RESEARCH ENGINEER - SR. RESEARCH ENGINEER - Avionics Hardware Design & Analysis - Oklahoma City, OK

Southwest Research Institute; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Research Institute in Oklahoma City is seeking a Sr. Research Engineer to design, analyze, and integrate avionics hardware and interfaces for aerospace systems requiring high reliability and rigorous verification.

You will lead detailed circuit analyses, develop schematics, and use PSpice or equivalent tools to model behavior across operating conditions, supporting prototype bring-up and qualification.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering.
• 5+ years designing, analyzing, integrating, and testing electronic hardware.
• 4+ years schematic development and circuit analysis experience across analog/digital/mixed-signal.

Responsibilities

• Develop and review schematics, interface circuits, grounding approaches, power architectures, and design docs for avionics hardware.
• Perform PSpice simulations and develop models for circuit, signal integrity, power distribution, and tolerances.
• Analyze aircraft interfaces, margins, grounding, impedance, noise, transients, and power quality.
• Support prototype bring-up, bench testing, HIL/SIL integration, troubleshooting, verification, and qualification.
• Collaborate with systems, software, firmware, mechanical, test, manufacturing, and qualification engineers to resolve issues.

Education

Electrical/Computer Engineering degree

Tools

PSpice

Job description

RESEARCH ENGINEER - SR. RESEARCH ENGINEER - Avionics Hardware Design & Analysis - Oklahoma City, OK

16-01551

Who We Are:

The Embedded Systems Section within the Strategic Aerospace Department delivers comprehensive engineering solutions for the aerospace community, specializing in system engineering, technology insertion, requirements generation, cybersecurity, trade studies, and full lifecycle support. Our expertise encompasses the design, development, maintenance, and production of advanced hardware and software systems, supporting everything from microcircuits to major subsystems for aircraft and ground support equipment, ensuring mission-critical performance and innovation.

Objectives of this Role:

• Design, analyze, and integrate avionics electronic hardware, circuit card assemblies, and electrical interfaces for aerospace and defense systems requiring high reliability and rigorous verification.
• Develop schematics and perform detailed circuit, signal, power distribution, loading, transient, and interface analyses using PSpice or equivalent electrical modeling and simulation tools.
• Develop electrical models that predict circuit and interface behavior across operating conditions, component tolerances, loads, power states, and system-level electrical environments.
• Lead hardware troubleshooting, design verification, laboratory integration, and root-cause analysis for analog, digital, mixed-signal, power, and embedded avionics electronics.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to mature avionics hardware from requirements and analysis through design, prototype, integration, qualification, and technical data delivery.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Develop and review detailed schematics, component selections, interface circuits, grounding approaches, power architectures, and electrical design documentation for avionics hardware.
• Perform PSpice or equivalent simulations and develop circuit, signal integrity, power distribution, loading, transient, tolerance, and worst-case electrical models and analyses.
• Analyze aircraft and subsystem electrical interfaces, including voltage/current margins, grounding, impedance, noise, transients, power quality, distribution, and signal behavior.
• Support prototype bring-up, bench testing, HIL/SIL integration, troubleshooting, failure analysis, and verification of circuit card assemblies and avionics electronic subsystems.
• Work with systems, software, firmware, mechanical, test, manufacturing, and qualification engineers to resolve integration issues and ensure hardware meets performance requirements.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering. Advanced training or graduate study in electronics, signal integrity, power electronics, embedded systems, controls, or avionics is preferred.
• 5+ years: Progressive electrical engineering experience designing, analyzing, integrating, and testing electronic hardware, preferably for aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability systems.
• 4+ years: Hands‑on schematic development and circuit analysis experience covering analog, digital, mixed-signal, power, interface, protection, and embedded electronic designs.
• 4 years: Using PSpice, SPICE, or equivalent tools to model and analyze circuits, electrical signals, loads, power distribution, transients, tolerances, and system/interface behavior.
• 4+ years: Avionics or aerospace electronics experience involving aircraft electrical interfaces, embedded hardware, laboratory integration, troubleshooting, verification, or qualification.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

Special Requirements:

Work assignment is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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.

An Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and veteran status.