Principal Engineer - Airborne Hardware

Great River Technology is a small aerospace company specializing in digital video products for commercial aerospace and military customers. We offer opportunities for growth and international travel.

GRT is an equal opportunity employer.

Only U.S. persons (U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents) may be considered for our roles.

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Electronic Hardware Assembly Technician applies comprehensive technical knowledge to assemble, modify, install, troubleshoot or repair various electronic components for ground and airborne applications. The role requires a proactive, organized, and professional individual capable of managing a variety of technical tasks and responsibilities in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments.

Responsibilities:

• Read and follow work instructions, and complete second operations on populated electronic circuit boards.
• Execute additional assembly steps such as loading firmware and final acceptance testing of products.
• Prepare finished products for shipment.
• Troubleshoot and repair ground and airborne electronic equipment.
• Install input/output connectors, solder and remove SMT devices.
• Diagnose, repair or replace electronic components as required.
• Maintain required records and forms in accordance with company and customer specifications.
• Manage competing priorities with little supervision.
• Collect data, conduct research, and compile information relevant to engineering projects.
• Work with engineering on card modifications during prototyping and product development.
• Work with environmental equipment to test products through temperature cycles and vibration testing.

Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Associate's degree in Electronics Technology or related field preferred.
• Soldering skills; IPC J-STD-001 and/or IPC-A-610 certification is a plus.
• Experience inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing electronic assemblies, circuits, and circuit boards.
• Experience assembling, installing, routing, terminating, soldering, and repairing electrical wiring harnesses or various electrical components.
• Able to read and interpret schematics and drawings.
• Familiar with quality systems, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, and test equipment.
• Discern colors and numbers.
• Experience working in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Comply with ESD and other quality standards.

GRT is searching for a Principal Hardware Engineer to serve as a subject matter expert in ARINC 818 digital video interface design, testing, simulation, and VHDL implementation within the aerospace domain.

Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary technical authority for all aspects of ARINC 818 design, including fibre channel protocols, video formats, timing, and link integrity.
• Lead architectural definition, detailed design, and implementation of ARINC 818 interfaces for advanced avionics systems.
• Develop and execute comprehensive test plans and procedures for ARINC 818 compliance, robustness, and performance validation.
• Refine simulation methodologies for ARINC 818 links, including model development, signal‑integrity analysis, and performance prediction.
• Design, develop, and verify complex VHDL code for high-performance FPGAs (e.g., Xilinx).
• Execute expertise in FPGA architecture, floor planning, timing closure, synthesis, and place‑and‑route optimization.
• Implement digital signal processing algorithms and video processing pipelines within FPGAs.
• Develop verification environments using VHDL, UVM, or other methodologies.
• Lead the full‑lifecycle hardware development for airborne electronic systems.
• Conduct in‑depth analysis of power consumption, component stress, worst‑case tolerances, and reliability.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure seamless integration and optimal system performance.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid‑level hardware engineers.
• Contribute to aerospace certification standards, airworthiness documentation, and design compliance.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex hardware issues using advanced diagnostic tools.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry…