Lead Avionics Engineer

Stealth Mode; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A stealth-mode Aerospace & Defense startup is seeking a Lead Avionics Engineer to spearhead the design and integration of embedded electronics for next-generation flight systems. The role involves full lifecycle responsibilities, from PCB design to firmware integration, in collaboration with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in designing complex embedded systems and a strong background in aerospace or related fields.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in embedded electronics design and testing.
• Proven experience from concept to production of embedded systems.
• Familiarity with high-reliability aerospace systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design embedded avionics systems including subsystems.
• Lead PCB design, component selection, and design reviews.
• Manage board-level bring-up and validation in lab and field tests.

Skills

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Signal integrity design

Power integrity design

Embedded microcontrollers

Digital buses (CAN, SPI, UART, I2C)

Sensor integration

Power regulation

Thermal design constraints

EMI/EMC design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in avionics or hardware systems

Tools

Altium

Job description

We are a stealth-mode Aerospace & Defense startup headquartered in El Segundo, CA. Our founding team hails from SpaceX, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin, and we are backed by Joint Staff-level military leadership and several Silicon Valley firms. With a world-class business development & leadership team already in place, we are well positioned to capitalize on already overwhelming demand.

Job Overview:
We’re seeking a Lead Avionics Engineer to own the design, manufacturing, and integration of the embedded electronics stack that powers our next-generation flight systems. You’ll be responsible for the full lifecycle of flight-critical PCB designs—from block diagrams and part selection to layout, firmware integration, and bring-up.

You’ll work closely with flight software, mechanical, and GNC teams to deliver . If you’ve built complex mixed-signal embedded systems that had to work the first time, and you want to lead the development of the most critical hardware on a system that matters—this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and design embedded avionics systems including power, compute, sensing, actuation, and communication subsystems
• Lead schematic design, component selection, PCB layout, and design reviews
• Own the integration of flight electronics with firmware and flight software teams
• Manage board-level bring-up, debugging, and validation in lab and field test environments
• Guide board-level manufacturing, testing, and assembly processes (both in-house and external vendors)
• Define and enforce electrical system-level requirements, interfaces, and standards across subsystems
• Establish test procedures for validation, environmental, and EMC/ESD qualification
• Build and mentor a high-performance hardware team as the company scales
  
  

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of experience designing, building, and testing embedded electronics for aerospace, defense, robotics, or automotive systems
• Proven experience delivering complex, multi-board avionics or embedded systems from concept to production
• Strong proficiency in schematic capture, layout (Altium preferred), and board-level signal and power integrity design
• Experience with embedded microcontrollers, digital buses (CAN, SPI, UART, I2C), sensor integration, and power regulation
• Familiarity with environmental design constraints including thermal, EMI/EMC, shock, and vibration

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in avionics or high-reliability hardware systems
• Experience with radiation-tolerant design practices or high-altitude avionics
• Familiarity with NVIDIA Jetson platforms, STM32, RP2040, or other aerospace-class embedded systems
• Experience in design-for-manufacture and supply chain planning for high-mix, low-volume aerospace production
• Experience with rapid prototyping, in-house assembly, and validation test campaigns
• Prior work in systems where the hardware must survive extreme environments (missiles, launch vehicles, hypersonic systems)