Senior / Principal Engineer – Electromechanical Actuation

Electra Aero; Manassas (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

STD, LTD, and life insurance

Generous PTO

401(k) with immediate vesting

Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks,

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Electra Aero in Manassas, Virginia, seeks a Senior/Principal Engineer – Electromechanical Actuation to own the actuation systems for the EL9 aircraft, defining requirements, guiding supplier development, and ensuring hardware meets safety and certification standards.

This cross-functional role leads integration with flight controls, structures, and electrical systems, supports certification activities, and collaborates with internal teams and external partners. Competitive compensation applies.

Qualifications

• Must have strong understanding of electromechanical actuation systems for aircraft or similar platforms.
• Experience integrating complex subsystems and defining interfaces.
• Familiarity with certification processes (FAA Part 23/25 or equivalent) and safety-critical development practices.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical owner for electromechanical actuation systems across the full lifecycle from requirements through certification.
• Define actuator requirements, interfaces, and acceptance criteria aligned with aircraft performance and safety.
• Provide technical oversight of suppliers, including design reviews and test evaluation.
• Lead integration with flight controls, structures, and electrical systems for reliability and maintainability.
• Support certification activities by developing compliance artifacts and safety assessments.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to verify systems at aircraft level including ground and flight testing.

Skills

Actuation systems knowledge

Subsystem integration

Systems engineering practices

Certification processes familiarity

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

About Electra

Air travel is about to become something more: more direct, more accessible, and more connected to the places where people live, work and want to be. Every day in the U.S., people make 35 million trips of 50–500 miles, stuck in traffic or routed through crowded hubs. Chances are, you’ve been one of them. At Electra, we're changing that with the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in just 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology opens up thousands of new places to fly, beyond conventional runways, congested airports and long drives. We're backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Safran. Operators worldwide have signed intent-to-purchase agreements for the first 2,200 aircraft we produce, and we're moving toward first test flights in 2027.

Getting a new kind of aircraft airborne takes more than ambition. It takes our kind of bold: people who think big while working in the real world. Who move ideas into action and collaborate without silos. Who put people first and make room at the table for everyone. Who challenge one another without diminishing one another.

Sound like you? Then look beyond what you thought were your own limits, and help us take flight beyond runways.

The Role

As a Senior / Principal Engineer – Electromechanical Actuation, you will serve as the technical authority for our aircraft actuation systems, with primary responsibility for development of the actuation systems on the EL9 Ultra Short Aircraft. You will define requirements, guide supplier development, and ensure delivered hardware meets Electra's performance, safety, and certification standards. You will play a critical role in ensuring actuation systems are fully integrated, validated, and compliant within a highly coupled hybrid-electric aircraft architecture. This is a highly cross-functional and externally facing role, requiring strong technical judgment, supplier engagement, and systems thinking.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the technical owner for electromechanical actuation systems, including supplier-developed hardware, across the full lifecycle from requirements through certification
• Define actuator requirements, interfaces, and acceptance criteria, and ensure alignment with aircraft-level performance, safety, and integration needs
• Provide technical oversight of suppliers, including design reviews, analysis/test evaluation, and issue resolution to ensure compliant, high-quality deliverables
• Lead integration of actuation systems with flight controls, structures, and electrical systems, ensuring proper functionality, reliability, and maintainability
• Support certification activities by developing compliance artifacts, contributing to safety assessments, and ensuring supplier deliverables meet regulatory expectations
• Collaborate cross-functionally and support system- and aircraft-level verification, including ground and flight testing

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree and 8+ years (Senior) or 10+ years (Principal) of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong understanding of electromechanical actuation systems and their application in aircraft or similar systems
• Experience integrating complex subsystems into a larger platform, including interface definition and system-level considerations
• Familiarity with systems engineering practices, including requirements development, validation, and traceability
• Knowledge of certification processes (FAA Part 23/25 or equivalent) and safety-critical development practices (FHA, FMEA, FTA)
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to work effectively across internal teams and external partners

Bonus Points

• Experience overseeing suppliers in the development of aircraft actuation systems (e.g., primary/secondary flight controls)
• Prior involvement in aircraft certification programs, including engagement with FAA or equivalent authorities
• Familiarity with electric or hybrid-electric aircraft systems and power architectures
• Experience with control system development, actuator modeling, or plant characterization and integration with flight control systems
• Experience with fault-tolerant or redundant actuation architectures and safety-critical design considerations

Leveling Expectations

Final leveling (Senior or Principal) will be determined based on the candidate’s experience, education, demonstrated skills, and degree of independence and autonomy appropriate for the role. Both levels require a strong foundation in engineering principles and the ability to solve complex technical problems. Differentiation between levels is based on degree of ownership, autonomy, and influence.

Senior Engineer

• Applies broad engineering knowledge to solve complex problems, working under limited direction
• Independently develops approaches and executes within assigned scope (supplier oversight, integration, compliance)
• Collaborates effectively and drives issue resolution with minimal guidance

Principal Engineer

• Applies deep, broad expertise to solve complex, cross-cutting technical problems
• Exercises significant autonomy in defining objectives, approaches, and technical direction
• Serves as a technical authority, influencing decisions and owning outcomes across the actuation domain

This range reflects the anticipated hiring range across all eligible locations; actual compensation is determined based on your relevant experience, skills, and geographic location. Total compensation includes performance bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Compensation Range: $130,000 USD - $180,000 USD

What We Offer

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
• Paid winter break
• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
• Free on-site parking

Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.