Sr. Specialist, Systems Engineer (Test Equip)

Acron Aviation; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Acron Aviation in Phoenix designs and manufactures avionics systems and surveillance solutions used in commercial, military, and rotorcraft platforms. This Senior Specialist, Systems Engineer (Test Equip) leads the design, development, integration, update, maintenance, and support of engineering test equipment for airborne surveillance products.

The role combines systems understanding with hands-on electrical, software, instrumentation, and lab experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree required in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Senior level experience in designing, integrating, updating, or supporting test equipment for avionics products.
• Ability to interpret system requirements, IC docs, schematics, and mechanical drawings.
• Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, power supplies, data acquisition.
• Root-cause analysis skills for hardware, software, firmware, and interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Lead full lifecycle of engineering test equipment from concept to retirement.
• Translate requirements into test equipment specs and acceptance tests.
• Design and integrate automated test equipment, test racks, fixtures, and data acquisition systems.
• Develop electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, BOMs, and interface control docs.
• Select instrumentation and hardware based on performance and lifecycle cost.
• Develop or support test software and automation for measurement and reports.
• Plan integration, checkout, validation, and user acceptance activities.
• Create procedures, calibration requirements, and asset documentation.
• Provide responsive support for test equipment failures and lab configurations.
• Lead root-cause investigations and implement corrective actions.

Skills

Test equipment design

Troubleshooting

Lab instrumentation

Independent work

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Graduate degree in related field

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

MATLAB

C/C++

TestStand

Job description

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems that support safety-critical flight operations across commercial and military aviation. Within Avionics, the Surveillance product line develops and sustains systems that enable aircraft awareness, collision avoidance, and airspace interoperability. Our portfolio includes TCAS, Mode S transponders, ADS-B, and integrated surveillance solutions deployed across commercial, military, and rotorcraft platforms. This work is performed in highly regulated environments and demands deep expertise across systems, hardware, software, and RF throughout the full product lifecycle.

Acron Aviation is seeking a Senior Specialist, Systems Engineer (Test Equip) to lead the design, development, integration, update, maintenance, and operational support of engineering test equipment used for airborne surveillance and avionics products. This senior individual contributor will translate product and verification requirements into reliable, maintainable, and well-documented test solutions that support development, integration, qualification, regression, production-support, and troubleshooting activities.

The successful candidate will combine systems-level understanding with hands-on electrical, software, instrumentation, and laboratory experience. The role requires ownership across the full test equipment lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through design, checkout, release, configuration control, upgrades, calibration, troubleshooting, obsolescence management, and user support.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the full lifecycle of engineering test equipment, including concept development, requirements definition, architecture, detailed design, integration, verification, release, deployment, maintenance, upgrade, and retirement.
• Translate product requirements, interfaces, verification objectives, and user needs into test equipment requirements, operating concepts, interface definitions, performance criteria, and acceptance tests.
• Design and integrate automated test equipment, interface units, test racks, fixtures, cable assemblies, breakout boxes, switching systems, power distribution, signal conditioning, data-acquisition systems, and simulation environments.
• Develop or coordinate electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical layouts, bills of material, cable drawings, interface control documents, assembly instructions, and equipment specifications.
• Select commercial off-the-shelf instrumentation, computing hardware, interface cards, power supplies, loads, switches, connectors, enclosures, and safety devices based on technical performance, maintainability, availability, and lifecycle cost.
• Develop, integrate, or support test software and automation used to stimulate interfaces, control instrumentation, acquire data, evaluate results, generate reports, and support repeatable test execution.
• Plan and execute test equipment integration, checkout, verification, validation, and user-acceptance activities before deployment to engineering or laboratory users.
• Create and maintain operating procedures, setup instructions, maintenance plans, calibration requirements, troubleshooting guides, training material, configuration records, and asset documentation.
• Provide responsive support for test equipment failures, intermittent behavior, interface issues, software problems, damaged cables or fixtures, and laboratory configuration concerns.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for equipment deficiencies; verify repairs and changes do not adversely affect measurement integrity or test repeatability.
• Plan and implement equipment updates for new product revisions, interface changes, additional test capability, cybersecurity or operating-system changes, component obsolescence, and laboratory standardization.
• Maintain configuration control of hardware, software, firmware, drawings, bills of material, calibration status, spare parts, and released documentation.
• Establish preventive maintenance, calibration, inspection, backup, spare-part, and lifecycle-management practices that improve availability and reduce test interruptions.
• Coordinate with systems, hardware, software, mechanical, manufacturing, quality, environmental qualification, program management, suppliers, and users to ensure test solutions meet program needs.
• Mentor engineers and technicians in equipment operation, design practices, instrumentation, troubleshooting, configuration control, and safe laboratory practices.
• Drive reuse and standardization through modular architectures, common interfaces, reusable software, approved component libraries, and lessons learned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, or a graduate degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; avionics or aerospace experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, updating, maintaining, or supporting test equipment for complex electronic or avionics products.
• Ability to develop test equipment requirements and interpret system requirements, interface control documents, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, cable drawings, and equipment specifications.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation such as oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, logic analyzers, power supplies, electronic loads, data-acquisition equipment, signal generators, switching hardware, or interface analyzers.
• Experience troubleshooting hardware, software, firmware, interfaces, wiring, grounding, shielding, instrumentation, and test configurations using structured root-cause methods.
• Experience developing or maintaining test equipment documentation, including schematics, bills of material, operating procedures, calibration requirements, maintenance instructions, and configuration records.
• Ability to manage multiple equipment-development and support priorities while communicating concise status, risks, and recommendations.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight and provide technical leadership across engineering and laboratory teams.

Additional Qualifications:

• Experience with avionics data buses and interfaces, including ARINC 429, Ethernet, discrete I/O, serial communications, analog signals, RF interfaces, or time-sensitive data acquisition.
• Experience developing automated test solutions using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, C, C++, TestStand, or similar tools.
• Experience with integration of RF Test Equipment
• Knowledge of measurement uncertainty, calibration, grounding and shielding, electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and controlled laboratory practices.
• Experience with configuration management, source control, requirements management, issue tracking, asset management, and released engineering drawings.
• Experience managing component obsolescence, equipment refreshes, spare parts, preventive maintenance, and lifecycle cost for laboratory assets.
• Experience supporting test equipment used during RTCA DO-160 environmental qualification testing.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an Affir­mative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information:

Acron Aviation maintains a drug-free workplace and conducts pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E-Verify employer.

U.S. Person Requirement

This position may require access to information, technology, software, or hardware that is subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations. To comply with these requirements, applicants must qualify as a US Person.