Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer - Aircraft Surveillance

Real Time Consulting, LLC; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Real Time Consulting is seeking a Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer for airborne surveillance products in Phoenix. You will drive technical leadership across FPGA, firmware, and CEH domains and own architecture, requirements, and lifecycle documentation for avionics systems such as transponders and TCAS.

The role requires coordinating with external partners, supporting certification activities, and applying AI-enabled tools to improve productivity.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of aerospace, avionics, or safety-critical embedded product development.
• 5+ years of technical leadership leading complex firmware, FPGA, or embedded avionics development programs.
• Strong embedded firmware architecture, design, integration, and verification for safety-critical electronic systems.
• Experience managing external engineering design partners or contract development organizations.
• Experience developing and managing requirements documentation, traceability, and verification evidence for firmware or complex electronic hardware.
• Knowledge of RTCA DO-254 certification expectations applicable to airborne systems.
• Understanding firmware integration challenges across FPGA, hardware, software, and system validation environments.
• Experience supporting certification and regulatory compliance activities for avionics or other highly regulated products.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for firmware, FPGA, and CEH development across airborne systems.
• Define architecture, perform trade studies, and guide certification activities with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with external engineering partners and contract design organizations to deliver on program goals.
• Develop and maintain product hardware requirements and design documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

Skills

Technical leadership

Avionics systems thinking

Requirements engineering

Supplier management

Product ownership

Strategic planning

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

AI-enabled engineering innovation

Communication skills

Influence direction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

DOORS

Job description

Real Time Consulting is seeking a Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer for airborne surveillance products in Phoenix. You will drive technical leadership across FPGA, firmware, and CEH domains and own architecture, requirements, and lifecycle documentation for avionics systems such as transponders and TCAS.

The role requires coordinating with external partners, supporting certification activities, and applying AI-enabled tools to improve productivity.