Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer - Aircraft Surveillance Products

Real Time Consulting, LLC; Phoenix, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Real Time Consulting is seeking a Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer to drive architecture, development, and certification support for airborne avionics products. You will own firmware and FPGA design across hardware-software boundaries and coordinate with external partners to meet DO-254 and regulatory needs.

You’ll lead technical decisions, run trade studies, and apply AI-enabled tools to improve productivity while delivering rigorous documentation and lifecycle management for transponder, TCAS,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in EE/CE or related field required.
• 10+ years in aerospace, avionics or safety-critical embedded development.
• 5+ years in technical leadership leading firmware/FPGA/embedded programs.
• Strong experience in embedded firmware architecture, design, integration, verification.
• Experience overseeing external engineering partners or contract teams.
• Experience developing requirements, traceability, verification evidence.
• Knowledge of RTCA DO-254 certification expectations.
• Understanding firmware integration across FPGA, hardware, software, system validation.
• Experience supporting avionics certification and regulatory activities.
• Effective written and verbal communication; strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and architecture for FPGA, firmware, and CEH domains.
• Lead firmware/hardware development activities for airborne products.
• Oversee external design partners and contract development orgs.
• Develop hardware requirements and design documentation through lifecycle.
• Conduct requirements definition, traceability, and verification planning.

Skills

Technical leadership

Avionics systems thinking

Requirements engineering

Supplier management

Product ownership

Strategic planning

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

AI-enabled engineering

Continuous improvement

Written & verbal comms

Influence technical direction

Self-motivated & initiative

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related

Tools

DOORS

Job description

Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer - Aircraft Surveillance Products

• North Phoenix, Arizona

Real Time Consulting (An RTCo Company)—POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer - Aircraft Surveillance Products

ABOUT THE JOB:

The Lead Firmware & FPGA Engineer is responsible for the technical leadership, architecture, development, certification support, and lifecycle management of advanced avionics systems spanning FPGA, firmware, and Complex Electronic Hardware (CEH) domains.

This role leads firmware, FPGA, and hardware engineering activities for airborne products including transponder, TCAS, surveillance, and communications systems while ensuring compliance with aerospace standards and customer requirements.

The position serves as the primary technical authority for firmware development, requirements definition, and design execution, including oversight of external engineering partners and contract design organizations. The successful candidate will lead firmware architecture and performance trade studies, leverage AI-enabled engineering tools to improve productivity and automation and own the development of product hardware requirements and design documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Competencies

• Technical leadership
• Avionics systems thinking
• Requirements engineering
• Supplier management
• Product ownership
• Strategic planning
• Risk management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• AI-enabled engineering innovation
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to influence technical direction across organizations

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 10+ years of experience in aerospace, avionics, or safety-critical embedded product development
• 5+ years of technical leadership experience leading complex firmware, FPGA, or embedded avionics development programs
• Strong experience in embedded firmware architecture, design, integration, and verification for safety-critical electronic systems
• Experience managing and overseeing external engineering design partners or contract development organizations
• Experience developing and managing requirements documentation, traceability, and verification evidence for firmware or complex electronic hardware
• Proven knowledge of RTCA DO-254 certification expectations applicable to airborne systems
• Strong understanding of 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
• Effective written and verbal communication skillsStrong interpersonal skills
• Accountable and takes ownership of assigned tasks
• Self-motivated and takes initiative to get things done

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline
• Experience leading firmware development for FAA, EASA, TSO, ETSO, or military avionics programs
• Familiarity with DO-178C, ARP4754A, and ARP4761 development and certification processes
• Experience with FPGA-based designs, programmable logic integration, and coordination across firmware and hardware boundaries
• Experience with embedded firmware supporting surveillance or communications technologies including Mode S Transponders, ADS-B, IFF, DME, TCAS, or ACAS
• Experience implementing AI-assisted engineering workflows and automation solutions
• Experience with DOORS or similar requirements management tools
• Experience reviewing outsourced firmware development deliverables, plans, and verification artifacts
• Project leadership or engineering management experience

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

Real Time Consulting (RTC) exists to partner outstanding engineering talent to support our clients’ success. Unsurpassed service is delivered to our clients by upholding responsibility, teamwork and quality. Our primary commitment is to help our clients. Since 1997, RTC has been protecting and enhancing lives with safe, reliable, innovative solutions, providing full life-cycle design, development and testing of EMBEDDED ENGINEERING SYSTEMS and SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS with Program Management and Consulting Services. Our employees average 20+ years of versatile and accomplished expertise to our clients, driving continuous innovation forward. Employee’s innovative and analytical ideas are cultivated while maintaining the big picture vision in a fast-paced, changing environment. Our corporate values are to Uphold Responsibility, Support People, Promote Teamwork and Deliver Quality!

This position may require exposure to software, source code or technology that is subject to US export control laws and regulations (i.e., International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations). To comply with these requirements, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Departments of State or Commerce, as applicable.

RTCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with RTCo is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

To qualify for all positions with Real Time Companies, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require now, or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status. Please be aware that Real Time Companies does not sponsor employment-based visas. Additionally, certain positions with Real Time Companies that involve work with government entities may have more restrictive employment status requirements, such as U.S. citizenship, based on security clearance requirements or other governmental requirements. Real Time Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.