Sub Section Manager - Systems Engineering Avionics Networking

GE Aerospace; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

GE Aerospace in Grand Rapids, MI, seeks a Technical Manager to lead an avionics networking engineering team within the ION organization. You will drive strategy, growth, and delivery of networking products for civil and military platforms, while improving performance and processes.

This on-site role relays to the ION Section Manager and requires strong leadership and problem-solving skills. You will guide daily execution, performance reviews, and act as the technical escalation point, while

Qualifications

• Bachelors or equivalent in a technical discipline as listed.
• 8–10 years in systems engineering or technical leadership in avionics or safety-critical aerospace.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex avionics, networking, or integrated hardware/software systems.
• Experience with aerospace development and certification processes, including DO-178C.

Responsibilities

• Lead an avionics networking engineering team to deliver engineering excellence across bids, program execution, product development, integration, verification, certification, and customer support.
• Grow and sustain the team through workforce planning, onboarding, coaching, and technical mentoring to foster a high-performing culture.
• Drive DO-178C/DO-254 compliant programs with strong planning, traceability, verification, and cross-functional coordination in DAL A environments.
• Define strategies for requirements, architecture, integration, verification, validation, certification support, and lifecycle planning for avionics networking products.
• Lead daily execution rhythms and act as the technical escalation point to speed decisions and issue resolution.
• Manage staffing, budgeting, and process discipline to meet functional, business, and company objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aviation, Aerospace, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field

Job description

Job Description Summary

Help define the future of flight at GE Aerospace! The Technical Manager will lead an avionics networking engineering team within the ION (Input/Output & Networking) organization, delivering networking products for civil and military platforms. The role supports the business and Application Engineering teams in defining a strategy for growth, drives continuous improvement of performance and processes, and ensures successful project execution that delivers value for the company and our customers.

This is a People Leader role for a team of roughly 8-10 interdisciplinary engineers, including Subject Matter Experts, Systems Engineers, and Engineering Project Managers. It requires a talented individual who uses experience, knowledge, influence, and initiative to set strategy, manage team competency development, and drive engineering execution excellence. The manager will lead daily execution, conduct performance reviews, and serve as the technical escalation point for the team. The role reports directly to the ION Section Manager with moderate autonomy and requires high levels of operational judgment.

This opportunity is bonus eligible. This position is based on-site in Grand Rapids, MI. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates.

Job Description

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead an avionics networking engineering team to deliver engineering excellence across bids and proposals, program execution, product development, integration, verification, certification, and customer support.


• Grow and sustain the team through workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, coaching, and technical mentoring, fostering a healthy, inclusive, high-performing culture.


• Drive execution of safety-critical avionics networking programs requiring compliance with DO-178C and DO-254, with particular emphasis on the rigor, planning, traceability, verification discipline, and cross-functional coordination expected in DAL A environments.


• Provide leadership for development and execution strategies covering requirements definition, system architecture, integration, verification, validation, certification support, and lifecycle planning for avionics networking products.


• Lead daily execution rhythms, including stand-ups and FLIGHT DECK Daily Management, and serve as the technical escalation point to speed decision‑making and problem resolution.


• Manage the sub-section to achieve functional, business, and company objectives, including engineering planning, staffing, budgeting, culture development, process discipline, and execution excellence.


• Create and execute structured development plans for each team member, and conduct performance reviews with clear expectations and defined metrics.


• Partner closely with technical leaders and Engineering Project Managers to balance development priorities with customer commitments.


• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, technical rigor, lean principles, and clear communication.


• Ensure engineering execution complies with internal engineering processes, customer contractual requirements, and applicable aerospace development and certification standards.


• Allocate qualified engineering resources and manage outsourced activities to meet project needs.


• Support reporting and escalation rhythms with clear communication, a firm understanding of status, active issue ownership, and disciplined risk and opportunity management.


• Hold teams accountable for delivering measurable results against Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) objectives.


• Assist project and program leadership in resolving engineering issues related to design, validation, integration, verification, safety, certification, closure, and field support.


• Develop influential working relationships with customers and stakeholders at multiple levels.


• Help define engineering strategies that differentiate GE Aerospace in the avionics networking market and strengthen the organization for the future.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aviation, Aerospace, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related technical field from an accredited college or university.


• Minimum of 8-10 years of systems engineering, embedded software, or technical/project leadership experience in a highly technical engineering environment, preferably in avionics or safety‑critical aerospace applications.


• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting development of complex avionics, networking, or integrated hardware/software systems.


• Demonstrated experience working on programs governed by aerospace development and certification processes, including DO-178C.

This position requires U.S. citizenship status.

Desired Characteristics

• Master's degree in Aviation, Aerospace, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related technical field.


• Prior experience as a people leader with demonstrated success developing technical talent and building strong teams.


• Background in avionics networking, including ARINC 664