Senior Systems Engineer, Aircraft Certification & Architecture

Supernal; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 213,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

Supernal seeks a Staff Engineer, Systems Engineering in Irvine to serve as the technical authority on engineering execution, architecture, requirements, and certification throughout the aircraft development lifecycle.

This role ensures cross-functional alignment with FAA-recognized standards, supports readiness for Part 21 Applicant obligations, and collaborates with Strategy to meet customer and business needs. On-site 5 days a week in Irvine, CA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, mechanical engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in aircraft systems engineering.
• Strong knowledge of ARP4754A/ARP4761 and FAA frameworks (DO-178C, DO-254)

Responsibilities

• Review systems and verification activities to ensure FAA-aligned development of aircraft programs.
• Identify gaps and define process improvements for certification readiness at major milestones.
• Lead internalization of engineering systems and certification governance for Applicant-level control.
• Review architectures and major design decisions from vehicle integration, safety, and certification perspectives.
• Ensure sizing, margins, performance allocations, and safety budgets align with vehicle goals.
• Evaluate trade studies and interface definitions for certification and Means of Compliance.
• Monitor cross-functional interfaces to prevent architectural inconsistencies.
• Provide technical review positions at SRR, PDR, TRR and at Configuration Control Boards.
• Identify risks and escalate deviations affecting certification strategy.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

MBSE

Modeling (SysML)

Architecture review

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace/electrical/mechanical engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

DOORS

Cameo

SysML

Job description

Supernal seeks a Staff Engineer, Systems Engineering in Irvine to serve as the technical authority on engineering execution, architecture, requirements, and certification throughout the aircraft development lifecycle.

This role ensures cross-functional alignment with FAA-recognized standards, supports readiness for Part 21 Applicant obligations, and collaborates with Strategy to meet customer and business needs. On-site 5 days a week in Irvine, CA.