Ground Operations Systems Lead

Apera; California; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Apera, based in California, seeks a seasoned systems engineering leader to own the end-to-end architecture of the ground command and control platform for autonomous aircraft. You will partner with vehicle and avionics teams to set interface requirements, support multi-region resilience, and drive FAA regulatory strategy including BVLOS and DAA integration.

You will also define cybersecurity, safety analyses, and supervise large fleets with attention to HMI workloads.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in systems engineering, with aviation experience.
• Experience with safety analyses for complex distributed systems.
• Familiarity with FAA certification processes (Part 135/23/25 or BVLOS) or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end architecture of the ground command and control platform with redundancy and multi-region resilience.
• Drive FAA regulatory strategy and submissions for ground control certification, BVLOS approvals, and DAA integration.
• Author and maintain compliance documentation.
• Define aircraft-to-ground interface requirements including latency, telemetry, and degraded-mode behavior with vehicle/avionics teams.
• Develop the operational framework for remote pilot supervision of large autonomous fleets, including HMI requirements and workload management.
• Define cybersecurity architecture and threat modeling across ground-to-air links and infrastructure.
• Serve as the primary technical interface with the FAA and other regulatory bodies.

Skills

Systems engineering

Aviation experience

System architecture

Safety analysis

FAA certification

Ground-to-air comms

Authority without direct power

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering

Job description

This role sits within the ground systems division of an aerospace company building the operational infrastructure needed to safely deploy autonomous aircraft at scale.

Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end architecture of the ground command and control platform including redundancy, fault tolerance, and multi-region resilience
• Drive FAA regulatory strategy and submissions covering ground control certification, BVLOS approvals, and DAA integration
• Author and maintain compliance documentation
• Define aircraft-to-ground interface requirements including command latency, telemetry, and degraded-mode behaviour in collaboration with vehicle and avionics teams
• Develop the operational framework for remote pilot supervision of large autonomous fleets, including HMI requirements, workload management, and contingency procedures
• Define cybersecurity architecture and threat modelling practices across ground-to-air links, infrastructure, and authentication systems
• Serve as the primary technical interface with the FAA and other regulatory bodies

Required Experience & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field
• 10+ years in systems engineering, with at least 5 years in aviation, aerospace, UAS, or safety-critical systems
• Deep expertise in system architecture and safety analysis methods for complex distributed systems
• Hands-on experience with FAA certification processes including Part 135, Part 23/25, or BVLOS approvals
• Strong understanding of ground-to-air communication systems including RF, satellite, and LTE
• Proven ability to author safety assessments, compliance artefacts, and interface control documents
• Able to drive alignment across hardware, software, and operations teams without direct authority

Desirable / Additional Qualifications:

• Experience designing or operating real-world UAS or UAM ground control stations
• Familiarity with remote piloting concepts, RPAS regulations, or Air Traffic Management integration
• Knowledge of aviation cybersecurity standards including DO-326A/ DO-356A certification
• Background in human factors or HMI design for safety-critical environments
• Experience with DAA systems, UTM/USS integration, or BVLOS operations
• FAA commercial or remote pilot certificate