military avionics programs.
• Knowledge of safety-critical development processes and certification methodologies.
• Experience with requirements management, systems integration, and verification activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams within the Advanced Avionics sector.
• Oversee lifecycle development from concept through certification and production release.
• Manage technical schedules, resources, and priorities.
• Ensure FAA, DO-178C, DO-254, and ARP4754A compliance.
• Guide complex aerospace programs and mission-critical systems.
• Support customer engagement including technical proposals, design reviews, audits, and regulatory interactions.
• Evaluate emerging avionics technologies and drive innovation.
• Oversee systems integration and hardware/software verification.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Systems engineering

Aviation safety standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Aerospace/Computer Engineering

Job description

At AIRO, we bring together aircraft, autonomy, avionics, and mission services into one integrated platform designed for the environments where failure is not an option. Our technology supports contested logistics, tactical and long-range ISTAR, and operations that demand precision under pressure, so the people who depend on it can get where they need to be when it matters most. Here, you will work alongside innovators, engineers, operators, and industry leaders who share a passion for solving hard problems and building what comes next in aerospace and defense.

Join us and be part of something extraordinary.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Director of Engineering to lead the design, development, certification, and sustainment of advanced avionics systems. This role provides strategic and technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams, ensuring delivery of high-reliability products that meet customer, regulatory, safety, schedule, and cost requirements.

What you'll do

• Lead and manage multidisciplinary engineering teams within the Advanced Avionics sector.
• Oversee full product lifecycle development of avionics products from concept through certification and production release.
• Manage technical schedules, resource allocation, and engineering priorities.
• Ensure compliance with regulated environments such as FAA, DO-178C, DO-254, and ARP4754A.
• Ensure successful execution of engineering programs involving complex aerospace platforms and mission-critical systems.
• Support customer engagement activities including technical proposals, design reviews, audits, and regulatory interactions.
• Evaluate emerging avionics technologies and drive innovation initiatives.
• Guide systems integration and hardware/software verification activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• 8–10+ years of progressive engineering experience in avionics environments and 5 years of leadership or people management experience.
• Strong understanding of avionics architectures, embedded systems, and aerospace development lifecycles.
• Experience leading FAA-certified or military avionics programs.
• Knowledge of safety-critical development processes and certification methodologies.
• Experience with requirements management, systems integration, and verification activities.

Company Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401(k) with company match
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• AFLAC hospital
• Basic Life Insurance – fully paid by the company for employees and their dependents
• Long-Term Disability Insurance – fully paid by the company
• Voluntary Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance options

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and the employee may also be asked to perform other reasonably related job duties as assigned by their immediate supervisor as required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed. The AIRO Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer.