Principal Avionics Systems Engineer

Honda Research Institute USA, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. seeks a Principal Avionics Systems Engineer to lead avionics architecture, requirements allocation, and interface definition for prototype and certified aircraft programs.

You will coordinate with VMS/FBW, Electrical, Propulsion, Safety, EWIS, and certification stakeholders, and drive integration, verification, and certification readiness across multiple environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Software or Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master's Degree in a technical and/or management discipline preferred.
• 10+ years of aerospace avionics and aircraft systems development experience, including safety-critical integrated avionics.
• Demonstrated experience progressing an avionics system from concept and architecture through requirements development, supplier design, integration, ground and flight test, and certification readiness.
• Demonstrated experience serving as an Avionics architect, Principal Engineer, technical lead.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and technically managing avionics suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead avionics architecture, requirements allocation, and design-baseline development for Honda's prototype and certification aircraft programs.
• Coordinate across VMS/FBW, Electrical, Propulsion, Safety, EWIS, Flight Test, suppliers, and certification stakeholders; close interface gaps early.
• Lead integration and verification across simulation, SIL/HIL, lab, aircraft ground test, and flight test environments.

Job description

Job Number: P25F18

Honda is on a mission to revolutionize freedom of mobility by building the next generation of mobility ecosystems, with Honda's hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft at the core. Through this new mobility ecosystem, Honda aims to bring people the joy of expanding their life's potential.

San Luis Obispo, CA

Avionics systems are critical to the safe and effective operation of Honda's hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft. These systems provide flight-deck functionality, situational awareness, communication, navigation, surveillance, aircraft-data management and recording, and interfaces with flight-control and vehicle-management functions.

The Principal Avionics Systems Engineer will serve as a technical leader responsible for defining and delivering the aircraft avionics architecture. The scope includes flight-deck systems, displays, communication, navigation, surveillance, sensors, aircraft data networks, recording systems, and integration with the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), Flight Director (FD), Flight Management System (FMS), Vehicle Management System (VMS), Fly-by-Wire (FBW) system, hybrid-electric propulsion system, electrical power system and other aircraft subsystems.

Reporting to the Avionics Director, this onsite position will serve as the technical focal point for delivering a safe, certifiable, and high-performance avionics solution.

Key Responsibilities

Avionics Architecture, Requirements and Interface Definition

• Lead the development and maturation of the Avionics architecture, functional decomposition, requirements allocation, and design-baseline development for Honda's prototype and certification aircraft programs.
• Establish and maintain avionics system requirements, architecture and design descriptions, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), performance requirements and bidirectional traceability.
• Coordinate across VMS/FBW, Electrical, Propulsion, Safety, EWIS, Flight Test, suppliers, and certification stakeholders; close interface gaps early.
• Address hybrid-electric aircraft considerations, including power availability, load shedding, propulsion and energy-status data, degraded operating modes, EMI/EMC and thermal constraints.

Supplier Design & Technical Execution

• Serve as the technical authority for avionics supplier selection, requirements flow-down, design reviews, deliverables, compliance, and issue closure.
• Evaluate supplier architectures and equipment for functional performance, interfaces, safety, environmental qualification, maintainability, and integration readiness.
• Manage technical risks, dependencies, actions, configuration changes, and supplier accountability against program milestones.

Integration, Verification & Certification Readiness

• Lead avionics integration and verification across simulation, SIL/HIL, lab, aircraft ground test, and flight test environments.
• Define verification methods, procedures, pass/fail criteria, coverage, and data-review expectations for system and interface requirements.
• Support FHA, PSSA, SSA, compliance plans/reports, certification evidence, SOI readiness, and SRR/IDR/PDR/CDR review packages.

Technical Leadership and Program Coordination

• Act as the onsite avionics technical focal point for decisions, issue resolution, schedule alignment, and cross-functional dependency management.
• Coach engineers, facilitate technical trade studies, communicate status and risks to leadership, and drive disciplined requirements and configuration management.
• Extensive experience with airborne electronic hardware, embedded software, aircraft data networks and complex aircraft-system interfaces.
• Experience with eVTOL, powered-lift, rotorcraft, hybrid-electric aircraft or other highly integrated aircraft is preferred.

Minimum Qualifications & Minimum Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Software or Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master's Degree in a technical and/or management discipline preferred.
• 10+ years of aerospace avionics and aircraft systems development experience, including safety-critical integrated avionics.
• Demonstrated experience progressing an avionics system from concept and architecture through requirements development, supplier design, integration, ground and flight test, and certification readiness.
• Demonstrated experience serving as an Avionics architect, Principal Engineer, technical lead.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and technically managing avionics suppliers.

Bonus Qualifications

Certification Knowledge and Experience:

• Working knowledge of FAA type-certification processes for powered-lift aircraft under 14 CFR 21.17(b), including project-specific airworthiness criteria and accepted means of compliance.
• Familiarity with relevant requirements and safety principles derived from 14 CFR Parts 21, 23, 25 and 29 as applicable on the approved aircraft certification basis.

Desired Start Date

10/1/2026

Position Keywords

Principal Avionics Systems Engineer | eVTOL | Powered-Lift Aircraft | Avionics Architecture | Aircraft Systems Integration | FBW FCC | VMS | AFCS | FMS | CNS | Requirements Development | Requirements Verification | ICD Development | Supplier Technical Management | SIL/HIL | Ground & Flight Test | System Safety | FAA Certification | ARP4754A/B | ARP4761A | DO-178C | DO-254 | DO-160 | MBSE | SysML