LEAD ENGINEER - PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - Aerospace & Avionics HW Systems

Southwest Research Institute; Oklahoma; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Research Institute's Strategic Aerospace Department seeks an experienced leader to drive multidisciplinary aerospace avionics hardware development. You will oversee requirements, analysis, testing, and integration across thermal, structural, and electrical systems, guiding lifecycle trades and digital-thread practices.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, government integration activities, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver flightworthy hardware while

Qualifications

• Requires 11+ years in aerospace/avionics hardware development, integration, and verification.
• Experience leading aerospace hardware across thermal, structural, aerodynamic, packaging, or electrical domains.
• Experience applying CFD/FEA/thermal networks to drive design margins and qualification.
• Experience applying systems engineering across hardware lifecycle: requirements, architecture, interfaces, trade studies, configuration control, integration, verification, qualification, sustainment.
• Leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and government integration activities with technical reviews and risk resolution.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary trade studies across aerodynamics, thermal, structures, stress, electronics packaging, materials, interfaces, and aircraft integration; convert results into design decisions and requirements.
• Develop and review CAD, CFD, FEA, thermal, structural, stress, and packaging analyses; correlate models with test data, assess margins and uncertainty, support design maturation.
• Translate government and customer needs into system, subsystem, interface, and verification requirements; manage baselines, interfaces, changes, risks, and traceability.
• Build and maintain the digital thread connecting requirements, MBSE models, CAD/CAE data, analyses, ICDs, configuration artifacts, test results, verification evidence, and decisions.
• Lead design reviews, integration/test readiness, anomaly resolution, qualification, airworthiness support, supplier coordination, mentoring of engineers.

Skills

CFD

FEA

CAD/CAE

MBSE

Digital engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CAD/CAE

CFD

FEA

MBSE tools

Job description

Who We Are:

The Strategic Aerospace Department within the Defense & Intelligence Solutions Division delivers cutting-edge engineering services to enhance the warfighter's capabilities across bomber, tanker, and heavy aircraft platforms. We specialize in world-class research, design, and support, providing innovative solutions to modern challenges and legacy systems for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, Department of Defense, allied nations, and the U.S. Government, ensuring mission readiness and technological superiority.

Who We Are:

The Strategic Aerospace Department within the Defense & Intelligence Solutions Division delivers cutting-edge engineering services to enhance the warfighter's capabilities across bomber, tanker, and heavy aircraft platforms. We specialize in world-class research, design, and support, providing innovative solutions to modern challenges and legacy systems for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, Department of Defense, allied nations, and the U.S. Government, ensuring mission readiness and technological superiority.

Objectives of this Role:

• Lead multidisciplinary aerospace engineering for avionics and mission hardware, integrating aerodynamics, thermal, structural, stress, electronics packaging, and mechanical design across the hardware lifecycle.
• Develop and design flightworthy avionics hardware architectures that balance thermal performance, structural integrity, aerodynamic effects, packaging, maintainability, reliability, and aircraft integration constraints.
• Own hardware lifecycle systems engineering from requirements and trade studies through detailed design, analysis, integration, verification, qualification, production transition, and sustainment.
• Advance digital engineering and digital-thread practices by linking requirements, models, analyses, interfaces, design data, verification evidence, configuration baselines, and lifecycle decisions.
• Provide technical leadership for Government aerospace integration efforts, leading multidisciplinary teams, technical reviews, risk resolution, customer coordination, and delivery of high-confidence hardware solutions.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Lead multidisciplinary trade studies across aerodynamics, thermal, structures, stress, electronics packaging, materials, interfaces, and aircraft integration; convert results into clear design decisions and requirements.
• Develop and review CAD, CFD, FEA, thermal, structural, stress, and packaging analyses; correlate models with test data, assess margins and uncertainty, and support design maturation and qualification.
• Translate Government and customer needs into system, subsystem, interface, and verification requirements; manage technical baselines, interfaces, changes, risks, and lifecycle traceability.
• Build and maintain the digital thread connecting requirements, MBSE models, CAD/CAE data, analyses, ICDs, configuration artifacts, test results, verification evidence, and technical decisions.
• Lead design reviews, integration/test readiness, anomaly resolution, qualification, airworthiness support, supplier coordination, and mentoring of engineers across multidisciplinary avionics hardware efforts.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related Engineering degree field. Advanced degree preferred and may be considered in lieu of some years of work experience.
• 11+ years: Experience must directly support aerospace/avionics hardware development, integration, and verification. Leading aerospace or avionics hardware development involving thermal, structural, stress, aerodynamic, packaging, mechanical, or electrical integration across flight systems.
• 11+ years: Applying engineering analysis tools such as CFD, FEA, thermal networks, structural/stress analysis, CAD/CAE, or electronics packaging methods to drive design, margins, and qualification.
• 11+ years: Applying systems engineering across the hardware lifecycle: requirements, architecture, interfaces, trade studies, configuration control, integration, verification, qualification, and sustainment.
• 11+ years: Leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and Government integration activities, including technical reviews, risk resolution, customer communication, digital engineering, and delivery accountability.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

Special Requirements:

Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Job Locations: San Antonio, Texas Or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma